Join Bicycle NSW for comprehensive insurance and advocacyJoin Us Today

For 70 years, planners and engineers have prioritised the movement and storage of private vehicles when designing our roads and streets. Car-dominated streets are so normal that most people in the community can’t imagine things being any other way.

But roads and streets are for everyone!

And to help designers, planners, state government and local councils make the best possible use of our most important public spaces, Transport for NSW has published a new Design of Roads and Streets (DORAS) manual.

DORAS describes 22 street types for 6 ‘place’ context. There are multiple examples of different treatments in a variety of formats – plans, sections, overviews, photographs and case studies. 

It aims to be a really practical ‘how to’ guide for practitioners delivering new and re-imagined streetscapes that strongly embed the Movement and Place framework.

Bicycle NSW provided feedback on the draft DORAS in 2024. We had many concerns. The draft was very wordy without a clear structure. There was a lack of ambition for reallocating road space on arterial roads, and little mention of the role of street design in reaching net zero. 

And we were very worried that 30km/h as a speed limit was largely ignored.  This is despite the UN and a raft of other organisations, both in Australia and overseas, backed by plenty of research and evidence, calling for 30km/h to be the maximum speed on streets where people live, work and play.

We heard from senior staff at Transport for NSW that our comments were very useful, and so were keen to see how our recommendations were incorporated. The good news? The final DORAS is much better!

What is the difference between streets and roads?

The priority for roads is for the efficient movement of goods and people. Whereas the priority for streets is facilitating local access as well as being places for the community to spend time, play and spend money.

DORAS clearly differentiates between roads and streets and helps designers untangle the two typologies.  Hopefully over time we will see the death of the ‘stroad’ – a dangerous combination of road and street to form a traffic sewer that fails at both movement and place functions.

Unfortunately, we have far too many ‘stroads’ in NSW. Our article Breathing Life into Parramatta Road explores the descent of Parramatta Road, Victoria Road and Oxford Street into congested lifeless corridors that fail to move people efficiently or attract them to linger. 

Parramatta Road at Lewisham is a classic ‘stroad’ that business-as-usual car-first transport planning has failed to revitalise (Image: Bicycle NSW)

Six innovations for the new DORAS

  • Before and after images

Each of the 22 street and road typologies defined by DORAS are depicted as pairs of images, to highlight common problems and possible design solutions. The solutions are not prescriptive and there are examples to suit different context – such as urban, suburban, peri-urban and rural. 

An example of how common issues and design solutions are presented for an existing urban connector street (Image: Transport for NSW)

The graphics are heavily influenced by the successful NACTO guides from the USA. However, the details have been modified for the NSW context. The streetscape diagrams include familiar architecture and features such as awnings and corrugated tin roofs. They show generic streets and roads. A slightly elevated viewpoint allows many elements to be highlighted.

  • Plans and sections with typical dimensions 

Each design solution is illustrated with another important graphic - a longitudinal plan and a section with dimensions. Street design is spatial and it is really useful to see changes along the length of a corridor, particularly in kerb lane.

Examples of the plan and section for three different typologies (Image: Transport for NSW)

The focus on designing for the full width of the corridor, from building to building and not just kerb to kerb, is emphasised by including the building edges in the diagrams.   

  • Different issues and solutions for different place context

The variations between each typology in an urban and suburban context are drawn out in the common issues and potential design solutions. Where appropriate, additions solutions are provided for urban centre, enterprise, peri-urban and rural locations.  

Examples of common issues and possible design solutions for ‘residential ways’ in both urban and suburban locations (Image: Transport for NSW)

DORAS is clear that success can be measured differently in different settings. In an urban context with higher volumes of traffic and a lot of competition for road space, more trees, continuous footpaths and low speed limits are needed to achieve desired place outcomes. In a more suburban location, adding a footpath and some threshold treatment may be adequate to enhance the liveability of a street. 

  • Extensive lists of possible designs solutions

The proposed design solutions to each typology include link to a design library with photographic case studies.  There is also a link to the relevant technical reference. This is a key enhancement for the new DORAS. With the correct source document, practitioners can apply design solutions with confidence and certainty.

Each suggested design solution for a particular typology has a link to both the design library and a technical reference (Images: Transport for NSW)

There are solutions to suit all budgets.  The suggested options can be mixed and matched to suit funding, context, community needs and other constraints. 

  • A new intersections chapter

Intersections are a fundamental part of the network. The are many design issues to solve, particularly when different types of road meet.  

