This article was reprinted with permission from the author, Prue Oswin.
Many footpaths are stranded assets. They are cut off from nearby infrastructure by roads people cannot get across. The result is a network that is operating below potential AND is failing to provide for latent demand.
This issue is prevalent in many regional towns, coastal areas and suburbs, where it is not uncommon to see bus stops positioned on either side of a road with 10,000 vehicles per day with no functional crossing to connect them.
Crossings can cost from almost a hundred thousand dollars, to over a million dollars depending on the context. We have built many crossing that do not address safety issues. A small island in the middle of the road makes the crossing task slightly more achievable and doesn’t disrupt traffic. However, most people do not feel safe on these facilities.
Untreated crossings, strand our footpath assets and refuge crossings are the bike lanes, of walking networks. They only provide for a small percentage of the community, and they don’t prevent death and serious injury type crashes in many contexts.
We need systematic and strategic investment to counter the effects of increased traffic volumes in communities. This investment needs to ensure people can safely get across busy roads to access local services, bus stops and schools, even as these roads get busier. These facilities are especially needed in regional towns, outer suburbs and coastal suburban communities. It’s important to remember that crossings are not just a town centre treatment, to be used in areas with high place values, they are an essential component of movement networks.
There is much focus on providing for separated cycling facilities to protect riders from vehicles. However, missing crossings also effect these users. Most paths in Queensland are shared, and riders can also safely use quiet back streets to get between places. However, this is only if these back streets are connected with crossing facilities, that get users safely across the busy roads.
The issues around crossings are widespread and are occurring in planning, engineering and operational contexts. We are lacking systems and processes to quantify the scale of the issue, and make informed choices about investments to address it. Key tasks for improving how we capture and respond to this issue include:
- Standardise systems for road agencies to capture community requests for crossings so metrics can be tracked and reported on
- Develop processes to identify and address crossing deficiencies as part of future planning and subdivisions (development applications)
- Develop state and federal government investment programs to support road agencies to provide crossings on local and state controlled roads
- Develop guidance to ensure appropriate crossings, including grade separated crossings, are incorporated into new major rail and road projects to future proof connections across emerging arterial networks
- Proactively engage with school parent/carer communities to identify where safer crossings are needed to support children’s safe, independent travel
- Improve industry knowledge around crossing provision, safe system principles and community requirements for safe crossings.
Planning to retrofit crossings in existing neighbourhoods can be simplified by incorporating community data. The deficiencies in many areas enormous. Applying theoretical models for planning crossings, isn’t guaranteed to result in crossings being installed in places of greatest need. Planning should start by proactively engaging with communities about where they need new crossings, and use this and other data to identify appropriate interventions. Figure 1: shows how community data and connected vehicle data support planning for crossings. Figure 2 shows three core principles that have emerged from a series of active transport planning studies, that are used to prioritise good active transport investments.
Prue Oswin
Prue Oswin is Director/Senior Active Transport Engineer at Sidelines Traffic and a former Queensland Walks Board Member. Prue specialises in active transport infrastructure planning and design and has been a Certified Practicing Engineer since 2017.
Thank you to our content specialist advisors, like Prue Oswin, who provide technical and evidence based advice to help form our advocacy position.