Minor maintenance activities such as cleaning or sweeping can happen at any time. For more invasive maintenance activities there are four main planning considerations:
Pedestrian infrastructure should be fully integrated within asset management systems of local government and other authorities involved in public infrastructure (for example, KiwiRail, or large employers such as hospitals and education campuses), along with accurate records of where maintenance has been carried out, the actions taken and the timeframes within which problems were addressed. This also helps identify high-maintenance locations and potential underlying problems.
Maintenance has benefits beyond ensuring infrastructure survives to the end of its design life. Some pedestrian infrastructure incorporates drainage slopes, such as footpath crossfalls, and kerbs and channels. It is important that the walking and accessibility functions of paths and crossings are not compromised solely for stormwater management reasons.
A best practice guide for performing fault assessment and condition rating on Pathways in New Zealand Aotearoa has been developed as part of the Pathway Network Data Collection Standard Project. This was a joint project with Waka Kotahi, Road Efficiency Group (REG) and Roading Infrastructure Management Support Group (RIMS). The primary aim of the guide is to create a standard framework for collecting Pathway fault data and deriving a severity rating using the aggregated fault data. The combination of both datasets forms a solid evidence base for asset managers and investors to make informed decisions to better maintain the level of service.
Pedestrian Pathways Fault Assessment & Condition Rating Guide(external link)
When planned in conjunction with other construction programmes, there is greater opportunity for maintenance budgets to go further. For example, combining a kerb and channel replacement with minor works program can mean that new road crossings can be combined with regrading footpaths and building new kerbs, including at a bus stop for example, making the whole street more accessible and safer.
Collaborative planning across all transport activities within a local authority and with Waka Kotahi also avoids cost implications of construction taking place on the same street twice, in short succession. The savings for temporary traffic management and construction activities are important considerations when making the effort to plan different activities together. Some Councils coordinate forward works using tools such as the New Zealand Forward Works Viewer to coordinate construction activities, including maintenance and renewals, as much as possible.
New Zealand Forward Works Viewer(external link)
Planning should consider the need to maintain path quality in all seasons. Activities such as clearing fallen leaves (including in channels where they might block drains, creating flooded walking routes), adding grit for icy paths, and maintenance after storms should be built into annual planning.
The specific timing of maintenance works should consider avoiding high volume pedestrian routes at peak times. Context is important, because, for example, a school will have a different usage pattern to a main street or town centre. Holiday periods may be good or bad times to complete maintenance, depending on the likely demand. Consult with local councils and others to understand local contexts before planning works, particularly works that require pedestrian detours.
When planning for maintenance and renewal activities, it is important to consider the current, as well as the aspirational, function of the street within the One Network Framework (ONF).
When all else is equal, maintenance activities can be prioritised according to the function of the street in the ONF. The more pedestrians use a street, the more benefit there is likely to be gained from maintaining the pedestrian infrastructure.
Maintenance has a significant role in creating a better future not just re-establishing what was present before the maintenance work commenced. Maintenance activities should as a minimum provide a pedestrian environment that is in accordance with the “Current ONF” street classification and the current walking modal classification.
Further to this where the “Future ONF” street classification (and the related walking modal classification) exists then this is the ultimate delivery goal. Maintenance activities can contribute to delivering the future aspirational state by aligning the project deliverables desired vision (future ONF). Where both the “current” and “future” ONF classifications exist then maintenance activity deliverables should be primarily compared to the “future” state such that the pedestrian environment better reflects the future desired state not the one that currently exists.
People who have difficulty walking are most likely to need safe, obvious, smooth and step-free surfaces. Some people can more easily manoeuvre around hazards and avoid paths in poor condition. Other people may not be able to make a trip at all, if paths and other infrastructure are in poor condition. Understanding communities with the greatest need for high quality infrastructure starts with conversations across the authority. Prioritisation can be helped by Census data concerning the number of people in a neighbourhood who have difficulty walking. The higher that proportion, the more benefit there will be for them of improvements to pedestrian infrastructure.
PNG: Pedestrian characteristics
PNG: Measuring pedestrian activity
