Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the new draft best-practice design guide for Canberra’s streets and intersections. Consultation has closed and we are currently reviewing feedback received.

The community and stakeholders were invited to provide feedback via online submission or email from 5 May 2023 to 2 June 2023. A What We Heard Report will be prepared and published following review of your feedback.

The development of the design guide was identified as a key action in the ACT Government’s draft Active Travel Plan.

Canberra has great infrastructure for walking and cycling, but it does not always give priority to vulnerable road users in ways that will encourage more people to choose active travel. More Canberrans will walk and ride if it is safer, more accessible, convenient and comfortable. This starts with the basic design of our city’s streets.

The draft Design Guide presents non-technical principles and examples for best-practice design of intersections and streets that support all forms of transport including walking, riding, and driving. These concepts balance safety, efficiency and attractiveness depending on the function of a street.

The draft design guide has been shaped and informed by best-practice examples and research from cities around the world. Once finalised the design guide will be used to inform future projects.

Future updates to the ACT Government’s Municipal Infrastructure Standards (MIS) will be informed by the design guide.

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the draft Active Travel Plan. Consultation has closed and we are currently reviewing feedback received.

The community and stakeholders were invited to provide feedback on the draft Active Travel Plan through interactive cycle and walking area maps, a community survey and via written submissions from 14 July to 24 August 2022. A What We Heard Report will be prepared and published following review of your feedback.

Walking, cycling and other forms of active travel are at the centre of our plans to make Canberra an even more liveable and sustainable city. Reducing reliance on private cars is a key action under both the ACT Climate Change Strategy and the ACT Transport Strategy.

We have developed a draft Active Travel Plan to enable more people to take up active travel. That means making it safer, more accessible, convenient and enjoyable to choose walking, cycling or micromobility – whether for commuting, exercising or socialising.

Key priorities outlined in the plan include providing safer infrastructure, a more connected network, better end of trip facilities and diverse enabling programs to encourage people to use active travel and public transport more often.

The plan also identifies practical actions to make active travel more visible and convenient, like delivering pop-up cycleways and walking improvements, protected bike lanes, an expansion of shared e-scooter and similar hire schemes, bike parking and repair stations.

Active travel includes walking, cycling, scooting, skateboarding and other types of micromobility. It is an important part of enhancing quality of life and our city’s unique character. Supporting and promoting active travel also helps to reduce congestion and cut harmful emissions. This benefits all Canberrans no matter how you move around.

We asked you to provide feedback about:

• the draft Active Travel Plan
• where to invest in missing links in the cycling network
• where walking improvements are needed
• how we can make walking and cycling a more attractive travel option particularly for trips within your region.

Your feedback will be used to finalise the Active Travel Plan and prioritise new active travel infrastructure improvements.