6.2 ENGINEERING TREATMENTS
6.2.1 General
The total length of the proposed bicycle pathways in this concept plan within the Shire are shown in TABLE 14 below.
TABLE 14 – Total length of Bicycle Pathways in the Proposed Bicycle Concept Plan
FACILITY km
Regional Routes 148
Local Routes 115
Local Links 80
Recreational Routes 68
6.2 ENGINEERING TREATMENTS
9: Bicycle Facilities (AS 1742.9-2000), RTA NSW Bicycle Guidelines 2005, and Austroads Guidelines – Guide to Traffic Engineering Part 14 Bicycles. These recommendations are intended to guide Council in providing sound engineering treatments that will assist bicycle users, reduce conflict, and reduce bicycle riders encountering high-volumes of fast-moving traffic. The best-practice as recommended by the RTA NSW Bicycle Guidelines is by the method of separation, as separation provides much needed operating space for bicycles. FIGURE 14 illustrates the major methods of separation recommended by the RTA NSW Bicycle Guidelines.
Rural areas dominate the northern part of the Shire which offers a wide range of rural cycling environments. In these rural areas, space and road width is not usually a major problem, however, speed road environment and conditions are a major concern. Therefore, where comfortable and safe sharing of roads in not achievable due to high speeds some form of separation is needed such as the provisions of sealed shoulders or off-road paths (RTA, 2005).
FIGURE 14 – Methods of Separation
Source: RTA NSW Bicycle Guidelines, 2005
6.2.3 On-Road Separation Treatments for Bicycle Riders
The following engineering road treatment types have been recommended based on Austroads Part 14 and RTA bicycle guidelines to provide good route coherence, high visibility and overall consistency along the length of the bicycle route (RTA, 2005). On low traffic volume, low speed environment bicycle lane-marking and line- marking treatments should be used. On high- volume, high-speed, and multi-laned roads, off-road paths should be provided.
These treatments have been recommended to assist Council in the plan making for new cycling facilities and also provide options to planners, designers, and traffic engineers in improving the existing cycling environment by providing safe and usable facilities for the broadest range of bicycle users.
6.2.3.1 Treatment 1: Exclusive Bicycle Lanes (Full-Time) Adjacent to Kerb
An exclusive bicycle lane is a ‘visually separated’ lane within the road created by pavement markings and signs. It is separated from motor traffic by longitudinal unbroken linemarking, signposted with bicycle lane (R7-1-4) signs and bicycle pavement symbols. No-stopping signs can also be provided if needed to control parking within the lane (Standards Australia, 2000). This is the preferred treatment for cyclists on roads, and suitable for regional and local bicycle network routes.
Exclusive bicycle lanes should be constructed in accordance with the details shown in TABLE 15 below.
TABLE 15 – Exclusive Bicycle Lane & Sealed Shoulder Dimensions (Full-Time) Adjacent to Kerb (Source: Austroads, 1999)
Lane Width (m) Road Speed
(km/h) 60 80 100
Desirable 1.5 2.0 2.5
Acceptable
Range 1.2-2.5 1.8-2.7 2.0-3.0
A 1.0 metre lane width is permissible only in special circumstances such as a wider lane that passes through a ‘squeeze point’, which may be at
intersections where it is not possible to achieve a wider bicycle lane. Also if the environment is less than 60km/h and space is severely restricted.
Refer to APPENDIX 17 for ‘Exclusive Bicycle Lane Layouts from Austroads Guidelines and Standards Australia
6.2.3.2 Treatment 2: Exclusive Bicycle Lanes – Protected Two-Way Lanes
This treatment is an exclusive bicycle path that is ‘physically separated’ by means of a verge, median strip or kerb installed on one side of a road carriageway. It is suitable for regional and local bicycle network routes. This type of treatment is only appropriate when the criteria stated in Austroads Guidelines are satisfied.
APPENDIX 18 shows a layout of an exclusive bicycle lane that is physically separated from NSW Bicycle guidelines and Austroads. Attached also are photographs showing the implementation of this type of treatment in other States around Australia and in European Countries taken from Bicycle Victoria website.
6.2.3.3 Treatment 3: Road Shoulders / Bicycle or Car Parking Lanes
This type of treatment is shared (with stationary ‘Parked’ vehicles) with marked operating space for riders on roads. It is suitable for regional and local bicycle network routes in moderate to low speed environments. This treatment improves conditions for cyclist where parking occurs.
Collisions between cyclists and opening of doors of parked cars are a significant concern to cyclists (Austroads, 1999). With parking allowed, additional clearances are recommended between parking lane and edges of bicycle lane to allow for car door opening.
Road Shoulders or Bicycle / Car Parking Lanes should be constructed in accordance with the details in TABLE 16 below.
