The aim of South Australia’s Active Travel Design Guide is to provide design principles for a more inclusive and sustainable future for all who walk and wheel. However, the guide could have benefitted from more than one page on accessibility.
“This Guide aims to enhance design outcomes for people walking and wheeling, simplifying the process of designing for active travel and promoting uniformity in outcomes across South Australia.”
For clarity, cycling and e-mobility are terms for ‘wheeling’, and the term pedestrian includes wheelchair users. Inclusive design is explained under the heading of ‘universal access’ which is given one page. The seven principles of universal design are presented without introduction alongside a few additional dot points. “Children, seniors and people with disabilities” are listed as vulnerable pedestrians. Such terminology continues to segregate and perpetuate stereotyping by measuring them against a mythical norm.
The list of bullet points for design considerations are good for everyone. The next iteration of the document should weave these throughout the document. It is too easy to forget the diverse nature of pedestrians in design processes that include numerous technical specifications. Inclusion by exception is not inclusiveness.
The section on road intersections provides different treatments for where people, vehicles and bicycles come together. The orange markings indicates an infrastructure element. The green indicates pavement marking is applicable. Image from the Guide. (Looks like a kerb ramp is missing.)
Well structured and comprehensive
The structure of the Guide makes it easy to reference the different sections. Photographs of places and streets give light relief, and the diagrams, line drawings and charts illustrate concepts. Wheelchair and mobility scooter users feature in one set of drawings but are absent from all other parts of the document. The number of photographs featuring cyclists emphasise the focus on cycling as the key to active travel in this guide.
The Guide covers all aspects of road and street design and has sections on:
- Movement and Place
- Road safety
- Basic dimensions
- Walking facilities
- Cycling facilities
- Intersections
- Greening
- Shared streets
Kerbless streets, or shared streets, are where a diverse range of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists find ways of avoiding each other. Kerbs clearly delineate and separate traffic from pedestrians. Consequently, the lack of kerbs is a problem for children, and people using a guide dog or a cane for mobility. In some cases, it makes the street unusable for some people and can lead to journeys not made.
The South Australian Department of Infrastructure and Transport published The Active Travel Design Guide. It is based on technical documents rather than any co-design or community consultation methods.