Transport for NSW have published a suite of new policies and frameworks to help guide the creation of comfortable, connected and accessible places for people to ride and walk.
The guides set clear design principles and standards for the streamlined delivery of high-quality cycleways in all road environments.
They also recognise that high-quality cycling and walking infrastructure is integral to the success of the transport network and ultimately serves to benefit all road users.
The publication of the guides and policies serves to further strengthen Transport for NSW's ongoing commitment to improving the cycling and walking network across the state.
Below are four key guidelines and policies that have been published within the last month:
1. Cycleway Design Toolbox – Designing for cycling and micromobility
The Cycleway Design Toolbox has been created to provide guidance for practioners on how to design for cycling and micromobility in the context of NSW and Greater Sydney.
It includes a comprehensive suite of best practice designs across a range of on and off-road environments and can be used to justify the planning, design and delivery of high-quality bike riding infrastructure. In addition to optimal road and intersection configurations for a range of cycleways, the Toolbox also includes design principles for pop up cycleways and bike parking facilities.
The Toolbox encourages practitioners to aim to meet six key design principles for cycling-friendly infrastructure: connected, direct, attractive, safe, comfortable and adaptable.
Download the toolbox here
2. The Movement and Place Framework and Practitioners Guide
This guide is a cross-government framework for planning and managing roads across NSW which aims to create successful streets by recognising that streets are not just about the movement of people and goods, but also places for people to live, work and spend time.
It has been created for practitioners involved in the planning, design, delivery and operations of our transport networks with an increasing emphasis on public space and place-based planning.
Movement and Place is about getting the right mix of transport in the right locations by recognizing the needs of all users including people who ride, walk, shop, eat as well as deliveries, public transport users and private vehicles.
Download the guide
3. Providing for Walking and Cycling in Transport Projects Policy
This policy requires that every transport project funded by Transport for NSW must include a provision for cycling and walking and must be delivered from the outset of every transport project.
This is a key policy that Bicycle Network has been campaigning for in NSW, as it recognises that active transport options are integral to transport systems and to the greater good of communities, and shouldn't be an afterthought.
Download the policy
4. Road user Space Allocation Policy
This policy relates to the safe and equitable prioritisation of road users to support the movement of people, goods and placemaking.
In practice, this means allocating road user space based on the road functions and to consider all road users in order of: walking (including equitable access for people of all abilities); cycling (including larger legal micro-mobility devices); public transport; freight and deliveries; and point to point transport ahead of general traffic and on-street parking for private motorised vehicles.
Specifically it flags that when allocating road user space, space for cycling and walking should be prioritised.
Download the policy
