Greater Manchester residents are walking and cycling more than ever, with over 700 million active travel trips recorded in 2025 – thanks to major investment in the Bee Network.
This report clearly shows the growing demand for active travel, with increases in walking, wheeling, and cycling across Greater Manchester for short trips.
We’re proud to work alongside Transport for Greater Manchester, and the Greater Manchester local authorities in delivering the Modeshift STARS scheme, and are delighted to see a 32% increase in the number of schools gaining accreditation over the last year, including the inspirational Altrincham Grammar School for Girls’, our current Modeshift STARS Regional Secondary School of the Year for the North West.
Active Travel Report Published
The latest Active Travel Annual Report has now been published, and highlights that where infrastructure has been completed, active travel rates have surged – demonstrating how transformational infrastructure is helping more people choose to walk or cycle..
This includes a 62% increase in cycle trips on Chorlton Cycle Way in 2025 compared to 2021. On Oxford Road there were 7,000 cyclists a day in October 2025 – up from 2,000 a day before there was a segregated cycleway.
The total number of active travel trips in Greater Manchester was over 700 million in 2025 and has increased each year between 2021 – when the total number of active travel trips stood at just over 510 million – and 2024. This has been supported in part by a post-pandemic recovery in overall travel demand, and population growth.
Active travel currently accounts for around one-third (33%) of trips by Greater Manchester residents, with an ambition for 50% of all journeys in Greater Manchester to be made by walking, cycling and public transport by 2050.
We’re looking forward to build on this momentum and to bringing our Team Modeshift Convention to Manchester later this year to continue the conversation and share best practice with our Members from across the country.
For the full article and report visit: Walking and cycling surge across Greater Manchester as Bee Network expands