DORAS contains an extensive library of diagrams, plans and case studies to help explain how to create better, safer intersections that serve all road users.

Some extracts from Chapter 9: Intersections (Images: Transport for NSW)

There is also advice on minimising slip lanes and improving the way traffic signals work for pedestrians and bike riders. 

  • A focus on ‘how’ not why. 

The new DORAS concentrates on the technical ‘how’ and minimised long chapters on the ‘why’ of creating better streets and roads. This background knowledge is assumed. As a result the manual is reasonably concise. 

You can download the full DORAS manual here.

Were Bicycle NSW’s concerns addressed?

Partly!

The final DORAS is well laid out, full of clear graphics and much more concise that the draft. 

There are encouraging guidelines on providing for cycling. The NSW Cycleway Design Toolbox must be applied, and separated infrastructure is preferred. “Mixed traffic facilities, such as painted shoulder lanes described in Austroads, are not recommended for cycle routes on streets and roads with speeds above 30km/h or volume higher than 2000 vehicles per day in built-up areas.” It is made clear that shared paths are only appropriate where pedestrian activity is very low.

And there are several statements that 30km/h is the safe maximum speed limit where bike riders and vehicles mix.  

In fact, 30km/h is mentioned multiple times as the safe speed whenever there may be conflict between vulnerable road users and vehicles. Many of the design solutions diagrams for neighbourhood streets include 30km/h signs or roundels.

This is as huge improvement from the draft DORAS.

However, it is not easy for councils to reduce posted speed limits and there is no specific advice on this. Transport for NSW controls speed limits in NSW and councils still face a wall of resistance when trying to make changes.  DORAS misses an opportunity to direct TfNSW to collaborate with councils to lower speed limits where appropriate.

There is also a lack of advice for councils on how to negotiate streetscape changes and loss of parking with the community when road space is reconfigured. Much stronger support for stakeholders working at the coalface is needed. 

Other Bicycle NSW recommendations were ignored.

Cycle infrastructure and vehicle lane reallocation have not been added to the library of design solution for ‘transit arterials’. Transit arterials are defined as roads such as Military Road, Broadway and Victoria Road. These roads constantly feature in our advocacy for road space reallocation. They are where many of the Strategic Cycleway Corridors are slated to go.

Road space reallocation is not on the list of design solutions for transit arterials (Image: Transport for NSW)

A much more ambitious vision is needed for arterial roads. DORAS should require practitioners to apply the Road User Space Allocation Policy to reimagine traffic sewers as multi-modal corridors with less car traffic, more landscaping and public space, lower speeds and multiple transport options for everyone in the community.

DORAS remains silent on NSW Government’s Net Zero targets and the role of street designs that prioritise active and public transport in meeting those targets. The Climate Council calculated in Shifting Gear that no more than 36% of trips should be taken in a car by 2030, half the current rate of around 80%. A radical change to the space allocated to private cars is needed. 

Minimum lane widths are still shown as 3.2m in the design parameter tables for all but local streets. Wide lanes lead to wide streets and roads. The consequence of wide streets is that vehicles drive too fast and there is insufficient space for other uses such as separated cycleways, landscaping and widened footpaths.

However, it is promising that the opportunity to go down to 2.8m on arterials and transit corridors is at least broached in the text. 

Finally, the language remains far too non-committal – the text is peppered with ‘would’, ‘could’ and ‘may’ when strong direction for change is essential. 

So will DORAS achieve what it sets out to?

Bicycle NSW is optimistic. For the first time, we have a street design manual which explains what ‘good’ looks like. The clear graphics are excellent for taking a conservative audience on the journey.  Both the community and decision makers can quickly understand how streets can be reconfigured and improved. 

We hope designers will be encouraged to upskill, innovate and develop the confidence to challenge business-as-usual approaches to road design.  

However, DORAS is still only a guide. More sticks will be needed to incentivise its consistent application. Perhaps use of DORAS will become a condition of government funding. Perhaps Bicycle NSW’s Healthy Streets Bill will create an avenue to mandate its use.

Bicycle NSW look forward to seeing how DORAS influences the design of suburbs, towns and cities across NSW over the next few years.

Help us advocate for better roads and streets in NSW

Would you like to support Bicycle NSW’s campaigns for more high-quality infrastructure? We are the only bicycle advocacy group based in NSW and our small team works hard every day to make NSW better for bike riding.  Please sign up as a Member today!

And if you are not ready to join the Bicycle NSW family, then we would love you to Buy Us a Coffee (or three!) 

Share This News