Brisbane Inner City bicycle paths

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Some Brisbane CBD parking to go for permanent bicycle paths

Brisbane will lose CBD parking spaces as the council installs dedicated bicycle lanes through the inner city in consultation with cycling lobbyists.

During the coronavirus lockdown in March and April, cyclists and active transport lobby groups called on Brisbane City Council to set up temporary bike lanes through the CBD to allow more people to commute and exercise.

But the delays in engineering and planning, and the relatively swift return of vehicles to Brisbane roads, meant the window of opportunity was too narrow.

Instead, public and active transport committee chairman Ryan Murphy said the council was designing and engineering permanent separated bikeways through some CBD streets.

"We've committed to delivering what's called a 'citylink cycleway', which is a system of protected, dedicated bikeways within the CBD," Cr Murphy said on Tuesday.

"We thought that this might be a great pop-up initiative, something that we could do really quickly and easily when traffic was down during COVID-19."

Cr Murphy said the engineering aspects were a "bit more complex than we'd thought" and said the council did not want to install infrastructure quickly, only to have to remove it later.

The council is working with bicycle user groups, Bicycle Queensland and other lobby groups on the design.

The lanes will be fully protected with barriers, rather than just painted green lines on the walls.

"We're taking a little bit of extra time right now to make sure that the design is finalised and it's safe for cyclists," he said.

Cr Murphy admitted the plan would require some "trade-offs" between paid parking and loading zones and the planned bike lanes, including the loss of some parking spaces in the CBD.

"It will involve trade-offs but, ultimately, this is worth it, because we know more and more Brisbane residents are getting on their bike," he said.

Opposition leader Jared Cassidy said the delays meant the council had "well and truly missed the boat with this project".

"The perfect time to install the pop-up lanes would have been during the COVID-19 lockdown, when streets were quiet," he said.

"Traffic is already back to pre-COVID levels, installing these bike lanes now will cause a massive disruption to motorists.

"Labor has been calling for a safe, inner-city bikeway grid for years now and still works are being delayed.

"This administration promised pop-up bike lanes in May, Sydney did too, and so far three of six promised have been installed down there, while Brisbane residents have to do without."

[verbatim9]

Councillor Ryan Murphy talks about the City Link Cycle Way this morning on ABC Breakfast radio. It will take two years to complete. November is the start date for construction.

It's talked about from 2h 19mins 14secs into the show.

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/brisbane/programs/breakfast/breakfast/12556872

[verbatim9]

There has been calls to alter the route of the Victoria Bridge Cycle Way. I think it should go on the West Side of the Bridge as proposed. This will make it easier for cyclists continuing on via Melbourne street to Boundary and Mollison Street. It will also make it easier to continue a bi-directional bike path along Melbourne street on the West Side to Boundary street.  If a bi-directional cycle way was to be built on the East side of the Melbourne street and Victoria Bridge, it will come into conflict with the entrance to the busway tunnel portal off Melbourne street, which will lead to delays for both cyclists, busses and Metro.

Some cyclists are saying that its better on the East side because of North Quay.  But this will create more of conflict down near Melbourne Street and the Busway tunnel portal entrance. The pedestrian path should also be permanently closed on the East side from Grey St to the Convention Centre. Pedestrians would need to continue their journey to West End and the Convention Centre via the Convention Centre carpark or on the West side of Melbourne Street. This will reduce light phases, congestion and speed up journey times for the proposed Bne Metro, buses and cyclists. 

If the Cultural Centre bus station was still to go underground I would say yes and go for the cycle way on the East side. But since this is not happening for many years its best to have the cycleway constructed on the West side of the Bridge.

[Jonno]

Councillor Ryan Murphy talks about the City Link Cycle Way this morning on ABC Breakfast radio. It will take two years to complete. November is the start date for construction.

It's talked about from 2h 19mins 14secs into the show.

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/brisbane/programs/breakfast/breakfast/12556872

Compared to the activities in other cities this is either tokenism or just plain pathetic!!!

[AnonymouslyBad]

2 years to construct some cycle lanes.

LOL.

I want to applaud council I really do, but we'll see. 2 years is a long time. More than long enough to water the project down by "responding to" those "community concerns" about "disruption to traffic movements".

