Traffic and Parking Assessments

The aim of a typical Traffic and Parking Assessment is to understand the impacts your development may generate on the surrounding road network's traffic flows, road safety and car parking provisions, and to develop mitigation measures where required. A Traffic and Parking Assessment will also assess your design's compliance against relevant Planning Scheme Clauses and Engineering Standards and provide a Traffic Engineer's Certification that is vital for approval.

Councils will request you, the developer, to submit a Traffic and Parking Assessment (also known as a Traffic and Parking Report) for most Planning Permit applications when the development is expected to create impacts to both existing parking and traffic operations of the surrounding road network. There are also other variations of these reports such as Traffic Impact Assessments or Car Parking Demand Assessments, which analyse traffic or car parking related impacts on their own.

A Traffic and Parking Assessment is often required for commercial developments, mixed-use facilities, retail facilities, medical facilities and multi-unit residential developments such as townhouses, units or apartments.

The request for a Traffic and Parking Assessment is generated via a Request for Further Information (RFI) sent by the Council upon submission of the Planning Permit application together with town planning drawings. These can also be requested by the Council during the preliminary discussion phase of the project. Alternatively, your architect, town planner or developer may decide to include a Traffic and Parking Assessment without waiting for the Council to request it, as it will strengthen your application.

RedSquare Traffic conducts on-site traffic and parking surveys together with road safety inspections for every project we undertake, verifying existing traffic and parking conditions. Parking surveys capture the availability versus demand for parking spaces in the surrounding parking facilities, while traffic surveys are manual or automatic counts performed at intersections to understand existing turning movement counts. The report also includes a review of applicable Planning Scheme Clauses, including Clause 52.06 (Car Parking Requirements) and Clause 52.34 (Bicycle Parking Requirements), along with any other clauses and overlays relevant to the development's location.

Once background information is established, RedSquare Traffic prepares a Car Parking Demand Assessment analysing the demand for car parking spaces generated by the development, based on car parking rates specified in Clause 52.06 of the Planning Scheme. Where the required provision cannot be met on-site, a car parking waiver or reduction may be needed, supported by evidence such as nearby parking availability, access to public and active transport, and the probability of multi-use trips.

The report also includes a Traffic Impact Assessment section, which considers the traffic generated by the development against the layout of the surrounding road network and existing traffic volumes, sometimes complemented by traffic modelling using SIDRA Intersection. Where relevant, a Turn Warrants Assessment analyses whether intersection turn treatments need to change as a result of the development. RedSquare Traffic also includes Access Design Reviews, Car Park Design Reviews and a Road Safety Review in every Traffic and Parking Assessment Report, ensuring compliance with Design Standard 01 and Design Standard 02 of Clause 52.06.

A completed Traffic and Parking Assessment Report typically includes:

• A site inspection to review existing traffic and parking conditions
• Review of background documents including applicable Planning Scheme clauses
• Description of existing transport conditions and the proposed development
• Parking demand assessment against Planning Scheme clauses and Australian Standards
• Traffic and parking surveys
• Justifications for any reduction in car parking spaces under Clause 52.06
• Traffic generation, distribution and assignment
• Turn warrants assessment
• Access design and accessway review against Clause 52.06
• Road safety review
• A traffic engineer's expert opinion on whether the development can operate without creating undue pressure on existing traffic and parking facilities

When a comprehensive Traffic and Parking Assessment Report is submitted alongside a Planning Permit application, there is an increased probability of approval without much hassle. RedSquare Traffic's experienced traffic engineers can assist you throughout this process from start to finish.