Part of Atherton is already under Bolton Council. The Woodlands care home and the bottom of Newbrook Road almost up to the Park Gates that Peel are after redeveloping has a Manchester M46 address yet comes under Bolton council. And the bus service from Atherton to the city centre has always took less time than catching the bus from Atherton to Wigan. In fact I don't know if there is a service from Atherton - Wigan by bus now. Hasn't the 32 route from Wigan to the East Lancs park and ride been cancelled?Obvious answer - move Atherton under the wings of Bolton Council and move Tyldesley to - let's see - Salford, I guess.
.
Plus direct trains to Southport, Bolton, Barrow, Birmingham, Birmingham International (so that's two airports) and Blackpool ...You do seem to ignore its fairly good rail connections.
On the WCML; well connected to Liverpool and Manchester; on route of the Manchester Airport to Scotland trains.
Maybe if we had the same level of spending on transport infrastructure enjoyed by our London cousins we could afford better links, unfortunately schemes like the link from the M61 at Horwich to the M6 at Bryn are too costly so Wigan just remains clogged.Whilst reflecting on the consequences of the 32 bus no longer running (very limited level of remaining direct buses Tyldesley - Atherton - Hindley - Wigan - basically just the 132), I started to question why Wigan was included in Greater Manchester at all. Was it "added on" as an afterthought, because it didn't really belong anywhere else much? And, even as a borough, the two sides appear cobbled together like they don't maybe really belong.
Ok, so having got that rant off my chest, what do we do about it? Well, Atherton is much better connected to Bolton than to Wigan by bus, though - granted - the train service to Wigan is OK. And Tyldesley now enjoys 8 buses an hour on the Guided Busway - to Salford and Manchester, but good luck to anyone trying to get from Tyldesley to (central) Wigan.
And it's not much better in a car. Queues of traffic up the old A577, with 20mph speed limits (on an 'A' road) and not a lot of alternative ways to go. It's a LOT further on the East Lancs (A580) and overall may take just as long.
So, Wigan Council want to build a link road to Bolton in "under the radar" bits and pieces - a (very) "Poor Man's M58" but this may take years to build, if at all. Meanwhile, Athertonians are far more likely to shop in Bolton than in Wigan, and people from Tyldesley will go to Salford or Manchester (or possibly Leigh, which is "only sort of Wiganish", if at all).
Obvious answer - move Atherton under the wings of Bolton Council and move Tyldesley to - let's see - Salford, I guess.
Don't all bite at once! I did live in "parts of Wigan" (Atherton and Hindley) for nearly 3 of the last 8 years (the rest in Bolton) so I have seen these issues on the ground and have multiple pairs of worn out shoes to prove it.
Anyway, it's just a bit of a "spanner in the works" to encourage "lateral thinking" contributions regarding the solutions, if any, to Wigan's [Transport] dis-connectedness.
My understanding is that Wigan was included in GM as an afterthought. Under the 1974 local government reorganisation GM was originally planned to include Wilmslow and Poynton but those areas did not want to be included. There was a late night debate in Parliament and Wilmslow and Poynton succeeded in persuading Ted Heath's Government to keep them in Cheshire. Wigan was then included at the last minute to make up for the loss of Wilmslow and Poynton.Whilst reflecting on the consequences of the 32 bus no longer running (very limited level of remaining direct buses Tyldesley - Atherton - Hindley - Wigan - basically just the 132), I started to question why Wigan was included in Greater Manchester at all. Was it "added on" as an afterthought, because it didn't really belong anywhere else much? And, even as a borough, the two sides appear cobbled together like they don't maybe really belong.
Anyway, it's just a bit of a "spanner in the works" to encourage "lateral thinking" contributions regarding the solutions, if any, to Wigan's [Transport] dis-connectedness.
Ouch a fate worse than death.I spent three hours last Sunday with 3000 pie eaters and the words "disconnected" seems apt.
I suggest WMBC joins the highly successful Merseyside Council then.:lol:
Been three proposals for it over the last decade and a half from Virgin Rail, and the Council and doesn't require at grade crossings simply moving platforms. Money is the main obstacle Halcrow in 2011 estimated it would cost £30.36m and have a BCR of between 1.7 and 3.4. Its next on TfGMs list after Bolton Interchange as large station project to do when you have a wad of cash to spend.I've never understood why Wallgate and North Western have never been integrated.
There may also be a need to spend money on the bridge under (the road) Wallgate, either repairs because it's cracking up. or alterations for electrification headroom at some future date, or both.
3