[ozbob]

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/90571

27th August 2020

Media Release

Minister for Local Government, Minister for Racing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs
The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe

Brisbane cyclists benefit from COVID Works for Queensland funding

Brisbane cyclists can look forward to new and upgraded bikeways in the CBD and Kangaroo Point as well as between Chermside and Aspley in the city's north and in MacGregor in the city's south, made possible with the Palaszczuk Government's $200 million COVID Works for Queensland program.

The program is part of the Palaszczuk Government's $6 billion economic recovery strategy Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs.

In announcing the projects, Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the positive social and economic impacts would be felt for years to come.

"This program is specifically designed to help councils get their communities back on their feet as quickly as possible and minimise any long-term effects of the pandemic," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"In this case, Brisbane City Council has received $5 million to help get the community back in the saddle and take advantage of the city's bikeways.

"These new and upgraded bikeways will encourage greater health for the community, and ensure the environment is also healthier with fewer cars on the road.

"It's a fantastic outcome for the community and the funding is already going a long way to helping stimulate Queensland's economy and getting people into secure jobs."

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said pop-up bikeways in the CBD would enhance Brisbane's reputation as a bike-friendly city and hopefully encourage more people to ride.

"Brisbane is blessed with excellent riding weather most of the year and both levels of government have strong records of investments in new bike facilities across the city," Mr Bailey said.

"Paths are being built across Brisbane as part of major roads upgrades and join dedicated bikeways built by both the state and council, like the Palaszczuk Government's recently opened $45 million Veloway Stage E, but we know more can be done.

"We've seen more people than ever before take up bike riding and walking, and it's absolutely important that we continue to encourage this momentum.

"That's why earlier this year we approached Council to establish the Active Transport Advisory Committee, so we could regularly meet with cycling and walking groups from across the city and work together on initiatives that can improve safety and encourage more people to ride bikes and walk."

Brisbane CBD Bicycle User Group (BUG) co-convenor Donald Campbell said safety concerns were the main reason people won't ride a bike.

"The installation of pop-up- bike lanes in the city will be a huge step in encouraging people aged from eight to eighty to cycle for transport," he said.

"We're delighted with the cooperation between Council and the Queensland Government on these bike lanes, which will help businesses impacted by the COVID-19 situation by encouraging people back into the city."

Bicycle Queensland CEO Rebecca Randazzo welcomed the announcement of funding for separated cycleways in Brisbane's CBD.

"For many years, our members who ride to work in Brisbane's CBD have told us that the last 500 metres to their workplace has been the most hazardous," she said.

"This will be a great step forward to enable more people to ride safely to their place of work or study.

"Bicycle Queensland invested a lot of time, effort and expertise into the proposal we put forward to Brisbane City Council and State Government for these bikeways, so we're excited to see that investment rewarded in this excellent outcome."

The upgrades include:

    Installing separated bi-directional bikeways in the CBD to provide safe and direct connections for inner-city trips and commuting
    Extending the North Brisbane Bikeway between Chermside and Aspley, including a shared path and on-road bicycle facilities
    Widening the existing pathway between River Terrace and St Vincent's Hospital at Kangaroo Point
    Installing new lighting fixtures to Bulimba Creek Bikeway between the Veloway V1 and Freesia Street (between Gaillardia Street and Muirfield Street) in MacGregor as well as missing links within the network, improving safety on a key link between two of Brisbane's busiest bikeways

COVID Works for Queensland builds on the successful $600 million Works for Queensland program that has already created or supported more than 19,000 jobs throughout regional Queensland.

Projects are required to be completed by June 2021.

For more information visit: www.dlgrma.qld.gov.au/covid-w4q 

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1310693387595464705

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ryansrumblings/status/1310690338680446976

[Cazza]

Notice how positive the comments section is for projects like these compared to most large road projects  (I know I'm comparing apples with oranges). You do have to take the news comments with a grain of salt but you do get a sense of how the community feels about towards prioritising/supporting active/public transport and how the pollies really need to start taking this approach onboard.

In regards to this project, I'm all for it. But, they need to connect the existing on-road cycle lanes on George St between Herschel and Turbot Sts, to help link the northern bikeway.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1310862776710000640

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/RACQOfficial/status/1310732578807111680

[ozbob]

Couriermail 30th September 2020 page 13

Bike lane project to create chaos

"MASS disruption" is being forecast for Brisbane's CBD with carparks removed, bus stops relocated and popular streets reshaped under a multimillion-dollar plan to build new, dedicated inner-city bike lanes.

