Sydney Bike Network Prioritisation Framework
We were commissioned by Transport for NSW to develop a geospatial prioritisation framework to assist in the staging of their expanded Principal Bicycle Network for Sydney and Parramatta
Sydney Bike Network Prioritisation Framework
More info about this project
Location
New South Wales
Budget
$130,000
Commencement
2020
Completion
2021
Overview
This project has developed a Prioritisation Framework to guide decisions about the delivery of bicycle infrastructure across the PBN. This includes recommendations about delivery sequencing for the first stages of the PBN, within 10km of Sydney and Parramatta CBDs, to 2030.
High-quality cycling infrastructure can be expensive and government budgets are limited. It is therefore important that investment decisions are guided by sound analysis, robust models and transparent decision-making tools.
What we did
This project developed a Prioritisation Framework to guide decisions about the delivery of bicycle infrastructure across the proposed Principal Bicycle Bicycle Network in Sydney. We developed a customised framework to prioritise which parts of the network should be built first, and which should be built later.
Why prioritise bicycle infrastructure?
High-quality cycling infrastructure can be expensive and government budgets are limited. It is therefore important that investment decisions are guided by sound analysis, robust models and transparent decision-making tools. Knowing what to build first, and why, will help support the investment program required to achieve the cycling goals included in Future Transport 2056.
Estimating latent demand for cycling in Sydney
High quality, protected bicycle infrastructure can be costly, and it is therefore important to prioritise locations that exhibit a high latent demand for cycling. We used even Census collected variables to create a weighted Index of latent demand for future cycling. The darker areas on the map indicate demographic features that suggest higher levels of latent demand for cycling. We apply this Bike Use Propensity Index in much of our work advising government on cycling network development.
Developing a strategic approach to the prioritisation of bicycle infrastructure
Like other Australian cities, the cycling network in Sydney is fragmented. This prevents many people from choosing cycling as a mainstream transport option. The NSW government has identified over 1,000km of potential bicycle infrastructure. Our job was to work out what to build first, and which components to complete later.
Criteria for desirability
The set of desirability criteria shown below was developed as part of a geospatial model that make transparent decisions as to which of the proposed network should be completed first.
Deliverability criteria
Seven deliverability criteria were developed and integrated into our model. This element is important, because if two sections of proposed infrastructure are equally desirable, but one is much more deliverable than the other, it should be prioritised.
Results
The ~1,300km of PBN Tier 1 and 2 routes within approximately 10km of Sydney and Parramatta CBDs have been assessed and scored, based on the criteria and weightings developed in collaboration with TfNSW and key local government stakeholders. The matrix below illustrates how the results have been categorised into quadrants, based on each link’s performance on both desirability and deliverability. For a link to receive a high score, it must be both highly desirable, and highly deliverable.
Sydney Bike Network Prioritisation Framework