Oxford Road is home to one of the UK’s busiest and most successful cycling corridors. Since the introduction of Dutch-style cycle lanes in 2016 as part of Transport for Greater Manchester’s Cycle City programme, cycling has become a key part of daily life in Manchester’s Knowledge Quarter.
Each year, thousands of people choose to cycle along Oxford Road, helping to shape a healthier, more sustainable Manchester. On the busiest days, more than 7,000 journeys are recorded in and out of the Oxford Road Corridor, demonstrating the growing demand for active travel. The dedicated cycle lanes have significantly improved safety and accessibility, making it easier than ever for students, residents, and visitors to navigate the area by bike.
Oxford Road’s cycle lanes are a key component of Manchester’s long-term sustainability goals. Cycling plays an important role in reducing emissions and congestion, with each switch from a car to a bike cutting an individual’s carbon footprint by up to 83.7%. The cycle lanes also contribute to the city’s ambition for 90% of peak-time journeys into the city centre to be made by public transport, walking, or cycling by 2040, as outlined in the City Centre Transport Strategy.
Greater Manchester is developing the UK’s largest cycling and walking network as part of The Bee Network, connecting every community with 1,800 miles of safe routes and 2,400 new crossings. Across the city, new cycle hubs and infrastructure projects are being developed to make cycling even more accessible.
The Starling Bank Bikes hire scheme has also made cycling more convenient, with 72,000 active users and over 1.5 million kilometres collectively ridden since its launch in 2021. Oxford Road remains the most popular location for bike hires, further cementing its place as Manchester’s premier cycling route.
🚲 Travel & Route Planning
🔧 Bike Maintenance
It has been another record-breaking year for cycling on Oxford Road, with more than a million bike rides already recorded by September, surpassing last year’s achievement of the milestone in November.
Oxford Road Corridor is a square mile area south of Manchester city centre. With excellent national and international connections and hundreds of local public transport services, getting to and travelling around Manchester’s Knowledge Quarter couldn’t be easier.
Oxford Road Corridor has a number of historic parks and contemporary green spaces to enjoy.