Full street closure
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Where could this be used?
This response may be appropriate where the number of people waiting outside essential or safe services – and/or the number of pedestrians – exceeds the ability of a footpath extension into part of the on-road space to provide safe movement or waiting places.
This scenario might exist outside schools with large numbers of parents waiting to collect children, or streets adjacent to popular urban parks. It may also exist in inner city areas where businesses or cafes are clustered together and people need more space.
Key considerations when implementing
Entrance to the road is closed to vehicle traffic, with a continuous pedestrian path at the intersection and a space available for pedestrian/waiting/recreation activity setback from the pedestrian path. Project teams should consider:
- Spatial requirements.
- Restriction of traffic speed.
- Signage to indicate where pedestrians should walk and the area protected by the road closure for people. Non-traditional signage that does not comply with the Traffic Control Devices Rule must not be placed in a way that is confusing to drivers or appearing to control traffic.
- Materials used for delineators or crash barriers. It is important to select materials appropriate to the type and frequency of use and duration of the response. For example, cones may not be the most suitable material in areas where they are prone to being frequently knocked down or moved, where an installation is intended to be in place for a longer period of time or where lower cost, effective alternatives exist.
- Relevant council powers. The ‘Relevant regulation and legislation’ page outlines powers councils have under the Local Government Act 1974 to close roads or parts of the road to traffic.
Partial street closure
Partial street closure
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Partial street closure – slow streets – local traffic only
Where could this be used?
This response may also be appropriate where the number of people waiting outside essential or safe services – and/or the number of pedestrians – exceeds the ability of a footpath extension into part of the on-road space to provide safe movement or waiting places. However, in this scenario, there is also a need to maintain vehicle access.
In a low risk street this could be appropriate when the community want to create space for people to exercise or provide for safe movement – see Play Streets example image. However, in a partial street closure scenario, there is also a need to maintain vehicle access.
This scenario might also exist outside schools with large numbers of parents waiting to collect children, or streets adjacent to popular urban parks – but where buildings near the intersection require continual vehicle access. Such buildings could include facilities for emergency services or apartment buildings with underground carparks. There might also be an entrance driveway within this open section to emergency and/or safe services, eg, hospital or supermarket.
Key considerations when implementing
Entrance to the road is open to vehicle traffic, with the closure setback beyond the area that requires continual vehicle access. Project teams should consider:
- Spatial requirements.
- Restriction of traffic speed.
- Signage to indicate where pedestrians should walk and the area protected by the road closure for people. Non-traditional signage that does not comply with the Traffic Control Devices Rule must not be placed in a way that is confusing to drivers or appearing to control traffic.
- Materials used for delineators or crash barriers. It is important to select materials appropriate to the type and frequency of use and duration of the response. For example, cones may not be the most suitable material in areas where they are prone to being frequently knocked down or moved, where an installation is intended to be in place for a longer period of time or where lower cost, effective alternatives exist.
- Relevant council powers. The ‘Relevant regulation and legislation’ page outlines powers councils have under the Local Government Act 1974 to close roads or parts of the road to traffic.
Street closure with traffic diversion
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Where could this be used?
As with the examples above, this response may be appropriate where the number of people waiting outside essential or safe services – and/or the number of pedestrians – exceeds the ability of a footpath extension into part of the on-road space to provide safe movement or waiting places. In this scenario, however, the section of road being closed is part of the predominant route for typical traffic and additional measures are required to divert traffic from this route.
Key considerations when implementing
Entrance to the section of road is closed to vehicle traffic, with a continuous pedestrian path at the closure and space available for pedestrian/waiting/recreation activity setback from the pedestrian path. Project teams should consider:
- Spatial requirements.
- Restriction of traffic speed.
- Signage to indicate where pedestrians should walk and the area protected by the road closure for people. Non-traditional signage that does not comply with the Traffic Control Devices Rule must not be placed in a way that is confusing to drivers or appearing to control traffic.
- Materials used for delineators or crash barriers. It is important to select materials appropriate to the type and frequency of use and duration of the response. For example, cones may not be the most suitable material in areas where they are prone to being frequently knocked down or moved, where an installation is intended to be in place for a longer period of time or where lower cost, effective alternatives exist.
- Relevant council powers. The ‘Relevant regulation and legislation’ page outlines powers councils have under the Local Government Act 1974 to close roads or parts of the road to traffic.
![Download image [JPG, 228 KB]](/assets/Roads-and-Rail/innovating-streets/images/Partial-street-closure-slow-streets-local-traffic-only.jpg){kind=link}