Smarter Streets: What the US Can Learn From Australia's Innovative Road Design
"Discover how the Complete Streets approach in the US and Australia's SmartRoads are shaping the future of urban planning and creating safer, more inclusive cities."
For decades, road management prioritized vehicle movement and minimizing congestion. But now, there's growing recognition of the multiple roles streets play in society, including road safety, fair access, community spaces, and accommodating various road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. The Complete Streets movement in the United States and SmartRoads network operations planning in Australia represent this shift in how we design and manage our roads.
This article examines the progress of the Complete Streets approach in the United States and introduces the SmartRoads management framework developed in Victoria, Australia. The SmartRoads system classifies roads based on a multimodal Road User Hierarchy, identifies network issues using multimodal level of service (LOS) measurements, and compares potential operational or design solutions using Network Fit Assessment software.
Although created around the same time, these two approaches differ significantly. Yet, by learning from each other, both the United States and Australia can substantially improve how they manage and design their roads.
Complete Streets and SmartRoads: A Shared Vision for Urban Spaces
Both Australia and the United States have recently shifted their approaches to road planning and traffic management. Traditionally, road design and traffic management emphasized efficient movement for motorized vehicles, often at the expense of pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport. However, the mid-2000s marked a turning point in how road space was conceived and managed.
- Complete Streets: Focuses on safety, equity, and vulnerable road users, aiming to improve road safety and consider all road users. Walking and cycling are core modes, with transit considered to some extent.
- SmartRoads: Emphasizes multimodal movement and congestion management, reducing conflict between modes. It includes walking, cycling, public transport, freight, and private vehicles.
Learning from Each Other: A Path Forward
The SmartRoads and Complete Streets approaches developed concurrently in Victoria and the United States, addressing the challenge of better managing road networks. Although originating from similar needs, the outcomes differ significantly. The institutional, historical, and cultural settings contribute to these differences, highlighting a valuable opportunity to improve practices in both regions.