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Walking Strategy and Action Plan

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Walking Strategy and Action Plan The Walking Strategy and Action Plan is a supporting document to the Environmental Action 2016 – 2021 Strategy and Action Plan that was endorsed by the City of Sydney in March 2017. The City’s most up to date set of environmental targets and actions are contained in Environmental Action 2016 – 2021 Strategy and Action Plan. Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected Walking Strategy and Action Plan Walking 01/ Lord Mayor’s message 01 02/ Executive summary 02 03/ The walking scene 05 04/ Why walking counts 09 05/ Our ten targets 17 06/ Our four directions 20 07/ List of actions 31 08/ Consultation 36 09/ Governance and monitoring 37 10/ References 38 11/ Appendix A – key walking routes 40 12/ Appendix B – Liveable Green Network (walking) 42 13/ Appendix C – main activity streets 44 Strategy and Action Plan 2015–2030 We are creating a city that is convenient and inviting for walking by creating lively and interesting streets, new walking Lord Mayor’s connections, improving wayfinding and renewing message main streets Lord Mayor Clover Moore During consultation for Sustainable Sydney 2030, you told The City of Sydney already has a number of policies and us you wanted a city that is safe and attractive for walking strategies related to walking. The Walking Strategy and and cycling. Action Plan brings together all the actions and targets to deliver a more walkable and liveable city and a more For Sydney to remain globally competitive, it must have an effective transport network for everyone. integrated transport system which is reliable, efficient, and well designed. Walking is a healthy and environmentally friendly form of transport. The Walking Strategy and Action Plan aims to create a city centre and villages that are attractive, safe and interesting places for walking. By 2036 it is expected that 280,000 people will live in the City of Sydney and 570,000 people will work here. More people living and working in the city means increased pressure on transport infrastructure. We need to prioritise transport choices that help people to easily get where they need to go. Walking accounts for 92% of trips in the city centre but our city has not been designed with this in mind. Instead, a focus on wide roads and high speed limits means people are crowded on narrow footpaths and have to wait for long periods to cross the road. We need to provide greater priority, safety and amenity so people are encouraged to walk more often and to spend more time in our public spaces. The Walking Strategy and Action Plan outlines how we will encourage walking by improving wayfinding, encouraging a fine grain street network, creating lively interesting streets, improving ramps and footpaths and slowing down traffic. Clover Moore Lord Mayor Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected Walking At some point we are all pedestrians. As such, streets should be welcoming to all of us. Executive Jan Gehl, urban designer and architect summary Sydney is ideal for walking. It is a dense, compact and We can also learn from other cities around the world scenic city that enjoys a good climate. and build on our current work to remain internationally competitive and liveable. Already, walking accounts for over 92% of all trips in the city centre and plays a major role in the local economy The City of Sydney supports walking as a mode of transport and transport network.1 A total of 29% of City of Sydney to meet the environmental, economic and social objectives residents walk to work.2 In the future, walking is expected set in Sustainable Sydney 2030 and Connecting Our City. to become even more popular with the number of people Our overarching priorities for walking are to: walking forecast to double between 2006 and 2030.3 1. Make walking quick, convenient and easy It is vital that we plan to accommodate this growth. We need to make it quicker to walk, provide more space for 2. Make walking inviting and interesting walking, create new connections through large street 3. Make walking safe and comfortable blocks and make it easier and more comfortable for people walking. 4. Create a strong walking culture We also need to plan for universal accessibility to cater This strategy includes ambitious but achievable targets to for an ageing population, increasing numbers of families meet these priorities. These targets are based on a review with children living in the city, and people with mobility and of trends and forecasts and will allow us to clearly track vision impairment. progress towards our achievements. The centre of the city is about to undergo a major transformation, with proposed light rail on George Street and a pedestrianised section between Bathurst Street and Hunter Street. This is an ideal time to focus on sustainable transport modes. 1 Transport for NSW, Sydney City Centre Access Strategy, 2013. 2 Bureau of Transport Statistics, Journey to Work, 2011. 