Transport planning guidance relies on robust evidence about how different land uses generate travel demand. However, while NSW has long-standing datasets for many development types, there is currently no locally derived trip generation or parking demand data for large accommodation hotels. As hotel developments increase across Sydney and regional centres, Transport for NSW recognised the need for reliable local evidence to inform transport impact assessments and planning decisions.

Crossley Transport Planning is supporting Transport for NSW to deliver a new dataset describing how accommodation hotels generate vehicle and person trips and how parking demand accumulates across different contexts. The study surveys a representative sample of hotels across Sydney and regional NSW, capturing detailed information on vehicle movements, person trips, parking utilisation and travel behaviour.

A key challenge in delivering the study is securing participation from hotel operators. To address this, Crossley developed a targeted engagement and communications strategy to build understanding of the research and encourage participation from suitable sites. This included structured engagement with hotel managers, clear communication of the study purpose and a management tracker to coordinate outreach and maintain momentum across the survey program.

The project combines field surveys, intercept interviews and detailed data analysis to establish relationships between hotel characteristics, travel behaviour and parking demand. The resulting dataset will support the development of new trip generation and parking rates for accommodation hotels in NSW, improving the evidence base used in transport impact assessments and development planning.