#64 Local Street Management (pt 1) - Overview

Local Street Management, also referred to as Local Area Traffic Management (LATM), is informed in large part by the Austroads Guide to Traffic Management Part 8[1]. The Part 8 Guide is intended to inform government and industry planners and engineers on best practice design, development and management of local area residential streets and related infrastructure. The current brief provides an introduction and overview of the Austroads Guide Part 8, with specific components of the Guide to be covered in greater detail in future briefs. As stated by Austroads, the Part 8 Guide describes (p.4):

• the principles behind LATM

• the LATM planning process and the steps to be taken

• the objective decision process for LATM

• considerations such as community participation and information, legal aspects and duty of care

• types of LATM devices and guidance to aid selection.

LATM is consistently found to improve safety through speed reduction and enhance liveability with promotion of active transport, but there are many variables which determine the overall outcomes for any application.

Principles and Planning processes

LATM is described in the Austroads Guide as a planning and management approach to ensure appropriate traffic conditions are achieved for local streets and street networks, whether in new developments or through modification to existing areas. More specifically, it is also referred to as a traffic calming tool for local traffic areas, including local access streets and collector roads, which are typically bounded by arterial roads and/or other physical boundaries (e.g., creeks, railways, other environmental features).

Consistent with other concepts such as Network Safety Plans and Movement and Place, LATM is underpinned by Safe System principles. Although the approach does not preclude limited specific countermeasures to treat isolated sites, true LATM considers the broader interrelated ‘sequence’ of devices and treatments across the defined area.

The main objective of LATM is to encourage driver behaviour that is appropriate for local streets, promoting safety, amenity and sense of place through low speeds and management of traffic volumes. While engineering measures are at the heart of traffic calming and therefore LATM, other Safe System elements, including driver behaviour and community engagement and support, are also critical.

In the context of LATM, all four pillars of a Safe System apply and should be central to the design of any LATM scheme.

Six stages of the LATM process are identified in the Part 8 Guide. These include:

1. Initiating an LATM program

2. Data collection and problem identification

3. Development of plans

4. Scheme design

5. Implementation

6. Monitoring and review

The process is also illustrated graphically in Figure 1, where, importantly, community involvement is included as central to the process. Communities may be involved in numerous ways, including through submissions and other feedback on planning, and in some instances may provide the primary initiative for LATM adoption.

[1] Austroads (2020). Guide to Traffic Management Part 8: Local Street Management. Sydney, Austroads. https://austroads.gov.au/publications/traffic-management/agtm08