Transforming NSW Streets for Walking, Cycling and Micromobility

Sara Stace, Benny Horn & Yanos Fill-Dryden

WSP Australia & Transport for NSW

This presentation was delivered at the 2021 Online Conference Series and until October 2022 is only available to registered delegates and Content Access Pass holders via Interchange. For information on accessing this and other presentations please review the Content Access Pass options.

ABSTRACT

The NSW Government has accelerated its planning, funding and delivery for walking, cycling and micromobility customers. With over $700 million being invested over four years, key achievements include:

Cycling and Micromobility:  The government and 33 councils co-designed a cycling network for Greater Sydney as part of a business case to meet the NSW Government's priorities to integrate land use, transport and health. A similar process is underway for regional NSW, and is supported by a suite of guides including a Cycling Propensity Index, Prioritisation Framework and Cycleway Design Toolbox. 

Walkable Places:  The government with Vivendi Consulting developed a world-first machine-learning model analysing big data and 120 geospatial data sets. It found the highest factors for walking are housing and employment, points of interest, crossing opportunities, and public transport services. 

COVID response: TfNSW instigated rapid responses to facilitate walking and cycling, installing 28km of pop-up cycleways in ten councils, increasing separated cycling infrastructure by 60% in nine months and enabling 15,000 cycling trips/ week. This is supported by data collection, evaluation and reporting dashboards.
Other responses included automated pedestrian crossings, reduced speed zones and 30kmh trials, as well as supporting Department of Planning on a $15m Streets as Shared Spaces Program for 67 tactical projects across NSW such as parklets and slow streets.

Around $125 million in economic stimulus funding was also secured with the Australian Government to complete key trunk routes on the cycling network within two years. 

Movement and Place Framework:  A series of practitioners guides and toolkits include the Road User Space Allocation Policy, Providing for Walking and Cycling in Transport Projects Policy, and Walking Space Guide. 

Author(s)

Sara Stace | WSP Australia

Sara Stace is a city shaper with an extensive background in cities, land use and urban transport. Currently Director of Cities at WSP, she previously led Walking and Cycling Strategy at Transport for NSW, and chaired Cycling and Walking Australia New Zealand (CWANZ). Sara has written 20 publications, including for the United Nations and the Australian Government, ranging from the National Urban Policy to the National Urban Design Protocol and various state and local transport strategies.

Benny Horn | Transport for NSW

Benny Horn is a Senior Transport Planner at Transport for NSW, in the Active and Healthy Transport Strategy team. 

Yanos Fill-Dryden | Transport for NSW

Yanos Fill-Dryden is a project manager at Transport for NSW, in the Active and Healthy Transport Strategy team.