Barbara is asking local residents to have their say on any measures that could help to tackle the increasing traffic misery caused by congestion across Worsley and Eccles South. Barbara will then take the ideas to transport bosses to see if any of the ideas could be implemented to bring short term improvements to congestion.

Barbara had called on Salford and Greater Manchester transport bosses to hold an urgent Traffic Summit to look at the issues and consider actions to ease the congestion. This took place on December 17th, but during the Summit transport bosses said they felt unable to offer any short or medium-term solutions to the traffic problems.

Barbara was told that traffic on roads in Salford has increased by 3.6%. This is more than three times the 1.1% average increase in traffic across Greater Manchester. But transport bosses said they don’t have detailed information about worst journey times nor about what causes particular problems. With roads and motorways in Salford full to capacity at peak times, accidents or an event at a stadium or the Trafford Centre can now cause gridlock.

Barbara is now turning to local people for ideas on how to tackle the traffic misery, because people who travel a route regularly can often see how congestion pinch-points could be improved.

Barbara said:

“I know that local people will be disappointed to hear that transport bosses could not offer any immediate or short-term solutions to ease the widespread traffic congestion on roads across Worsley and Eccles South. I share their disappointment.

“I receive a large number of complaints from constituents who are totally fed up with the traffic misery they have to endure. They tell me their journey times are taking much longer than they used to, with even short journeys taking up to an hour. Clearly this is a complex problem and in the long-term major improvements are needed to the road network but changes of that size need funding from the Government and will not bring about the immediate help we need.

“So I am asking people to send me any constructive ideas they have on how traffic congestion in Worsley and Eccles South can be relieved in the short to medium-term. I am looking for suggestions that could be put in place now, such as changes to junctions or ideas for changes to traffic flow.

“Local people who have constructive ideas can have their say via the survey here. The deadline for sending in comments for this is 5pm on Friday 22nd January 2016.

“I will be taking these suggestions to Salford and Greater Manchester transport bosses and calling on them to look at what immediate action can be taken to ease the congestion on our local roads.”