TABLE 16 – Road Shoulders or Bicycle / Car Parking Lanes Dimensions (Parallel Parking)
Overall Facility Width Road Speed
(km/h) 40 50 60 70 80 100
Desirable 3.5* 3.8* 4.0 4.3* 4.5 5.0*
Acceptable Range
3.7-
4.5 4.0-4.7
* Interpolated facility width for different speed limits
For angle parking refer to AUSTROADS – Guide to Traffic Engineering Practice Part 14 – Bicycles.
Refer to APPENDIX 19 for typical Austroads, Australian Standard and RTA NSW Bicycle Guidelines for associated Road Shoulders / Bicycle or Car Parking facility layout options which can be applied.
6.2.4 Off-Road Separation Treatments for Bicycle Riders 6.2.4.1 Treatment 4: Shared Path
Off-road shared bicycle paths provide ‘physical separation’ from motor vehicles for the exclusive use of bicycle riders. However, there is no physical separation from pedestrian traffic. Off-road shared path that are located within the road reserve usually travel adjacent to the carriageway. For those that are located outside the road reserve usually navigating through open spaces such as parks, reserves and drainage easements. These provide a more indirect route which are mainly used for recreational and leisure purposes. In general, off- road facilities can provide a higher level of comfort and safety than on-road facilities. These paths can be constructed as one-way facilities on each side of the road corridor or as a single two-way pathway on one side of the road reserve. Shared paths are suitable for local, regional, and recreational bicycle network routes. Most off-road cycleway paths within the Hills Shire LGA are shared paths.
Austroads and the RTA NSW Bicycle Guidelines provide useful information in the design of these shared-use paths. TABLE 17 below, adopted from Austroads Guideline – PART 14 outline dimensions for off-road shared-use paths that may assist Council in the planning and development of off-road shared cycling paths in the Shire.
TABLE 17 – Off-Road Shared-Use Path Dimensions (Austroads, 1999)
Path Width (m) Local Access
Path Commuter
Path Recreational Path
Desirable 2.5 3.0 3.5
Acceptable
Range 2.0-2.5 2.0-3.5 3.0-4.0
In review of Council’s Development Control Plan (DCP) for the new Kellyville/
Rouse Hill release areas of the Shire, shared recreational off-road cycleway / footpath of 3.0 metre width has been applied.
It is Council’s intentions to provide adequate shared-use off-road recreational facilities where possible. This means that where bicycle routes are located along a road which has an existing footpath it is Council’s interest to widen the path to accommodate bicycle riders. In local streets, footpaths and cycling facilities often run over driveway crossings, therefore good alignment should be provided for these shared facilities.
APPENDIX 20 provides illustrations and layouts of different types of off-road shared paths. These illustrations will assist Council when planning, upgrading, or constructing new off-road shared cycling facilities.
6.2.4.2 Treatment 5: Separated Shared Path
In high speed off-road cycling environment, horizontal or vertical physical separation of the path between bicycle riders and pedestrians may be used instead of line-marking. There are various ways in this type of physical separation can be achieved, those methods are illustrated in APPENDIX 21.
Physical horizontal or vertical separation is preferred to line marking. TABLE 18 and TABLE 19 details dimensions for off-road separated two-way path and
off-road separated one-way path, respectively. These dimensions have been adopted from Austroads Guidelines 1999.
TABLE 18 – Off-Road Separated Two-Way Path Dimensions (Source:
Austroads, 1999)
Path Width (m)
Bicycle Path Footpath Total
Desirable 2.5 2.0 4.5
Acceptable
Range 2.0-2.5 1.5 + 3.5 +
TABLE 19 – Off-Road Separated One-Way Path Dimensions (Source:
Austroads, 1999)
Path Width (m)
Bicycle Path Footpath Total
Desirable 1.5 1.5 3.0
Acceptable
Range 1.2-2.0 1.2 + 2.4 +
As with all treatments on-road or off-road, applicable lane or path widths should be provided, and in order to make the route operate efficiently the use of appropriate signage (regulatory, guide and warning signs), physical interventions of barriers, and line markings should also be provided.
There are few on-road bicycle facilities treatments at signalised intersections within the Hills Shire Council LGA. Some do exists such as one on Gilbert Road in Castle Hill, however very few cyclists ever do obey traffic signal controls, further reporting of these issues will be discussed later under the Section 7.0 of this report. However, referenced should be made to the applicable standards and guidelines if one should decide on carrying out this type of treatments.
6.2.4.3 Treatment 6: Other Treatment Considerations
Low volume residential streets can provide convenient routes for cyclist, especially where they are parallel are arterial roads. There will usually be very little mid-block engineering treatment applied – apart from some local area
traffic management (LATM) to ensure that vehicle speeds and volumes remain low. Although LATM Schemes can enhance the safety of bicycle riders through the reductions in the speed and volume of motor traffic, the devices use can also reduce the relative attractiveness of local streets in terms of travel time for commuter cyclists. Therefore traffic control devices should be carefully designed to accommodate all types of bicycle users.
