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6    Roading and Pedestrian Access


6.2    Appropriate Road Widths, Intersections and Road Features

Carriageways, berms, cycleways, footpaths, car parks, and sometimes stormwater infrastructure all need to share the road reserve. While roads need to be designed to cater for traffic and infrastructure services, they also play a large role in determining the character of the subdivision. Road widths, cycleways, footpath styles and materials, berm location and width, and tree planting can all be used creatively to create variety, interest and identity in neighbourhoods.


In residential areas, well designed, connected roads can provide the best features of cul-de-sacs (such as quiet traffic and safety for children playing near the road), while still promoting accessibility. Road layouts potentially last hundreds of years longer than buildings, yet in the past there has been little attention given to how the design may service future redevelopment.


Developers should consider the following design elements:

  • Design for attractive roads, incorporating appropriate carriageway widths, landscaped berms and street trees, car parking, lighting and adequate footpaths.
  • Design roads according to the anticipated road status, traffic volume and desired vehicle speed. Determine the role of each route based on the wider context (either as a local road or collector/arterial road), and ensure the design is appropriate for that purpose.
  • Road design should encourage appropriate driver behaviour, reflecting the local purpose of many neighbourhood streets. Traffic calming can be achieved by carriageway widths, tighter kerb line radii, traffic islands (which can double as pedestrian refuges to assist crossing), localised narrowing, planting and changes to the street surface. Whichever methods are used, they must be designed for safety. Possible methods of traffic calming are shown in Figure 4.
  • Specifically designed roads with low traffic volumes help to slow and calm traffic, but they must be wide enough for safe and efficient access for emergency services and service vehicles.
  • Avoid situations where on-road parking blocks the movement of other vehicles, including 90-percentile trucks.
  • Design safe intersections that slow and control traffic. Intersections need to be designed for the safety of all road users.
  • Roundabouts can be unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists and should only be used after other intersection designs have been explored.
  • Provide dedicated cycle lanes on roads with high traffic volumes.
  • Footpaths should be provided on both sides of the road.

 

Figure 4: Possible methods of localised traffic cal (click to enlarge)

Figure 4: Possible methods of localised traffic cal