Draft 40km/h and 10km/h Shared Zones Masterplan

Council resolved to adopt the 40km/h and 10km/h Shared Zone Masterplan and Action Plan (with some amendments as following the public exhibition period) at its meeting held 6 April 2020. The report is available in the document library - post exhibition.

The projects are being reviewed and prioritised for implementation subject to funding opportunities and TfNSW approval.

The benefits are not only for pedestrians, but for traffic efficiency and all road users.

Benefits of 40km/h speed limits

• Travelling at lower speeds improves driver’s ability to stop at a safer distance to avoid crashes, otherwise reduce the severity of a crash.
• Statistics show that there was a 33% reduction in crashes causing serious injuries and deaths between 2005 and 2015 where 40km/h zones have been introduced. These zones include busy shopping precincts and neighbourhoods.

Benefits of 10km/h Shared Zone

• Increases safety for pedestrians and cyclists
• Creates a lower speed environment
• Improves amenity without affecting access
• Alerts drivers to a different street environment
• Encourages a modal shift towards walking and cycling
• Creates a more socially inclusive street environment

Background

On 26 August 2019, Council resolved to place the Draft 40km/h and 10km/h Shared Zone Masterplan and Action Plan on public exhibition. The draft document was on public exhibition from 6 September - 5 November 2019 (60 days). The Draft Masterplan and Action Plan (and accompanying Council report) and can be viewed in the document library - exhibition.

The Masterplan and Action Plan has been developed by Council’s Traffic and Transport Operations Department to review the existing road networks in the North Sydney local government area (LGA) and to identify opportunities to create a safer road environment for all road users by reducing traffic speeds.

The key objectives of this plan are to:

• Identify opportunities to implement 40km/h speed limit zones and 10km/h Shared Zones within the LGA;
• Ensure that the Master Plan and accompanying Action Plan also meets the NSW State Government's strategic objectives around road safety as per the recently released NSW Road Safety Plan 2021 which aims to reset the state’s priorities and outline the strategic direction and actions to address key road safety issues;
• Provide a foundation and framework to assist Council in allocating resources and applying for road safety funding grants such as ‘RMS 40km/h High Pedestrian Activity Area (HPAA)’, ‘Walking Communities’ programs and any other Local Government Road Safety Programs (LGRSP) that become available;
• Demonstrate that local councils are well placed to plan, implement and deliver road safety projects relevant to their communities;
• Deliver on community requests and Council’s adopted LATM action plans to reduce speed across the LGA as identified in the LATM study and Action Plans (adopted by Council in November 2017);
• Achieve the community priorities identified in North Sydney’s Transport Strategy (2017) to provide “safe travel” by reducing traffic speeds; and
• Improve safety and amenity for walking and cycling throughout the LGA.

Potential sites for implementing 40km/h speed limits and 10km/h shared zones have been identified in accordance with relevant RMS Guidelines and taking into consideration surrounding land uses. In addition, several sites have already been identified through previous studies including the LATM Action Plans adopted by Council in 2017 and other transport and planning studies. These sites have been consolidated into a single Masterplan map.

For further information call Council’s Traffic & Transport Engineer on 9936 8100.