A narrow street aligned to the rear of mixed-use properties to provide service access and facilitate continuous active frontages on parallel streets.

Service lanes provide a vital support function, as rear access enables properties to position primary active frontages on more significant streets. However, because of this secondary nature, service lanes can often become poor-quality places.

While service lanes provide last-mile freight and vehicle access to properties, they can also be convenient routes for walking and cycling. Slow speeds and consideration for sharing can enhance safety in these narrower spaces. Service lanes can be made safer and more comfortable for walking and cycling while maintaining essential service access.

Common issues

Some safety issues in service lanes relate to transport, such as a lack of footpaths, the presence of large vehicles, and high vehicle operating speeds.

Other safety issues relate to land use and adjacent built form, such as lack of passive surveillance, poor lighting and built edges that create places of concealment.

Management of back of house operations, such as waste collection, are often informal and can conflict with everyday operations.

• a lack of footpaths
• the presence of large vehicles
• high vehicle speeds
• a lack of passive surveillance, poor lighting and built edges
• informal waste management
• continuous roadway surfaces and large corner radii at intersections, implying vehicle priority.

Design solutions

[1] continuous footpath treatment (Continuous Footpath Treatments, TS 02667)

[2] shared zones (NSW Speed Zoning Standard, TS 03631)

[3] street lighting (Lighting for Roads and Public Spaces, AS1742 Series)

[4] short-term last mile freight and servicing access (Freight and Servicing Last Mile Toolkit)

The design solutions library includes a full list of appropriate design solutions for service lanes.