The development of the Travel Plan is not the end of our commitment to transport issues at The Trafford Centre. We are also investigating a number of options to provide a major dedicated public transport link to access the Centre. At present we are negotiating with GMPTE and the teams bidding for the Metrolink operating contract to provide a new extension of Metrolink from Pomona (at the beginning of the Eccles line), direct to The Trafford Centre.
Investigating a direct Metrolink connection…
Our studies have shown that a Metrolink route would be very attractive to both staff and visitors for their journey to The Trafford Centre. 42% of staff and 48% of visitors suggest that they would consider using a new Metrolink service in preference to their existing travel mode. In particular, Manchester, Trafford and Salford were identified as those areas likely to be the best served by a Metrolink connection to the Centre. This coincides with the core catchment area for both staff and visitor trips. The scale of funding required to provide these major transport proposals is considerable, and we are currently investigating a range of funding options and partnership schemes. We are hopeful, however, that development of a Trafford Centre Metrolink route can be progressed as part of the next stage of the Metrolink ‘big bang’ project.
Using the Travel Plan to maximise benefits…
The coordinating function of the Travel Plan will have an important role in maximising the benefits of new major transport schemes by ensuring linkage between travel modes at the Centre. We anticipate that the Travel Plan will evolve with the provision of future infrastructure at the Centre, to provide a fully integrated approach, addressing all modes and providing opportunities for sustainable travel on all journeys to The Trafford Centre.