Arterial Roads
The Road Management Act 2004 clarified the roles and responsibilities
for roadspace, and local governments now have responsibility for
the entire road reservation for local roads and the roadsides (including
parking) of state-managed arterial roads in built up areas. However,
although without direct responsibility, local governments need to
negotiate vigorously on behalf of the community, as the activity
on arterial roads can have significant local impacts on abutting
land use via noise, pollution, accidents and general loss of amenity.
In addition, the freeway network can impact severely on local networks
by channelling traffic and reducing amenity close to entry and exit
points.
The Road Management Act directs road authorities to manage roadspace
for efficiency and safety. By using a triple bottom line approach
to efficiency and safety local governments can highlight the value
of sustainable transport over the traditional single mode approach
to road space. Information on the Road Management Act and its implications
for local government is in the Arterial Roads Information Library.
The state-managed arterial network is primarily to cater for the
regional movements of through traffic with at most one trip end
in the municipality. The arterial network is also the main conduit
for freight and commercial vehicles, as well as accommodating much
of the road based public transport system. Establishment of a road
hierarchy which accommodates regional movements allows local governments
to develop some measure of protection for local roads.
The Arterial Roads Information Library contains the most recent
information on State strategies for arterial road management systems.
The arterial network is not isolated from local infrastructure,
and can result in tensions and conflicts between local expectations
and regional connectivity. The identification of activity centres
as the ideal location for future developments in Melbourne 2030
has highlighted the difficulty in resolving
- the amenity and 'liveability' needs of activity centre users
- capacity and flow demands for regional connectivity
where activity centres are located on arterial roads.
Local governments with a commitment to sustainable transport can
best promote community interest by
- advocate for integrated broad based solutions to transport problems
which benefit all road users and support long term goals of sustainable
growth
- identification of through traffic component of traffic stream
and monitor over time
- seek corridor solutions to avoid relocating problems
- resist road capacity improvements without benefits for all road
users
- investigate mechanisms to balance regional demands with liveability
within activity centres located on arterial roads
- develop a municipal statement to position local governments
to negotiate with state agencies regarding traffic management
on arterials within the municipality.
Detailed information and references on Arterial Roads can be found
in the following library folder:
What local governments
can do
Local governments can find themselves extending their role in
transport when acting in community best interest. Additional activities
may not be expensive and can provide a real local benefit.
Institutions and agencies
A summary of the roles of federal, state and other agencies
Available tools and
resources
There are a number of useful resources to help local governments
Learn from others
Look at work done elsewhere to get ideas for your area.
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