#67 Local Street Management (pt 4) - Plan development

The fourth entry in the current series on Local Area Traffic Management (LATM), as informed by the AGTM Part 8: Local Street Management [1], outlines Stage 3 of the LATM process. Stage 3 covers the development of plans to achieve the stated objectives as determined in Stage 2. The key tasks for Stage 3 are identified in the Guide as including 5 key tasks and 9 typical steps (Figure 1).

Figure 1: LATM key tasks and typical steps identified in Austroads (2020)

Stage 3 Tasks

1. Austroads describes clarifying suitable strategies or approaches as the first task in LATM design.  This includes confirmation that LATM is the most appropriate response, as alternative strategies may be preferable to LATM in some cases. Examples given by Austroads as possible LATM alternatives include:

• Arterial road improvements to improve local street conditions

• Land use re-zoning and community design for local streetscapes

• Travel demand management to reduce local area trips

• Non-physical speed management, such as lower limits and increased enforcement

  
  

Whether proceeding with LATM or alternative options, a combination of strategies and approaches may be needed to achieve the objectives, in which speed management is usually a primary focus.

2. The second task is to develop outline schemes, including the assessment and selection of candidate measures, draft plan development, schematic layouts, and detailed assessment of benefits, costs and interrelated and secondary effects of specific treatments. This is part of the iterative process involving points and aspects that are revisited in subsequent stages.

3. Consultation on draft plans represents the third key task in LATM plan development and is recommended to maximise long-term benefits. The depth and breadth of consultation will depend on a range of factors, but should generally include close communication with residents likely to be impacted.

Consultation with other agencies and special interest groups on the draft plans is (also) strongly advised (p.42).

4. Assessment and refinement of alternatives is described as involving evaluation based on performance measures, including performance against identified objectives, and assessment of other effects. There is considerable detail needed in this stage regarding specific device selection, relative cost-benefit, flow-on effects, and community response and acceptability.

The scheme or schemes that emerge as most feasible should be subjected to a road safety audit. In addition, the usual test of cost-effectiveness will need to be applied (p.42).

5. Selection and presentation to council for adoption represents the final key task in LATM Stage 3. As described by Austroads (p.45):

Following public and technical review of the alternatives, and receipt of comments, modifications can be made and a recommended scheme can be produced. The report to council will normally include graphic presentations of the plan(s) and the various effects and impacts in tabular form, showing how each alternative performs against the objectives and supplementary assessment criteria.

The finalised plan should be displayed publicly and communicated personally with residents likely to be directly affected. Detailed plans showing form, dimensions, and device location relative to property access points, etc., may be desirable.

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