Planning and designing for active transport

The Active Transport Infrastructure Policy guides the provision of active transport infrastructure along state-controlled roads and rail corridors.

The policy ensures Western Australia’s Transport Portfolio agencies (Department of Transport, Main Roads Western Australia and the Public Transport Authority) consider active transport infrastructure in the design and scope of works recognising that bike riding, walking and other forms of micromobility are integral to the State’s transport system.

Some of the key objectives are:

• to ensure integration of new active transport infrastructure within other transport infrastructure projects
• to support collaborative development and delivery of projects and help coordinate priority across transport modes
• to provide consistent and suitable outcomes for people of all ages and abilities.

The Policy Statement and Supplement are endorsed by the Transport Portfolio Governance Council.

We are developing a suite of guidance to provide better information to local government authorities (LGAs) and other practitioners involved in planning and designing for active transport in Western Australia. The guidance documents will reflect current industry best practice so that active transport solutions are designed for people of all ages and abilities.

The first documents released provide information about planning and designing shared and separated paths, and local area traffic management (LATM) schemes and local bike planning.

Additional information in development includes contextual guidance on selecting all ages and abilities bicycle facilities and guidelines pertaining to safe active streets, bicycle lanes and wayfinding, as well as updated guidance on local bike planning.

Shared and separated paths

The Shared and separated paths document (see document below) provides practitioners with guidance surrounding the planning and design of shared and separated paths in Western Australia to enable the safe and efficient movement of bike riders of all ages and abilities. It is intended to be a convenient and practical reference guide aimed at practitioners with varying levels of experience.

Local area traffic management schemes

The Local area traffic management (LATM) document (see document below) provides advice and guidance to practitioners to incorporate the safe and efficient movement of people riding bikes into the planning and design of LATM schemes. It provides key principles and best practice for design to ensure people riding bikes are not negatively impacted or put at risk by LATM schemes and associated devices.

Local bike planning

We are developing local bicycle planning guidelines, which will better inform planning and designing for active transport in Western Australia. Until this is available, the Interim guidance for local bike planning (see document below) has been prepared for LGAs commencing work on bike plans now.

Inter-modal hierarchical prioritisation