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5.1 Introduction

There is a range of ways that cycling can be catered for between intersections; some on-road and others off-road. This can involve ensuring the road space can be shared safely, or it may require building specific infrastructure for cyclists, referred to as a ‘facility’. It is important that designers make well-informed choices regarding the facility type to best cater for the intended user group in a specific transport environment. The initial process of selecting the facility type was discussed in Section 4.7. This section outlines the guidance that is required to then design the facility or incorporate cycling into an overall facility, such as the carriageway.

For each of the facility types shown in Figure 5.1 this section provides a description, outlines the legal status and the current guidance on the national, local and (to a certain extent) international level is identified. Any relevant post-implementation reviews, studies, research are discussed and then the ‘gaps’ in the guidance are identified. Where feedback from the technical stakeholder survey is relevant, it is also referred to in the review. The identification of the gaps is a key output of this project.

It was identified in Section 4 that there is a lack of consistency in the terminology currently used to describe cycle facilities. Figure 5.1 shows the cycle facility types and clarifies the facility terminology used for the purposes of this review. The midblock facility types are generally ‘on-road’ (meaning that motorised traffic can interact with cyclists) or they are physically separated from the motorised traffic (meaning they are not on the road or have a barrier that prevents motorised traffic interacting with the cyclists).

This section discusses each facility in the order outlined above in Figure 5.1, starting with cycle lanes. Trails are not part of the review as these are generally associated with projects such as the National Cycleway. A design guide for trails was developed by the Ministry of Tourism[4]

, and this is considered to be the best practice guidance available.

[4]

Cycle Trail Design Guide (3rd _{Edition)”, August 2011, http://www.nzcycletrail.com/sites/default/files/uploads/NZCT-}

Cycle-Trail-Design-Guide-v3-Aug-2012.pdf

Figure 5.1

Diagram of Cycle Facility Types

5.2 Guidance sources

Austroads is generally considered to be national guidance wherever no New Zealand specific guidance is available. Prior to the new suite of Austroads guides being developed a NZ Supplement to the Austroads Guide to Traffic Engineering Practice, Part 14: Bicycles had been developed in reflect NZ specific traffic regulations and context. The supplement is available on the NZTA website and still referred to by some practitioners, however some practitioners may not be aware of it as it is not referred to in the Austroads guides. As will be discussed throughout this section most of the supplement guidance is still relevant today and it is considered it needs a new home such as being incorporated in the relevant chapters of the Traffic Control Devices Manual.

At a national level NZS 4404:2010, Land Development and Subdivision Infrastructure (Standards New Zealand 2010) provides guidance for design of infrastructure however this refers readers to Austroads and the CNRPG for cycle infrastructure design.

The Agency have developed an urban design guidance manual, ‘Bridging the Gap’ (NZ Transport Agency 2014a), this generally refers readers to the Pedestrian Planning and Design Guide, the Cycle Network and Route Planning Guide and Austroads for walking and cycling guidance. It does however provide some dimensions as a “rough guide”. The gap analysis for each facility type has not reviewed any associated urban design guidance but it is acknowledged that where new guidance is required to be developed that urban design should be considered in the guidance.

Also at a national level there is Agency supported industry training, this provides guidance but it is not compiled as part of any ‘guidance’ document. The industry training is referred to throughout the best practice review where it may be contributing to filling guidance gap.

The key national design guidance documents and legislation reviewed in this section are:

 Austroads: Guide to Road Design Part 3 Geometric Design (Austroads 2010a)

 Austroads Guide To Road Design Part 6A Pedestrian and Cyclist Paths (Austroads 2009b)

 Austroads: Cycling Aspects of Austroads[5]

 NZ Supplement to Austroads Guide to Traffic Engineering Practice, Part 14: Bicycles (Transit 2008)

 Traffic Control Devices Manual

 MOTSAM Parts 1 and 2 (Transit New Zealand et al 1992)

 NZTA Pedestrian Planning and Design Guide (NZ Transport Agency 2009)

 Land Transport Road User Rule 2004

 Traffic Control Devices Rule (Bunting 2013)

The local design guidance documents reviewed in this section are listed below. This list is based on what is publically available or has been provided to the project team; it is acknowledged that other RCAs may have developed cycle specific design guidance that we are not aware of.

 Christchurch City Council Infrastructure Design Standards [IDS] (Christchurch City Council 2013)

 Christchurch Cycle Design Guidelines (Christchurch City Council 2013)

[5]_{‘Cycling Aspects of Austroads Guides’ contains key information relating to the planning, design and traffic}

management of cycling facilities and is sourced from Austroads Guides, primarily the Guide to Road Design, the Guide to Traffic Management and the Guide to Road Safety. It is not guidance itself but directs users to the relevant Austroads guide where the guidance can be found.

Our Ref: Issue Date: 49

 Christchurch Construction Specifications [CSS]: Part 6, Roads (Christchurch City Council 2015b)

 Christchurch City Council Major Cycleways Design Guide: Part B, Design Principles Best Practice Guide: Revision A (Christchurch City Council 2014)

 Auckland Transport (AT) Code of Practice, Chapter 13: Cycling Infrastructure Design (Auckland Transport 2013)

 Nelson Land Development Manual (Land Development Manual. 2010)

At an international level, the review has focused on guidance from countries that are similar to New Zealand in terms of traffic environment, planning framework and cultural attitudes with respect to cycling. The purpose of this review was to identify where national guidance may not be in-line with best

international practice; this will also be useful for Stage 2 of the project where national gaps are to be filled. The key international design guidance documents reviewed were generally from Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

 Urban bikeway design guide (NACTO 2014) from the United States of America (accepted as the USA cycle design guidance as AASHTO is not up-to-date in terms of cycling provision).

 Design manual for bicycle traffic (CROW 2007) from the Netherlands, a country with an important history of being leaders in providing for cyclists

 Cycle Infrastructure Design Note (Department for Transport et al 2008) from the United Kingdom (with mention to other relevant notes where necessary)

 National Cycle Manual (National Transport Authority 2011) from Ireland

 Queensland Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices

 VicRoads Traffic Engineering Manual (VicRoads 1999)

 Separated Cycleways Guideline (TMR Separated Cycleways) (Queensland Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads 2014b)

5.3 Cycle Lanes

Description

Cycle lanes are marked lanes within the carriageway “designated generally for the exclusive use of cyclists, except that motor vehicle drivers may use the lane in certain circumstances such as to access parking or to turn at intersections or driveways, for example” (Transit 2008). Cycle lanes can be located next to parking as shown in Figure 5.2 or located next to the kerb.