Some of these engineering treatments are detailed in APPENDIX 22.
At route junctions, crossing points, and intersections where off-road cycling route crosses paths there is often a danger to bicycle riders which requires engineering treatments to control movement across the road. There a number of types of engineering treatments of path / road intersections that are applicable, these are detailed in APPENDIX 23. These treatments are taken from Austroads Guidelines – Guide to Traffic Engineering Part 14 – Bicycles, NSW bicycle guidelines, and excerpts from the original Bike Plan prepared by Arup Transportation.
6.2.5 Signage and Line-marking
It is essential that bicycle routes, whether on-road or off-road, shared or exclusive, be clearly identified as normal road rules applies. Off-road shared- use paths should be signposted with regulatory signage, line-marked with a centreline to separate opposing flows, mark with pavement symbols and directional arrows to reinforce correct path usage. Signage locations for the proposed bicycle network will have to be determined later on once the bicycle routes have been adopted.
It is recommended that signs and linemarkings be provided on Regional and Recreational bicycle routes to identify destinations, as well as distance to travel and to also provide directional guidance at intersections and at other decision points. Signs and linemarking should be clear, visible and easy to understand as they go hand in hand to assist and direct riders to their destinations. These are further discussed below.
6.2.5.1 Regional (Commuter) Routes
Along Regional routes, destination and directional signs should be provided for the cyclist at change of direction points and at appropriate intervals along the route to reinforce direction information and to inform motorists of the facility.
Bicycle lanes on regional and collector roads should be indicated by a combination of regulatory signs and line-marking as per the NSW Bicycle Guidelines depending on the type of facility to ensure a higher level of service and safety to users.
6.2.5.2 Local Routes
Signing along local routes is generally not required as every street is a cycling street. Except when drawing attention to particular hazards or squeeze points, or where specific directional information is required. However, painted bicycle pavement symbols should be installed on Local Routes to denote the existence of the bicycle route. The local network will by and large be used by local cyclists, mostly children, who know their area well.
6.2.5.3 Recreational Bike Routes
Recreational bike routes should be provided with more comprehensive directional information, consistent with the leisurely nature of their use. Route information ‘kiosks’ may well be appropriate, providing comprehensive information about routes to shopping centres etc, and related recreational activities.
Reference to signs and linemarking should be made to Section 9 of the NSW Bicycle Guidelines, Section 5 AS 1742.9 – 2000, and Section 9 Austroads Guideline Part-14 to determine the appropriate signage and type.
6.3 ACTION PRIORITY & IMPLEMENTATION
The whole proposed bicycle network cannot be implemented at once therefore a devised route selection criteria and prioritisation method was developed
drawing upon a similar system that is currently used by Council in prioritising footpath constructions.
The criteria was centred on land use, trip attractors, and trip generators, such as educational facilities, transport nodes – major bus stop interchanges, recreational facilities, and community facilities. Other aspects that were considered were continuity / connectivity of routes, users, and safety aspects.
A copy of the Cycleway or Bicycle Path Construction Priority Assessment has been attached to APPENDIX 24.
A list of prioritised cycleway / bicycle paths ranked from high, medium to low for implementation have been included in APPENDIX 25. These routes should be constructed in accordance with the identified priorities, subject to Council’s available funding. The prioritised list have also considered the locations of future bicycle pathways in the new release areas, and have also determined where existing footpaths can be widen to become shared-use pathways. The completion of these works will hopefully achieve the conceptual plan that is proposed in MAP 10.
Estimated costs for construction of each of the prioritise cycleway / bicycle path sections have also been provided. These figures do not include site specific conditions such as relocation of services or variations, or off-road facilities through difficult terrain; these would require individual site inspection and design. It is therefore stressed that these estimated costs are only indicative and should be used as a guide. Each nominated section also has a unique identification number, which at this stage has not been labelled or illustrated on the maps, as it is only available in hand sketch form. It is recommended that once the bicycle network map has been adopted that these identification numbers be drawn on a separate geographic information system (GIS) layer.
6.4 IDENTIFY FUNDING SOURCES
Sorting for funding and resources is a challenge to Council. The primary source of funding for cycleway facilities in the Shire has come from mainly grants and developer contributions.
A large proportion of the proposed bicycle network is planned to use separated off-road bicycle facilities. The costs of implementing such facilities are high, compared to a mixed traffic facilities that utilises mostly line marking and signage. Therefore, financial assistance from other organisations needs to be further explored. A range of funding sources have been identified and are outlined below, these include:
6.4.1 Council Rates
A small portion of revenue from rates each year, approximately $150,000 goes towards maintaining, planning and constructing of new cycleway facilities.
