Key takeaways
- Pedestrians at work zones need a route that works for everyone, including prams, wheelchairs, mobility scooters and people with low vision.
- Build and check the pedestrian route before closing the footpath, and check it again with a pram or wheelchair in mind.
- Plan who escorts, who holds traffic and what to say before the first person arrives, not when they are standing at the barrier.
- School times, bus stops and shops change the pedestrian load through the day; plan inspections around them.
- If the planned route doesn't work for a real person, help them safely and escalate the route problem to the supervisor.
Managing pedestrians at work zones well means the route works for the real people who use it: a parent with a pram, a wheelchair or scooter user, a person with a guide dog, kids walking home from school. Build the route before closing the footpath, check it with those users in mind, and brief the crew on how to help.
Most traffic management plans cover pedestrians in a line or two. The difficulty is on the day, when a person arrives at a barrier that looked fine on paper. This guide walks through the situations crews actually meet, what to do and say, and an example on a shopping strip. The traffic guidance scheme (TGS) must be prepared by a suitably qualified person and sets the arrangements; this is general guidance only. For planning the route itself, see the accessible pedestrian detour checklist and pedestrian management at work sites.
Set up the pedestrian route before you need it
The most common failure is order: the footpath gets closed while the alternative is still being built. Follow this sequence:
- Read the pedestrian arrangement on the TGS. Separated path, detour to the other side, temporary crossing or escorted route.
- Build the alternative first. Barriers, ramps, temporary surfaces and signs in place before the existing path is closed.
- Close the existing path with barriers that a cane user can detect, not just a sign stand.
- Sign the detour at decision points. Signs at both ends, before the closure, where people can still choose a route without backtracking.
- Walk it. Check the surface, width, slopes, kerb ramps and any steps.
- Walk it again thinking of a wheelchair. Pinch points, lips on plates, gravel, bins and sign bases are what stop wheels.
Situations crews meet and how to handle them
A parent with a pram at a closed footpath. Point clearly to the detour and say how far it is: "The footpath's open on the other side, use the crossing just there." If the detour involves a kerb with no ramp, the route has failed. Escort them safely if the TGS provides for it, and radio the supervisor.
A wheelchair or mobility scooter user. Speak to the person, not their companion. Ask what they need: "The path's closed here. The route goes across at the crossing; is that OK for you, or would it help if I walked with you?" Check the surface ahead before they commit: a plate edge or loose gravel can tip a chair.
A person with low vision or a guide dog. Introduce yourself and your role: "I'm a traffic controller with the roadworks crew." Ask if they would like assistance and how. If guiding, offer your elbow and describe what's ahead: "Kerb ramp down in three steps, then we cross." Don't grab, and don't distract the dog.
Kids walking to or from school. Groups of children move unpredictably and may not read signs. Expect them at school times. If the TGS includes a supervised crossing, staff it at those times. Speak simply: "Wait here please, I'll tell you when it's safe."
Cyclists. The TGS shows whether cyclists share the lane, use a temporary path or dismount. At stop/slow, a cyclist is traffic: stop them, and release them with enough time to clear the shuttle lane. Call it to the other end: "Last through is a cyclist, will take a little longer." See cyclist safety at road works.
Someone who ignores the detour and walks through. Calmly: "Sorry, it's not safe through there, there's machinery working. The path's this way." If they persist, warn the works crew by radio to stop. Never physically block them.
An elderly person who is unsteady. Slow down. Offer to walk with them along the route, or to hold traffic at a crossing longer than for others, as long as the method allows it and the other end is told.
Example scenario: shopping strip footpath closure
Here is how this plays out on a typical job. The site is a 50 km/h shopping strip. A crew is replacing a section of kerb and footpath outside two shops. The TGS shows the footpath closed for about 30 metres, with pedestrians directed into a barrier-protected walkway in the parking lane. There is a bus stop just past the work area. The crew is a supervisor and two traffic controllers; TC 2 is assigned to pedestrians from 8:30 am to 9:30 am and 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm (school times).
- 6:30 am set-up. Barriers for the walkway go in first, with a ramp at each end down from the kerb to the parking lane level. The footpath is closed only once the walkway is complete.
- 6:50 am walk-through. The supervisor pushes the site trolley through. At the far end, a sign stand narrows the walkway. It is moved inside the work area.
- 8:45 am. A parent with a double pram reaches the walkway. TC 2 says, "Straight through the barriers, there's a ramp at each end." The pram fits. TC 2 watches to the end.
- 10:10 am. A mobility scooter user arrives. The ramp at the far end has a lip where the temporary surface meets the road. TC 2 asks the user to wait, radios the supervisor, and the supervisor has the works crew fix the transition with a proper edge before the scooter proceeds. The fix takes four minutes.
- 11:30 am. A person with a guide dog arrives at the closure. TC 2 introduces themselves, offers assistance and describes the route as they walk.
