Brett Maynard

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Shared Spaces for Healthy and Active Places – Can they work in Canberra?AITPM 2014 National Conference

Presented by : Peter StrangDirectorGTA Consultants Peter.Strang@gta.com.au

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Shared Spaces for Healthy and Active Places – Can they work in Canberra?

Co-AuthorsPeter Strang, CTA ConsultantsBrett Maynard, GTA ConsultantsBrigette Humphrey-Robinson, GTA ConsultantsBen McHugh, Roads ACT

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Canberra as a Healthy and Active City

• High cycling participation• 22% ride during a typical week• 40% work less than 10km from home• Canberrans walk an average of 26min per day

Transport for Canberra: Transport for a Sustainable City 2012-2031

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Bunda Street Case Study

Bunda Street

Pedestrian Activity

Cyclist Activity

On-street Parking

Loading Zones

Through Traffic

Retail Precinct

CommercialUses

Bunda Street forms a key link within the Civic Cycle Loop

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Bunda Street Vision

Cater for all Cycling Abilities

Safe and Convenient

Increased Pedestrian

Activity

Day to Night Transition

Destination for all Users

Pop-up Activities and Entertainmen

t

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Design Methodology

Road User HierarchyStreet FunctionDesign VehicleCirculationLocal Area Traffic Management (Speed)Parking ProvisionSafetyIntersection Treatments

Design Decisions

Road User HierarchyNetwork ContextRoad User Interactions and ConflictsUser MovementsQuality of InfrastructureParking RequirementsServicing Requirements

Existing Considerations

Australian LegislationState GuidelinesACT Context

Austroads Guide to Traffic ManagementOther PrecedentsInternational Design

Background Review

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Australian Shared Zone

Shared Space• No legal definition• Interaction of all users with minimal guidance

Australian Road Rules (ARR):• Definition - ‘installation of Shared Zone signage’• Does not specify speed limit• Pedestrians have legal priority• Adopted in the ACT Road Rules

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Other State Guides

Speed Zones• Typically 10km/h• 20km/h examples implemented in ACT and QLD

Traffic Volumes• Significant variation

Design• Typically remove kerbs (single surface level)• Kerbs can be maintained in Brownfield sites or existing

streets (NSW)

State Max Vehicles per Hour

Max Vehicles per Day

NSW 100 1,000

VIC 200 1,000

WA - 300

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Austroads Guidance

Shared Zones:• Reduce vehicle speeds• Reduce traffic volumes• Increase pedestrian and

cyclist safety• Improve amenity with no

impact to access

Consistent with the Bunda Street Vision

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Australian Shared ZoneAngel Place, Sydney, NSW

Childers Street, City West, ACT Hunter Street Mall, Newcastle, NSW

Hargreaves Street and Bull Street, Bendigo, VIC

‘One Size Fits All’ is not necessarily appropriate for Shared Zones

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• 85% vehicle speed is 30-40km/h• Approximately 500vph – expected to reduce• Pedestrian volumes are 3X vehicle volumes• Lane width = 3.5-4.0m – reduced in design• Undesirable through route• Pedestrian pinch points

Bunda Street Context

Bunda Street meets most

(known) criteria for Shared Zone

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Key Design Considerations and Challenges

• Speed limit – safe, practical• Retro-fitting the Woonerf Principle• Parking and loading – requirement of small

business• Funding limitations – staged approach• Intersection/ entry treatments – clear visual cues

Akuna Street

Mort Street

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• Welcoming for pedestrians & cyclists of all levels• 10km/h – not well received by stakeholders• 20 km/h – potentially reduced to 10km/h in the

future• Self enforcing speed limit for compliance• Reduced fatality rate

Speed Limit

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• Horizontal and vertical deflection• Removal of line marking• Strategic tree planting• Urban design features• Reduced lane widths• Paved materials• Kerb build outs

Retro-Fitting the Woonerf Principle

ConstrainedReasonably ambiguous

Limited delineation

Competing

Priorities

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• Reduced parking spaces• Parallel parking – safer than angled for Bunda

Street• Relocation to improve sight lines• Alternate Sides• Short-term – increase efficiency• Consolidated loading

Parking

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Intersection Treatments

Bike Box

Raised Thresho

ld

Reduced Width

Planting Restricts Peds

Interaction Between

Shared Zone and Traffic

Signals

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Stage One• Intersections and desire lines• Consider high priority areas• Raised pavement areas• Horizontal deflection• Maintain major traffic control devices

Stage Two (Future)• Raised pavement along the length of Bunda

Street• Scramble crossing• Remove further traffic control devices

Staged Approach

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Additional measures:• User education• Safety campaign• Heavy vehicle access restrictionsFuture Comparative Measures:• Level of traffic control devices• Number of pedestrians, vehicles and cyclists• Number and type of crashes• Number of key pedestrian crossing locations• User opinion and retail satisfaction

Implementation and Evaluation

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Thank you!Any Questions?

Peter.Strang@gta.com.au