Safety Planning to Support the Goal of Zero Road Deaths in Queensland

• Identified existing safety issues along an urban arterial route to guide safety solutions
• Developed a three-tier option assessment process to identify safety treatments aligned with the Queensland Road Safety Policy
• Undertook a Safe System assessment of shortlist options
• Developed a staged plan of the recommended option to improve safety and mobility for all road users

Tor Street — part of the Toowoomba Connection Road — is a former section of the Warrego Highway, passing through the western suburbs of Toowoomba in southern Queensland. The 3-kilometre section of Tor Street between Hursley Road and Bridge Street carries 12,000 vehicles per day and remains a major freight route following opening of the Toowoomba Bypass in 2019. But the undivided carriageway, deficient intersection layouts and narrow, incomplete footpaths pose road safety issues for all users. The route also suffers from surface flooding during periods of heavy rain.

The Queensland Government has a vision of zero road deaths and serious injuries as outlined in the Queensland Road Safety Strategy 2022-31. This goal is underpinned by the Safe System philosophy, requiring the transport network to be designed and managed so that crashes do not result in fatal and serious injury. And it’s supported by the Road Safety Policy developed by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), which commits the organisation to the adoption of Safe System principles, processes and practices from planning to delivery on all projects.

HDR was chosen as a partner by TMR to conduct a route planning study for Tor Street. The Safe System approach was embedded into the study objective of developing a long-term staged corridor plan with safety and mobility upgrades that recognise the corridor’s urban route functions and its continued role in providing an alternative route during closure of the Toowoomba Bypass.

Embedding Safe Systems in Context Assessment

We aligned our approach with the TMR Road Safety Policy to embed Safe System principles from the outset. An extensive context assessment conducted by our team included reactive safety analysis, using historical crash data to identify patterns and areas with a higher chance of crashes. It also included proactive analysis using the Austroads Safe System assessment framework to measure the extent to which a proposed infrastructure project aligns with Safe System principles to eliminate fatal and serious injuries. The assessment reviewed how road features, land use, traffic characteristics and the physical environment could create a risk to safety and mobility along the corridor.

The findings revealed that road safety issues along the corridor were concentrated at intersections, which were also most likely to cause fatal and serious injuries. The intersection issues included filtered right turns, free flow left turns and unrestricted right turn movements from side streets.

Safe System Aligned Option Identification and Assessment

Several multimodal solutions were proposed to improve road safety for all users in the corridor and achieve mobility objectives for Tor Street. We developed a bespoke three-tier option assessment framework to identify and assess those solutions and identify the best options to improve the road.

Identified safety interventions focused on intersection improvements, such as controlled pedestrian crossings on all approaches, removal of free flow left turns and fully controlled right turns. Additional identified safety interventions included the installation of a wide central median to separate directions of traffic, wider lanes and improved active transport facilities.

Considering motorised and active transport safety, the list was narrowed to three options using a strategic merit test. Then the options were assessed based on Safe System principles and run through a multi-criteria analysis to compare cost, safety and efficiency benefits, active transport accessibility, community and environmental impacts, and constructability to select the recommended option.

Design Refinement Through Detailed Safety Auditing

The concept design for the recommended option was reviewed by a road safety audit to identify road safety related risks and hazards to road users so they can be mitigated. The audit identified several improvements to the recommended option, such as a dedicated crossing facility for pedestrians near bus stops and parks, heavy vehicle access arrangements and intersection geometric improvements. Incorporating these suggested improvements within the design would further mitigate road safety risks and achieve closer alignment with Safe System objectives.

The project outcome was a staging plan of the recommended option that is expected to improve road safety outcomes for all users as well as achieve the desired mobility outcomes along Tor Street.