Andy Burnham’s Manchester Cycling Revolution: Is the city on track for 2040?

Can Andy Burnham’s cycling vision for Greater Manchester still become reality by 2040—or is the region falling behind the ambition he helped establish?
In this video, I examine Burnham’s vision of transforming Greater Manchester into a place where cycling, walking and public transport become realistic alternatives to travelling by car. Using official reports, transport strategies and published data, we look beyond political promises to assess what has actually been delivered—and what still needs to happen.

Burnham’s approach became part of what has often been described as “Manchesterism”: a Greater Manchester model based on devolution, public investment, integrated transport and decisions being made closer to the communities they affect.
At the centre of this vision is the Bee Network—a connected transport system intended to bring buses, trams, walking and cycling together. But while Greater Manchester has delivered new cycleways, crossings and protected junctions, the official evidence also reveals substantial gaps in the network and continuing concerns about safety.

In this video, we examine:
Andy Burnham’s cycling and active-travel vision for Greater Manchester
The ambition to transform how people travel by 2040
The expansion of the Bee Network
Progress on new cycleways, crossings and protected junctions
Cycling growth on Oxford Road and the Chorlton Cycleway
Differences in cycling participation between men and women
Differences between demographic groups
Public concerns about traffic, unsafe junctions and missing protected routes
Whether the existing rate of delivery is sufficient
What official reports and transport data reveal about the future

Greater Manchester has already made visible progress, but constructing individual cycle routes is not the same as creating a complete, safe and connected network.
For Burnham’s vision to succeed, cycling must become a practical everyday choice—not only for confident riders, but also for children, families, commuters and people who currently feel unsafe cycling alongside traffic.
This is therefore about much more than bicycles. It is about how Greater Manchester’s streets are designed, how people move around the region and whether Burnham’s transport vision can continue beyond his time as mayor.

Do you think Andy Burnham’s cycling vision will survive his departure and help Greater Manchester become a genuine cycling city by 2040—or will progress begin to slow? Let me know in the comments.

Thank you for watching and for supporting the channel. Every view, comment, like, and subscription helps me continue producing independent videos about cycling, transport policy, and the bicycle industry. 🚲🐝

VIDEO FOOTAGE ATTRIBUTION

“Greater Manchester is on track to become the first Daily Mile City-Region!”
Created and uploaded by The Daily Mile UK (@thedailymileuk29851)

Original video:

Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY) — reuse allowed.

Changes made: Selected extracts were shortened, edited and incorporated into this video alongside original narration, commentary and graphics.

This attribution does not imply that The Daily Mile UK endorses this video or its conclusions.

VIDEO FOOTAGE ATTRIBUTION

“Chris Boardman revisits Binley Cycleway”
Created and uploaded by Coventry City Council

Original video:

Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY) — reuse allowed.

Changes made: Selected extracts were shortened, cropped, and edited and were incorporated into this video alongside original narration, commentary, research, and graphics.

This attribution does not imply that the original creator endorses this video or its conclusions.