Wagga Wagga Active Travel Plan Evaluation
Evaluative research by TfNSW, University of Sydney and Wagga Wagga City Council to understand outcomes and community benefits of Wagga Wagga’s Active Travel Plan.
Image
Image controls:
Background
Planning for Australia’s future requires increasing investment in sustainable transport, not only in capital cities but also in growing regional centres. Wagga Wagga is the largest inland city in NSW, with a population of 65,000 which is expected to increase to over 80,000 by 2040. Transport solutions for growing regional centres like Wagga Wagga require an integrated system of mobility options which meet current and future demand.
Wagga Wagga City Council received $11.3 million in 2018 from the NSW Cycling Infrastructure Fund managed by Transport for NSW (Transport) to construct a 45 kilometre-long active travel infrastructure network in the town.
Subsequently in 2020, Council received an additional $3.6 million in funding from the NSW Government to expand the project by 12 kilometres and contributed an additional $325,000 to secure this funding. This represents the largest network of new, high quality, safe and accessible shared walking and cycling links ever constructed within a short timeframe in regional NSW.
The project comprises 57 kilometres of new or resurfaced shared path infrastructure plus interchange upgrades. This network connects cycling and walking infrastructure to education facilities and workplaces, including coming within one block of 90 per cent of schools in Wagga Wagga.
Objectives
The research project aims to provide evidence of the short to medium-term changes and benefits of the Active Travel Plan, as well as enable longer-term benefits to be estimated. It will also provide information about the success of efforts to:
- promote the active travel network to the community
- increase community knowledge and understanding of the opportunities it provides
- overcome remaining barriers to use; and
- increase community use of the infrastructure.
This evaluation will add significantly to the evidence base on active transport planning and implementation in Australia. Specifically, the project will provide critical data to inform policies for NSW regional towns and councils seeking to improve infrastructure for active travel. It will also provide essential evidence for Transport in planning and funding other infrastructure projects through providing evidence of the project impacts and outcomes.
Ultimately, this research will contribute to national and international knowledge about the outcomes and benefits of active transport infrastructure development.
Updates
The project is entering the final phase of data collection, which will continue until the end of 2023.
This phase consists of several simultaneous data collections including interviews and focus groups with staff in key workplaces; interviews with key informants across the community; a community survey; visual observations of users of the shared pathways, intercept surveys and follow-ups with participating schools across Wagga Wagga.
Lastly, ongoing data collections from cycleway counters across the network and observations of the use of end-of-trip facilities within workplaces, schools and across the CBD will also continue in the final phase of data collection.
There has been a wonderful response to the project so far from members of Wagga Wagga community, who have provided valuable insights into their use of and experiences with the network.
Further updates will be provided as this project progresses.