- Bus stop check. The supervisor confirms with the bus operator contact that passengers can board from the stop, and that the walkway does not end at the bus doors. See temporary bus stops at roadworks.
- Records. The site diary records the 10:10 am issue, the fix and the time. The supervisor adds "check temporary surface edges at every inspection" to the next day's briefing.
The planned route was right. The details on the day were what mattered, and they were caught because someone was assigned to watch.
Pedestrian route check sheet
Use at set-up and every inspection.
| Check | Yes / No | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Alternative route built before the footpath closed | ||
| Width matches the TGS, no pinch points from stands or bins | ||
| Surface even, no lips on plates or ramps | ||
| Kerb ramps at every level change | ||
| Closures detectable with a cane (barrier, not just a sign) | ||
| Detour signs at decision points, both ends | ||
| Lighting adequate if used after dark | ||
| Bus stops, shop entries and driveways still reachable | ||
| Person assigned at school times and busy periods | ||
| Route walked with a pram or trolley |
Common pedestrian mistakes and how to catch them
| Mistake | What it looks like on the day | Catch it by |
|---|---|---|
| Footpath closed before the detour is ready | People standing at a barrier with nowhere to go | Building the alternative first, every time |
| Sign stands in the walkway | Prams and chairs squeezing past or turning back | Pushing a trolley through after set-up |
| Detour sign only at the closure | People walk to the barrier, then backtrack across the road | Signs at decision points before the closure |
| Lips and edges on temporary surfaces | Scooter wheels catching, people tripping | Checking transitions at every inspection |
| Controller leaves the bat to help | Traffic end unattended | Assigning a separate person, or holding traffic |
| Route not lit after dark | People avoid it and walk on the road | A dusk check of lighting along the route |
| Kerb ramp blocked by a parked ute | Wheelchair user stuck at the kerb | Parking only where the TGS shows |
Night, rain and stage changes
Pedestrian routes that work at 10 am can fail at 6 pm. Plan for the changes:
- After dark. If the route is used at night, check the lighting along its whole length, not just at the ends. Shadows behind barriers hide trip hazards. Avoid floodlights shining into pedestrians' eyes.
- Rain. Temporary surfaces, steel plates and painted lines get slippery. Puddles form at the base of ramps. Recheck after rain starts and consider whether the route needs mats or a different surface.
- Stage changes. When the work moves, the pedestrian route usually moves too. Build the new route before closing the old one, in the same order as the first set-up.
- Overnight. If the footpath stays closed after the crew leaves, the route must still be safe without anyone there. That is an after-care issue: check barriers are secure, signs are clear and lighting works before leaving.
Briefing the crew on pedestrians
Add these to the pre-start whenever pedestrians use the area:
- Where the pedestrian route is and what it looks like at each end.
- Who is assigned to pedestrians, and when.
- How to radio an issue: "Pedestrian issue at the north end, wheelchair can't get past the ramp."
- That nobody walks pedestrians through an active work area.
- That a controller on the bat stays on the bat; pedestrians are helped by someone else or traffic is held.
- How to speak to people: to the person, briefly, offering help rather than imposing it.
For accessibility and WHS guidance, check with SafeWork NSW and Transport for NSW, or your state's road authority and regulator. Councils often set their own footpath conditions, so check the permit.
Next steps
Push a pram or trolley through your next pedestrian route before you open it, and assign one person at school times. If you run crews, putting the pedestrian briefing into the daily SWMS sign-on in an app like TrafWise means everyone confirms they heard it before work starts.
Frequently asked questions
How do you manage pedestrians at a roadworks site?
Follow the pedestrian arrangements in the traffic guidance scheme: a separated footpath, a signed detour, a temporary crossing or an escorted route. Set it up before closing the existing path, keep it clear, even and well signed, and check it through the shift. Brief the crew on who helps pedestrians and how.
What is the minimum footpath width at road works?
The required width comes from the traffic guidance scheme, which is based on AS 1742.3, the AGTTM, accessibility requirements and the state or council's conditions. It must suit wheelchairs, prams and mobility scooters. Crews should build the width the TGS shows and report any pinch points, such as sign stands or bins, that narrow it.
Should a traffic controller escort pedestrians through a work zone?
Only where the TGS or procedure provides for it and the controller is not needed elsewhere, such as on the bat. An escort walks with the person along a safe route, never through an active work area. Many sites assign a dedicated person at busy times so controllers are not pulled off their stations.
How should cyclists be managed at road works?
As the TGS shows: sharing the traffic lane, using a temporary path, or dismounting and walking through a pedestrian route. Cyclists need warning signs, a smooth surface and no hidden edges, plates or loose gravel. At stop/slow, cyclists are stopped and released like vehicles, with enough time to clear the shuttle lane.