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Department of Transport and Main Roads

Stage 2 – Mapping the plan

This stage explains how to generate a draft walking network plan to use for stakeholder engagement. Your approach will be based on the purpose of your plan and the information systems and data you have available.

On this page

Choose your network type

There are three choices:

  • Radial network
  • Precinct network
  • Corridor network.

Radial

Radial

A radial network may be suitable for schools or transport hubs such as train stations to understand the walking routes people need for transport.

A radial network is the first output of the walking network plan GIS process, discussed further below.


Precinct

Precinct

A precinct network plan may be suitable for locations that need to capture walking for a variety of trip purposes including for transport, socially, recreationally with cross-precinct routes.

This may be suitable for walking network plans for town centres and has an additional GIS step.


Corridor

Corridor

A corridor network plan may be suitable for understanding walking needs around and along linear infrastructure. Capture the destinations that influence the corridor and apply the walking network planning process for each primary destination (such as public transport stations).

Identify whether there is or could be demand for walking along the corridor and insert the proposed route manually. Developing a corridor plan has two additional GIS steps.


Case study: Walking network planning in remote areas

In Far North Queensland, TMR collaborated with Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council to prepare walking network plans in five townships – Bamaga, New Mapoon, Seisia, Umagico, and Injinoo – and a plan linking the five communities.

The remote location with smaller population meant ABS population Mesh Block data was unavailable, which affected the determination of route intensities and allocation of routes to either primary or secondary. The team adapted the methodology to make primary routes the connections between/through townships, with secondary routes to connect local destinations/neighbourhoods.

The smaller population and high rates of walking for transport increased the importance of broader community engagement to understand preferred walking routes and needs. This included pop-up stalls and evening workshops to avoid the worst of the heat.

The engagement used locally experienced community engagement consultants to reach out to Aboriginal and Torres Strait/Zenadth Kes Islander residential populations.

The remote location required contractors to plan their time carefully in advance to make full value of their extended stay. Fostering connections through known contacts was also important.

More information is available about this project at Mapping the best routes for walking.

Choose your geographic information system (GIS)

You will be using data and a geographic information system (GIS) to create your walking network plan. The GIS process involves mapping the shortest walking routes between:

  • ABS Mesh Block centroids (representative of residential areas) to one or more primary destinations
  • primary destination to secondary destination
  • secondary destination to residences.

Adapt or repeat this process for precinct or corridor walking network plans. Choose mapping instructions based on your organisation's GIS program:

The instructions below apply across the three mapping programs.

Map data resources

You will need background data to understand the type of walking needs in the catchment. Access internal datasets or use the QLD Open Data Portal or QSpatial catalogue.

Layers may include:

Regional, remote and low population areas

For areas with limited aerial mapping and infrastructure data available, it is more challenging to understand existing conditions (for example, footpaths, crossings and walking paths) and to generate a map.

Where there is no population Mesh Block data, you can use alternative methods (see the GIS instructions for your program).

Secondary destinations

With your project vision and approach, prioritise your secondary destinations to ensure that the most important are connected directly with a primary route. Consider types of destinations and the different reasons for walking, for example:

  • education facilities (including higher and further education)
  • public transport stops
  • medical centres
  • aged care homes and childcare facilities
  • community places such as a library
  • sporting and recreation facilities such as parks and waterfront destinations
  • shops, workplaces and destination locations such as hotels or industrial estates.

Use a 'landmark spatial layer' and local community needs (such as 'public toilets' in the town centre) to identify destinations. These will be subject to updating through your stakeholder process.

Walking routes

So that walking network plans align with TMR's publishing requirements, define your hierarchy using 'primary' and 'secondary' routes. You might need to tailor primary and secondary routes to project scope and the desired outcomes.

Route Definition
Primary routes Walking routes that support the shortest route connection from residences to destinations. Primary routes have higher route intensity with regular travel demand. These routes benefit the largest number of people as the 'arterial' walking routes connecting to key destinations.
Secondary routes Walking routes that may be less direct and have fewer users. They are 'feeder' routes to the primary routes. Most routes should be secondary routes. May be less direct or not shortest route.
Future routes
(Optional categorisation)		 May show forthcoming walking route identified in future development or a desired route that doesn't exist currently, such as a new bridge over a river. Show these as Future Primary or Secondary routes and distinguish if routes are included in strategic plans or if they are desire lines.
First Nations route
(Optional categorisation)		 May show routes that have been walking routes for transport or cultural significance and have been shared with permission by local Elders.

Output layers

The walking network plan map relies on various layers:

  • primary and secondary routes
  • destinations
  • 1km and 2km isochrones (smaller townships may use different isochrone scales)
  • council footpath data (if this exists and is available to share with TMR) and bicycle network (if more extensive than Principal Cycle Network)
  • ABS Mesh Block data and data table (clipped to the plan project size) or, if using, trip data calculations and data tables
  • any layers that were generated as part of the preparation of the plan and not available on QLD Open Data Portal.

Share the draft by emailing these layers to TMR, walking@tmr.qld.gov.au.

Case study: Categorising routes

Noosa Shire Council was awarded two TMR Walking Local Government Grants in 2022-2023 for walking network plans at Cooroy and Noosaville. Council already had walking route categories in its walking and cycling strategy. To ensure the plans can be published by TMR, the council adapted existing categories to TMR's primary and secondary routes.

TMR route categories Noosa Regional Council route categories
Primary routes
  • Pedestrian transport corridors
  • Activity streets
Secondary routes
  • Access paths
  • Recreation paths
  • Local paths

Benefits of this approach include:

  • Stakeholders were already familiar with the Noosa categorisations.
  • Categorisation terms matched existing schedule for Council's asset maintenance.
  • The clear methodology for the categorisation meant they could be adapted by TMR and published using the department's primary and secondary route categories.
Last updated 22 April 2024