Road users

People use and experience roads and streets in different ways for different purposes.

In the Movement and Place Framework, 'roads and streets' refers to the whole network of public spaces that connect people. This includes the State-owned road network and local council streets.

How people use roads and streets

Roads and streets enable people to move around and engage in everyday activities. These spaces need to serve people of all ages and abilities, who have many different needs.

Movement can be understood in the context of place

We use two categories to consider how people use roads and streets:

• By purpose; and
• By mode.

By purpose:

1. People using the street as a place.
2. People using the street for movement.

By mode:

1. People who dwell.
2. People who walk.
3. People who cycle.
4. People who use public transport.
5. People who manage freight.
6. People who drive private motor vehicles.

Purposes

We often consider people using roads and streets according to their purpose: whether they are travelling along the street, or staying for some kind of activity.

People also readily change from one group to the other, such as residents boarding a bus, or walkers stopping at a shop.

Mode

We also consider users of roads and streets according to their mode of travel: how they move around.

Networks of roads and streets can be designed to cater for a range of modes in a collective way. For example, closing through-access to cars in some points in a network can create safer and quieter streets for people walking and riding a bicycle (as well as new pockets of green public space).

The modes that streets accommodate can change over time. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the importance of local streets for walking, riding a bicycle, and outdoor activities. Street spaces need to be adaptable to suit people’s changing needs.