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Roads and Streets Framework Roads and Streets Framework

The Roads and Streets Framework is a strategic planning tool for planning practitioners that works together with AT’s Network Plan (Future Connect) and Council’s future land use vision to guide design decisions on Auckland’s roads and streets.

This guidance directs a project to deliver key outcomes aligned with the Transport Design Manual. These relationships are illustrated in the following figure. 

If a RASF assessment is required for your project or workstream, contact the RASF Working Group to initiate the process at RASF@at.govt.nz.

You can use the following interactive mapping system to view the Movement and Place value of Auckland’s roads and streets.

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Background

Auckland is a vibrant, world class city where people want to live, work and play.

More than 1.7 million people live in Auckland, and over the next 30 years population is expected to increase significantly. The combination of this growth and the development of new residential and commercial areas is placing increasing pressure on the transport network.

To manage this growth Auckland Transport, along with Auckland Council, has been looking at ways to better guide interventions affecting Auckland's roads and streets to do more than provide for traffic movement, but better reflect the full range of transport modes and activities that occur on them.

The Roads and Streets Framework provides the first step in prioritising the many competing demands within Auckland's roads and streets.

About the Road and Streets Framework

The Roads and Streets Framework (RASF) is a guiding document which provides a systematic and consistent methodology for identifying the different functions of roads and streets in Auckland.

This approach reflects the needs and catchment of the adjoining land use as well as the movement of people, goods and services.

To ensure a consistent approach that is well aligned to Auckland Transport's and Auckland Council's policy and strategic direction, the Roads and Streets Framework assessments are led by a team made up of members of both organisations.

The RASF assessment process produces RASF mandates for each section of a road or street informing future design decisions.

Download the Roads and Streets Framework document (PDF 3.81MB, 17 pages).

Road and Streets Framework assessments

Roads and streets have different functions depending on the nature of land use and activity (Place) and the modal networks that are required to use them (Movement).

The Roads and Streets Framework provides an approach for thinking about Place and Movement functions and identifies their level of significance in the context of the whole Auckland region.

Place function

Place function represents the catchment of a road or street and its adjacent land use as a destination in its own right. A simple way to picture this is to consider how far, and how many, people/goods travel to go there.

Movement function

The Movement function of a road or street is its level of strategic importance within the transport system, and the combined volume of users, for a single mode, or multiple modes. This is guided by Future Connect, AT’s Network Plan.

Together, Place and Movement functions - rated at one of 3 levels - provides a total of nine possible typologies for roads and streets in Auckland.

Modal Priority

Modal priority is scored for the following modes in a road or street:

  • walking
  • cycling and micro-mobility
  • public transport
  • freight
  • private vehicles

Road and Streets Framework assessments also assess the priority of important kerb side uses:

  • loading and servicing
  • parking and local access

Modal priority is assessed based on the physical space and time allocated to that mode’s function. Priority is assessed in 3 ways:

  • Observed – how modes are currently prioritised in space and time
  • Optimal – the current ideal priority based on existing modes and land use requirements
  • Future – future priority based on optimal plus any change in future demand and modal networks, and is displayed in the following graphs.

The differences between Observed and Optimal / Future modal priorities show how much change should be planned for in a road or street. The result may be that trade-offs or compromises are needed between modes or kerbside functions to achieve the desired vision for the road or street.

Safety

Any safety considerations pertaining to a road or street are also noted in a RASF mandate, since they should be built into the design work.

Roads and Streets Framework process

The Road and Streets Framework assessment process captures the Context, Movement and Place levels, Modal Priorities, and Safety considerations in a document known as the RASF mandate.

RASF mandates are developed in collaboration with the RASF Working Group and approved by the RASF Steering Group as outlined in the following steps: 

Steps to completing a RASF assessment

  1. Contact the RASF Working Group to initiate the process at RASF@at.govt.nz.
  2. Develop draft RASF mandates with help of the RASF Working Group. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) may be involved at this stage.
  3. Review and approval by the RASF Steering Group.
  4. Receive the approved RASF mandates.

Once approved, RASF mandates provide strategic guidance that future road or street designs should reflect.

RASF mandates can also be used to inform the development of a business case (to justify funding for a project), or inform network operating plans, such as, how traffic signals are managed and prioritised.

Guidance and support

If you are a transport planning practitioner and want more information or guidance about using the Roads and Streets Framework, contact our team at RASF@at.govt.nz.