7Parades / marches#
7.1Types#
Parades and marches typically involve large groups of pedestrians (sometimes accompanied by a smaller number of vehicles or floats) moving at walking pace along roadways. They typically occupy the entire width of the carriageway along the route and occur in built-up areas (for example, central
They can be held for up to a few hours and involve a variety of people, including the participants, marshals and spectators.
In comparison to walking events which are likely to have a recreational or fundraising nature, parades and marches are typically celebratory, spectacular or a protest-type event.
While parades and marches are similar to running and walking events in that they also involve large numbers of pedestrians on foot, the nature of these events mean that they are typically held in the centre of urban environments. This can present different challenges depending on the scale of the urban centre.
Examples of parades and marches include:
- parades (for example, ANZAC Day, Australia Day, ticker tape events)
- marches (for example, Labour Day)
- novelty parades (for example, Zombie Walk)
- planned protest marches.
7.2Risks#
Specific risks associated with parades and marches that may need to be considered include:
- driver distraction (for example, around novelty parades)
- network impacts in dense built-up areas
- participant behaviour around general traffic
- property access (resulting in vehicles entering closed carriageways).
7.3Specific considerations#
In many rural towns, the main street can also act as the primary route for traffic passing through the area. Given that the main street also often links key community facilities and can be considered the centre of town, it is a natural candidate for holding these types of events. Consideration needs to be given to the suitability of alternate routes for through traffic, in terms of both the volume and type of traffic (for example, heavy and over-dimension vehicles).
Cities and other larger urban centres may not face the same issues in terms of the availability of suitable alternate routes for traffic; however, dense urban environments may pose other challenges such as:
- accommodating existing high levels of pedestrian traffic
- managing impacts on kerbside loading zones.
CBDs typically experience high levels of pedestrian activity under ‘business as usual’ conditions. Road and crossing closures implemented to facilitate parades or marches can lead to denser concentrations of pedestrians at alternate crossing points. Additional control measures (such as manual traffic control and crowd channelisation) may be required to manage pedestrians in the vicinity of crossings at intersections and mid-block locations.
The management of kerbside impacts may also require a greater level of focus in larger urban centres. In many CBDs and older urban areas, businesses may be reliant on kerbside parking and loading zones where on-site space is limited and commercial and retail facilities pre-date contemporary development requirements for on-site servicing and parking. In areas where kerbside use is completely controlled / allocated, impacts on passenger loading, bus stops and taxi zones may also need to be considered.
Options for the management of impacts on kerbside use include:
- a communication strategy with neighbouring businesses / facilities
- provision of controlled vehicle access around the event for specific users / businesses
- temporary changes to kerbside use to provide alternative loading zone locations in the vicinity of the event.