Archives: Guide

An NMT strategy helps to define a common vision for improving the walking and cycling environment. The strategy can serve as an umbrella document that guides specific projects, such as a streetscape redesign or the implementation of a system for managing on-street parking. It also can help guide coordination among the multiple agencies that play…

Institutional capacity can be defined as the capability of an institution to set and achieve social and economic goals through knowledge, skills, and systems. Increasing institutional capacity can also involve capacity building trainings, study tours and live design exercises. It is important to map out and assess the ability of institutions needed to implement walking…

Desk review As a first step in the data collection process, the team should obtain and review policies, standards, regulations, and plans that are relevant to walking and cycling. Typical documents to be covered in the review include the following: Transport master plans Urban development/land use plans Reports and designs for ongoing transport projects, including…

Information about ongoing projects can reveal the “state of practice” with regard to NMT facilities. Through the consultations with stakeholder agencies, the team should gather key details such as the scope, budget, and status of the projects. The team should visit the project sites to observe existing conditions and user needs and then review design…

Policy writing should occur collaboratively and should explicitly seek to incorporate the views of specific user groups, including, women, children, and persons with disabilities. Implementation of NMT improvements involves a diverse cross section of government departments and key stakeholders including but not limited to transportation planning, urban development, policing/public security, housing, education, public transport, and…

One way to build stakeholder buy-in is to implement demonstration projects to highlight the benefits of complete streets. Streets that experience high pedestrian volumes, serve as important access routes to public transport, or serve school trips have potential for significant impact. By initially focusing on projects with a high probability of success, local authorities in…

A common factor of successful mobility projects is the presence of a political champion or visionary. Strong institutional leadership is necessary to foster innovative policy development and project implementation, especially when trying to shift the status quo, as is the case in building streets that are friendly to NMT users. An initial step in interventions…

The design review process can help ensure that street improvement projects comply best practice standards for NMT design. The design review process should be coordinated by a central NMT unit and should apply to all agencies. Designs that comply with the street design standards can be approved for implementation. In case of designs that do…

To assess progress toward the goals in an NMT strategy, governments should conduct periodic audits of NMT facilities and surveys of transport system users. Initially, key surveys should cover the following aspects: Street environment: Footpath presence, footpath height, cycle track presence, road width, crossing availability, presence of shade, lighting, landscaping, frontage, etc. NMT demand and…