People walking and cycling have unique needs and require different infrastructure solutions. People of all ages and abilities, including people using assisted mobility devices, walking aids, different types of bicycles and carers with prams, should be able to safely walk and cycle everywhere within a precinct.

To support thriving and healthy 15-minute neighbourhoods, people walking should be prioritised in the vicinity of key destinations, while low-speed zones and separated cycleways (on higher speed routes) should be provided to improve cycle safety and increase mode share. Figure 12 illustrates the extensive walking and cycling network required in a precinct, which includes the priority corridors on the main street, off-road recreational corridors and mid-block connections where needed.

Figure 12 People should be able to walk and cycle everywhere in a precinct with more provisions on the priority walking and cycling corridors that form the main street network

Create low-speed zones in the network that encourage walking and cycling

When streets and roads are designed for motor vehicles that travel at high speed, other road users are exposed to higher risk and people are less likely to walk or cycle.

Identify low-speed streets (30 km/h speed limit or lower) and areas in the network that encourage walking and cycling, and designate these as local traffic areas (LTAs) and high pedestrian activity areas (HPAAs) with quiteways. Local centres and other key destinations are good candidates for this treatment.

Provide dedicated footpaths on both sides of streets

Dedicated footpaths should be provided on all streets except on shared paths. For ‘one-sided’ streets, such as a street fronting a bushland reserve with lots on one side only, a footpath is required on the lot side. This enables vulnerable people such as children, the elderly, people with disabilities and prams to safely access the walking network without needing to cross the street.

Provide sufficient space, shade, wayfinding and amenities

Priority walking and cycling corridors require additional provisions to allow comfortable access for a large volume of users. Unlike other modes, people who walk often stop to enjoy a place, interact with others or wait for something, particularly around key destinations and public transport stops. Rather than basing a design on existing or predicted future demand, focus on a vision for the place and its desired use when planning for walking and cycling.

These priority corridors should have sufficient space to allow groups of people to congregate without blocking others’ paths (see the Walking Space Guide). Footpaths in front of sensitive land uses like aged care facilities may need to be wider to accommodate people who need to rest more often or multiple people on wheelchairs.

Integrating walking and cycling corridors with green infrastructure such as tree canopy (see Principle 8) can also provide shade, protect users from noise and air pollution and create a more comfortable space to enjoy. This results in secondary benefits of improved health and wellbeing.

Provide separated cycleways on the cycling network and on streets where the speed limit is higher than 30 km/h

Separated cycleways should be provided on the planned cycling network, as well as on streets where the speed limit is higher than 30 km/h, and near schools and areas with a high volume of vehicle movements.

The cycleways should provide adequate width for the volume of users, enable minimal stopping and starting, avoid steep gradients, and limit interaction with high speed, high volumes of motorised traffic and noise and pollution where possible. The infrastructure design should be able to evolve to accommodate changes in the needs and demands of its users over time, including innovations in the approved forms of micromobility.

Off-road cycleways (or shared paths) through popular recreational areas such as parks, lakes and waterways will also support cycling uptake and reduce car reliance. Such connections can be delivered through the blue–green grid (see Principle 4) with an optimum level of passive surveillance for safety.

Create a connected walking and cycling network with crossing facilities every 130m and priority at intersections

Historically, walking tends to be well-catered for in centres and leading to centres. However, cycling often gets pushed aside to recreational areas or quiet streets that are further away from centres because cycling is assumed to be mainly recreational. To be useful for other journeys, the cycling network needs to be connected to key destinations, as discussed in Principle 3.

The entire network should be planned and designed, so people walking and cycling can reach their day-to-day destinations easily, along routes that are connected, direct, safe, simple to navigate and of consistent quality.

A connected network provides multiple routes to move between key destinations, creating a resilient network where, for example, if one path is closed for maintenance, others are still available. This includes providing safe and convenient crossing facilities every 130m and giving priority to walking and cycling at intersections following desire lines.

Following the Safe System approach, the design of crossings should recognise that people are human and sometimes make mistakes. Avoid forcing people to cross at unsuitable crossing points such as multiple stage crossings with lags between phases, long wait times, or where other road users can’t properly anticipate their movements. Areas near schools should also have crossing supervisors as children under the age of 10 may not have fully developed their peripheral vision² to cross the street independently. If critically needed, a grade-separated crossing can be used with walking and cycling access provided at grade.

• Providing for Walking and Cycling in Transport Projects Policy (TfNSW 2021)
• Walking Space Guide (TfNSW 2020)
• Cycleway Design Toolbox (TfNSW 2020)

²https://www.yourhealth.net.au/articles/family-health/childrens-health/pedestrian-safety-for-kids/