Article: Queen St blocked to traffic

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Queen St blocked to traffic

Queen St blocked to traffic
Tony Moore | September 9, 2008 - 1:19PM

Queen Street traffic will be blocked after the intersection was deemed one of Brisbane's most dangerous because so many pedestrians have been hit by cars.

A new traffic island will be built to stop traffic coming from Fortitude Valley from using Queen Street to get to the central city.

The traffic island will be built over the Queen Street lane, with traffic from the Fortitude Valley end of Queen Street diverted down Eagle Street.

The $10,000 traffic island will be in place within the month, in addition to the audible warning devices which Brisbane City Council has already promised.

In the past six years, 19 pedestrians have been struck by cars, with the majority of pedestrians stepping off the intersection in the middle of Queen Street into oncoming traffic.

The unique intersection currently has a traffic island between the three lanes which travel from Fortitude Valley, with two lanes heading down Eagle Street and a third lane which connects through to Queen Street.

The traffic island is a temporary step while Brisbane City Council considers long-term changes to traffic in the area, Brisbane's deputy mayor Graham Quirk said.

Brisbane City Council is considering creating a tiled area around the historic fig trees and making Eagle Street a cul-de-sac as part of the Town Reach project, which plans to provide more space for cyclists and pedestrians.

This means major changes to Creek Street traffic, changing it from one-way to two-way traffic.

Eagle Street is also being discussed as a site for one of the future underground rail stations as part of the State Government's Inner City Rail Capacity study, which will be released later this year.

Civic Cabinet yesterday decided to introduce the temporary measure at the Creek, Wharf and Eagle street intersection while a more permanent solution was sought.

"This will offer pedestrians a safer passage at this intersection, but it's not the ultimate answer to the problems we inherited from the previous administration," Cr Quirk said.

"What we'll be doing here is link a series of concrete blocks, which will turn the Queen St lane into an extension of the existing pedestrian island.

"This temporary measure will allow us to undertake some more detailed survey work, which will identify any potential service conflicts, prior to a decision being made on the longer term future for traffic flows in the area."

Cr Quirk said the plan was temporary because Brisbane City Council was now reviewing its original Town Reach project, which planned to close off Eagle Street through to the inner city.

He said council staff were still gathering data on the implications on Creek Street.

"We are still gathering data on that to see if it will work," Cr Quirk said.

Cr Quirk said the Inner City Rail Capacity study was being considered - in addition to other factors - while a long-term strategy for the Brisbane CBD was prepared.

"Well it is, but more about the whole CBD. Where is the CBD going to be in the next 15 years?" Cr Quirk said.

"We just can't look at Eagle Street in isolation."

He said the number of jobs in the Brisbane were going to increase by 53 per cent by 2026 and the Brisbane CBD and the Australia Trade Coast region on Kingsford Smith Drive would be the two biggest growth areas for these new jobs.