Bidirectional pedestrian movement space
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Where could this be used?
This approach may be appropriate in places where the volume of foot traffic makes it difficult for pedestrians to move past one another without infringing on the physical distancing boundary or stepping off the footpath and into the path of traffic.
Examples include places popular for exercise or near arterial routes, eg, roads or streets near coastal areas or urban parks popular with joggers and walkers.
The absence of people waiting outside essential and/or safe services means the focus is on creating safe pedestrian movement. If there are groups of people congregating outside essential and/or safe services a tactic to ‘create safer waiting places’ may also have to be used.
Key considerations when implementing
This approach expands the space available for pedestrians by reclaiming a section of the road for foot traffic. It will be important to consider:
- Spatial requirements.
- Restriction of traffic speed.
- Accessible ramps to provide for all possible users.
- Signage to indicate which direction pedestrians should walk in. 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.
Unidirectional pedestrian movement spaces on either side of the street
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Where could this be used?
As in the example above, this may be appropriate in places where the volume of foot traffic makes it difficult for pedestrians to move past one another without infringing on the physical distancing boundary or stepping off the footpath and into the path of traffic.
The unidirectional approach to pedestrian movement in this response may be useful in places where there is no available on-street parking or vehicle lane space to reclaim for a bidirectional pathway. By relying solely on signage, it can be a low-cost tactic to achieve safe movement for pedestrians.
Key considerations when implementing
- Signage to indicate which side of the road pedestrians should walk on. 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.
- Pedestrian crossings. This approach requires there to be sufficient pedestrian crossings available, otherwise, risk could be introduced by pedestrians choosing to compete with moving traffic when crossing the road.
