The Bee Network are a collection of ambitious plans to transform how people travel around the Greater Manchester region.

Modelled upon the integrated transport system in place in London, the Bee Network is flagship policy of the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.

The plans will join together buses, trams, rail as well as cycling and walking.

Mr Burnham recently revealed the first look at the new electric buses that will be rolled across Bolton and Wigan in September next year.

There will be an initial fleet of 50 with the mayor saying: “The countdown to bringing buses back under local control for the first time in thirty-six years is well and truly on.”

As part of this plan, Greater Manchester Combined Authority is also looking to deliver the UK's largest cycling and walking network.

It says it is connecting up every area and community in Greater Manchester, ‘making it easy, safe and attractive for people to travel on foot or by bike for everyday trips’.

The vision for the Bee Network was unveiled by former Cycling and Walking Commissioner Chris Boardman in 2018 as a 10-year, 1.5bn plan to create 1,800 miles of routes and 2,400 new crossings.

And it would seem that the plans are supported by the majority.

READ MORE: Manchester's Bee Network moves step closer

According to the 2019 Sustrans’ Bike Report, 67 per cent of Greater Manchester residents support building more protected roadside cycle lanes, even when this could mean less space for other road traffic

Not only does the Bee Network aim to give people places to ride their bikes, but it also provides the equipment too.

Greater Manchester’s cycle hire scheme which was launched to the public in November last year has already seen over 100,000km collectively ridden - the equivalent of a quarter of the distance to the moon or two-and-a-half times ridden around the world.

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at lewis.finney@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @lewisfinney18