Promoting universal design in public transport infrastructure

Image: State of Queensland

Action 1.7, Action Plan for Walking 2019–2021

Status: Complete

The Public Transport Infrastructure Manual (PTIM), prepared by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), shows how to apply best practice planning and design principles to public transport infrastructure. TMR has updated the PTIM to include guidance on universal design.

Key achievements

TMR's PTIM applies best practice planning and design principles to public transport infrastructure. It defines the design elements for public transport facilities, helps with evaluating existing facilities and should be used as a design tool when planning or delivering new infrastructure within Queensland's public transport network.

The PTIM has been updated to include guidance for overarching considerations such as universal design. Universal design is the design of products, built environments and services to make them accessible to all people, regardless of age, disability or other factors, without the need for adaption or specialisation. 

The PTIM promotes use of universal design principles to enable all customers to access and use public transport across the bus, rail, tram and ferry network. 

TMR's access hierarchy model identifies walking as the highest priority access mode when planning and designing public transport facilities. PTIM supports this by providing guidance for safer, easier and more connected access at stops, stations and interchanges. 

The PTIM has been designed for use by transport professionals including planners, designers, engineers and architects to enable more consistent, safer and more accessible public transport infrastructure across the TransLink network.

Next steps

The PTIM is a living document with the flexibility to adapt to changes in design standards or best practice planning approaches. Any comments regarding the updated manual are welcome and can be sent through to PTIM@Translink.com.au for consideration.

More information

Read TMR's the Public Transport Infrastructure Manual.