AITPM Queensland | 2019 Annual Cycling and Walking Technical Seminar

The AITPM annual Cycling and Walking Technical Seminar attracted a full house and generated stimulated discussion about how cycling and walking facilities can be done better. Michael Langdon from Road Operations gave an overview of Technical Publications and reminded participants of the place that standards hold in the hierarchy when pushing the boundaries of traditional approaches to engineering. Kylie Nixon and Eliza Howell from Arup demonstrated practitioners need to understand the theory and rationale underlying standards and the impacts of them on all users. Their research into the height of bridge rails was an excellent example of this, as it questions the origins of the existing guidance on rail height and the need for an offset rail. Prue Oswin from Sidelines Traffic presented new guidance that has been developed to give priority to pedestrians and cyclists at intersections. This guidance showed an application of the Safe Systems philosophy to protect vulnerable road users. The night concluded with an open discussion on gaps in the guidance and implementation issues. All in all, it was interesting to see a heavy focus in this session on improving the way we provide for walking and cycling on the network with the audience interested in getting a better understanding of new standards, treatments and getting resolution on long-standing issues. 

Selected quotes of participant feedback:

• I thought last night’s seminar was excellent. It was well attended by industry and very informative. All the presenters were clearly knowledge experts, and this was evident in their presentations – it was clear they were subject matter experts and had a genuine interest and passion to educate the industry. I loved how all the presenters were so welcoming of questions and feedback from improvement – the audience were well engaged, evident through the discussion at the end. JS-TMR Participant
• Thank you for putting on a great seminar yesterday. Interesting, informative, very well arranged and presented. And the material is relevant to current planning and design. RG-Consultant Participant

Presenters and Topics included:

·     Michael Langdon (TMR): Technical publications explained (where to find information)

·     Kylie Nixon & Eliza Howell (Arup): Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridge Railings – a research-based amendment to the technical publications 

·     Prue Oswin (Sidelines Traffic): Priority Crossings – a new technical guideline

Technical publications explained (where to find information)

This presentation provides an overview and instruction on how technical publications are developed, organised and published by the Queensland Department of Transport & Main Roads (TMR) and where to find them. If you've ever had trouble finding information or technical guidance, then this presentation is not to be missed. If you need a refresher on the differences between and applicability of: Legislation, Standards, Policy, Strategy, Guidelines, Supplements and Manuals, this presentation will give clear explanations and examples. 

Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridge Railings – a research-based amendment to the technical publications 

This research focuses on an area of ambiguity in the current technical guidelines and provides an example of the issues involved in reconciling a Guideline with an Australian Standard. The issue investigated was barrier height and deflection rail requirements. Current barrier heights may be suitable for male adult cyclists and provide protection in a head-on crash with the fence, but they may not be suitable for children in a 'glancing' crash with the fence. Deflection rails may be beneficial where there is a snagging risk against a fence. In other situations, the dis-benefit associated with a reduction in effective path width may exceed any benefit of the deflection rail. If a fence can be designed in such a way as to present a smooth surface towards the path deflection rails may not be required. The research also asked whether we holistically considered ‘8 to 80’ when identifying how to resolve any gaps. 

Priority Crossings – a new technical guideline

Providing crossings at side roads that give pedestrians and bicycle riders priority over vehicles is one way of ensuring that shared pathways are more direct, and comfortable for users. Observational studies into existing raised priority crossings also demonstrate that these facilities perform well from a safety perspective, furthermore the facilities are consistent with a safe systems approach to protecting vulnerable road users. This presentation will cover the new technical guidance for raised priority crossings and the background behind why this guidance was developed.