The M7 active transport corridor in the western Parkland City

This case study demonstrates design principle five from the Beyond the Pavement urban design guide: Contributing to green infrastructure and responding to natural systems.

The M7 active transport corridor in the western Parkland City

A key success of this integrated motorway and cycleway project and one which provides wider benefits to Western Sydney is the delivery of a green corridor that is generously landscaped with native species in the wide median and the verge, that connects to the Western Sydney Parkland and that creates a major new park to compensate for loss of original green space. The 4m wide shared path runs alongside the M7 separated from traffic. (1)

It has its own bridges over roads and creeks (2), integrates into surrounding pedestrian and cycle networks and, with its landscape curtilage, is an almost continuous piece of regional green infrastructure in its own right that provides shade, rest stops with heritage interpretation and visual interest for users.

M7 shortly after opening in 2205 with the new landscape still in the establishment period. (Photograph by Roger D’Souza)

The M7 and its cycleway provides a 40km green transport corridor through Western Sydney. On opening, drought badly affected the planting, but after time and with care from the maintenance crews, the native trees and grasslands have established and form a substantial green infrastructure asset. There are several important design principles relating to this cycleway and others of a similar nature.

Ensuring a balance of treed areas and open areas with views of the wider landscape is important to make the cycleway feel safer and more interesting.

The cycleway should have an interdependently graded alignment, suited to the slower speeds of cyclists, to make the route less monotonous and tiring. Also cycle bridges can be shorter than road bridges so money can be saved.

The cycleway alignment should, where needed alternate between each side of the road to connect to key destinations and other cycle routes. The cycleway should help form other off motorway cycle loops.