6.4.2 The Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW 6.4.2.1 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) exists between NSW Councils and the RTA regarding the funding of cycle facilities. The RTA financially assists Councils in the development of new bicycle infrastructures, facilities and promoting of cycling in the LGA by offering dollar for dollar funding to assist Councils with the development and implementation of regional and local bicycle networks.
Excerpts from the RTA’s MOU for Council projects funded by the RTA have been included in APPENDIX 26 for reference.
6.4.2.2 Block Grant – Signs & Line Markings
Council receives a block grant from the Authority each year for sign and line markings in the Shire. Additional funds should be sourced from the Authority by Council to cover the sign posting and line markings for bicycle facilities.
This will cover maintenance in terms of signs and linemarkings of the existing bicycle networks, and to begin implementing the sign postings and linemarkings for the new bicycle network.
6.4.2.3 Block Grant – Regional Roads
A block grant is also made available by the Authority to Council for Regional Roads. The grant allows expenditure and maintenance of bicycle facilities on regional roads which have been specified under Item 6 - Safety and Traffic Works on Regional Roads of the agreement.
6.4.3 NSW Department of Planning
6.4.3.1 Metropolitan Greenspace Program
The program aims to promote a partnership between the State Government and local Councils, by the State Government assisting Councils in the development and planning of regionally significant open space and links between bushland, parks, centres and waterways (NSW DOP, 2009). The objective is to help Councils create more enjoyable recreational facilities and promoting healthy living through the use of these facilities by the community, while also connecting these facilities to other metropolitan LGAs for other people to share. Therefore, applications would need to demonstrate the benefits of projects to residents of the wider region. Further investigation is required to determine potential eligible projects and whether application is viable given that any MGP funding is conditional upon matching dollar for dollar funding, and funded projects are required to be completed within two years from acceptance.
In assisting Council to determine future cycleway projects that are regionally significant, MAP 11 has been produced to show the routes that the Department of Planning has identified as Regional Recreational Routes within the Hills Shire LGA.
6.4.3.2 Sharing Sydney Harbour Access Program
Sharing Sydney Harbour Access Program is a NSW Government initiative to improve public access to and enhance the recreational enjoyment of Sydney Harbour and its tributaries for the people of Sydney and visitors to the city (NSW DOP, 2009). The program allocates grants to Councils and registered recreational organisations for projects that improve public access to and along the foreshores of Sydney Harbour and its tributaries for walking, cycling and recreational boating. Funding is also provided on a dollar-for-dollar basis, administered by the NSW Department of Planning.
6.4.4 NSW Department of Arts, Sports and Recreation 6.4.4.1 Capital Assistance Program (CAP)
The CAP assists Councils and non-profit organisations to develop community orientated local sporting and recreational facilities (DASR, 2008). Qualified projects must improve access to existing facilities for the general public to participate in sport, recreation and/or physical activities. The maximum grant available for development of local level facilities is $30,000, which must commence within 9 months of the announcement date and finish with two years.
6.4.5 Section 94 Contributions
Section 94 contributions under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979 allow Council to obtain contributions from developers where a development is likely to generate demand for public facilities such as bicycle paths. Developers can either provide the facilities as part of the development or make financial contributions to Council’s Section 94 funds. To implement
Section 94 Council must prepare a Contribution Plan. There are currently twelve contribution plans for the Shire which are accessible on Council’s website. The provision of bicycle facilities in these contribution plans are particularly extensive within the new release areas of the LGA.
6.4.6 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
6.4.6.1 Nation Building Program Roads to Recovery
The Roads to Recovery program provides funds to Council for construction, upgrade or maintenance of local roads including signage, lighting, bridges, tunnels or bike paths. Council will receive $4,467,872 from the 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2014 under this program (Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, 2009). It is envisaged that some of this money could be used by Council to fund for bicycle infrastructure development and upgrades.
6.5 BICYCLE PARKING
Bicycle parking within the Shire is limited, particularly at shopping locations.
This section aims to inform and provide information about bicycle parking in particular determining appropriate locations and types of bicycle parking facilities. Information about suitable bicycle parking facilities are based on a review of particular standards and guidelines listed below.
AS 2890.3 – 1993 Australian Standard Part 3: Bicycle Parking Facilities (Standard Australia 1993)
Guide to Traffic Engineering Practice - Part 14 Bicycles, (Austroads 1999),
NSW Bicycle Guidelines (RTA 2005)
NSW Planning Guidelines for Walking and Cycling (DOP 2004), and
The Hills Shire Development Control Plan – Parking Part D Section 1 (THSC, 2007)