3 City of Sydney, Connecting Our City: Summary Report, 2012. Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected Strategy and Action Plan 2015–2030 Our ten walking targets for 2030: Walking to make up one third of commuter 1 trips by City of Sydney residents Walking to account for 60% of local trips by 2 City of Sydney residents by 2030 Reduce delay to walking times by 10% across 3 key walking routes Increase footpath capacity by 20% on 4 average on main activity streets through planned upgrades Improve walking amenity by 10% on main 5 activity streets through planned upgrades All residents to be within a 10-minute walk 6 (800m) of commercial/retail space suitable for essential daily needs Every resident to be within a three-minute walk 7 (250m) of the Liveable Green Network Reduce traffic related crashes involving people 8 walking by 50% Walking to make up 50% of trips to and from 9 late night precincts 90% of residents feel safe walking in the day 10 and night Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected Strategy and Action Plan 2015–2030 Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected Strategy and Action Plan 2015–2030 Walking is an easy, low impact and accessible form of transport The walking scene Sydney today We need to build on these figures by making walking more accessible to everyone and to do this effectively we must Traffic congestion costs metropolitan Sydney businesses take into account the changing demographics of Sydney. an alarming $5 billion per year, and this figure is expected More people, including families, are choosing to live in to increase to nearly $8 billion by 2020.4 the city. Our population is also ageing, which means more people will need easy and accessible options for moving Walking plays a major role in minimising this congestion. around the city if driving is no longer an option. When people choose to walk it means there is one less person on the train, bus or road. We need to design walking infrastructure now to cater for future requirements. This includes priority for people Walking is already a major mode of transport and means walking, with good footpaths, easy connections, adequate of access in the City of Sydney as the figures in the table lighting, places to stop, improved wayfinding, shade below reveal. and seating. In 2011/2012: Improving the city’s walking options will increase people’s In 2011/2012: feelings of social connection and inclusion, by making it easier for them to visit friends, go shopping, get to work and enjoy city life. It will also boost the health and wellbeing of people who live and work in Sydney, as well as those who visit the city. 29% OF CITY OF SYDNEY RESIDENTS 42% OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE & WORK WALK TO WORK IN THE CITY WALK TO WORK Walking accounts for 92% of trips made within the city centre5 69% OF WEEKEND TRIPS THAT 74% OF WEEKDAY TRIPS THAT START START AND END IN THE CITY ARE BY AND END WITHIN THE CITY ARE BY WALKING WALKING Source: Bureau of Transport Statistics, Household Travel Survey 4 + 5 Transport for NSW, Sydney City Centre Access 2011–2012 and Journey to Work 2011. Strategy, 2013. Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected Walking When walking is prioritised, all transport modes benefit Brent Toderian, city planner and urbanist, former chief planner Vancouver Strategic context City of Sydney framework The City’s Walking Strategy is part of a broader policy Local government plays a significant role in planning and framework at a local and state government level. delivering walking-related infrastructure. For example, footpaths and parks are generally the responsibility of NSW Government framework local government. It is critical local governments plan The NSW Government has developed a strategic and deliver walking infrastructure in a coordinated and framework that helps guide the planning, design and targeted manner. delivery of walking-related infrastructure. This includes: The key City of Sydney documents are: The Long Term Transport Master Plan that outlines the Sustainable Sydney 2030 is the City’s overarching strategy. objectives and key actions to improve the NSW Transport It sets out a vision for a more liveable and accessible city System. Walking is highlighted as a critical mode of and actions to achieve this. transport in delivering an integrated transport system. The focus for walking in this document is on public transport The Liveable Green Network (LGN) is a program to develop trips and the potential to shift short car trips, under two a network of green corridors with lively streets that connect kilometres, to minimise congestion and improve local the city, village centres, major transport and entertainment amenity and the environment. hubs, cultural precincts, parks and open space. As part of this, projects for footpath widening, lighting improvements Sydney’s Walking Future details a two kilometre catchment and landscaping began in 2012.
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