Brisbane City Council yesterday announced its "CityLink Cycleway trial" – which Public and Active Transport chair Ryan Murphy said was the "biggest change" to CBD streets in more than 30 years.

The $2.2 million project will see 71 carparking spaces, 12 motorcycle parks and one disability parking space removed from Elizabeth, Edward, Albert and William streets and replaced with dedicated cycling lanes.

Bus stops, loading zones and taxi zones will also be relocated under the development.

Mr Murphy said the decision was "tough", but necessary and "that need(ed) to be made to encourage mode shift to active transport in Brisbane".

"This network will provide meaningful connections immediately, as well as complement other longer term projects, such as the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge, Queen's Wharf Road and Brisbane Metro," he said.

Opposition Leader Jared Cassidy said council had missed that boat and the project's timing would trigger "mass disruption".

[ozbob]

CityLink Cycleway trial

https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/roads-infrastructure-and-bikeways/bikeway-and-pathway-projects/citylink-cycleway-trial

[AnonymouslyBad]

Wonder which good mates are providing "consulting services" on this. Once there's a shovel-ready design (which there has been since August), less bloated councils have turned around this kind of infrastructure literally in a weekend.

[nathandavid88]

The right-most lane of Elizabeth Street has been roped off this morning, from the William Street intersection right down to St Stephen's Cathedral, ending inline with the Cathedral itself. Looks like work will be starting imminently.

No closures for the Edward Street section as yet.

[verbatim9]

Today on Elizabeth Street looking North






Sent from my moto g(6) plus using Tapatalk

[AnonymouslyBad]

Looking good.

Just needs paint really. Hard part is all done. That's a relief.

[verbatim9]

The new Ciylink Cycleway flyer is out. It shows the new bikeway on the other side of the Victoria bridge as well as that bit of extra detail and authenticity, with  buses also queuing across the bridge outbound. 

Ciylink Cycleway December flyer----> CityLink Cycleway trial – project update newsletter – December 2020

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Weather blamed for Brisbane CBD bike lane delays

Wet weather has been blamed for delays to the rollout of Brisbane City Council's inner-city separated cycling lanes, after promising the first stage would be ready by Christmas.

Parking spaces, loading zones, taxi zones and bus stops have been blocked off and relocated along Elizabeth Street, with temporary fences blocking off an entire lane and the footpath on one side. ...

[verbatim9]

Updated pics from the weekend on Elizabeth St. Looks like its close to opening!? Maybe this week or next inline with the Victoria Bridge going Green, even though that segment of the bike path is not due to open until later in the year.

[verbatim9]

https://youtu.be/MkcgRvsYYVU

[verbatim9]

^^Ride through today thanks to Brisbane's North Bug

[ozbob]

[verbatim9]

Terrific to see Edward St leg of new Brisbane CBD Cycle Grid open this morn co-funded by @AnnastaciaMP Government & @brisbanecityqld

Elizabeth St is already open with connection across Vic bridge to come next month!

Important for cycling commuters to have safe last mile https://t.co/XOasgiwGmr

https://twitter.com/MarkBaileyMP/status/1362500166536679425

[verbatim9]

[ozbob]

Brisbane City Council says the CityLink Cycleway between the CBD and South Bank is now open, crossing the Victoria Bridge.
Lucy Stone @ljstone09

[AnonymouslyBad]

And the chipping away begins...

In all seriousness, this change doesn't read like it has any real impact on cycle traffic, (just a bit of an amenity loss). But I hope it's not the canary in the coal mine.

[OzGamer]

What does that mean for the cyclists who are currently meant to wait for the lights in exactly that location to continue south along Edward Street?

[Cazza]

I've never fully understood the reasoning for the set up at the Edward/Margret St intersection. I would have thought having the cycle lanes on the south/western side of Edward St all the way to Alice St, then put in a new bike and pedestrian crossing right at the corner of Edward/Alice would work better (just before you swing around to the right onto Alice) - pretty much in the exact place this ramp is in: shorturl.at/uxQ37.

You then have the current set up between Margaret and Alice flipped, with the cycle lanes on the west and commercial loading, taxis and turning into driveways on the east. Then, an additional set of pedestrian signals would be put in right at the entrance of the Botanical Gardens, river walk and soon to be green bridge will be very important.

Plus, I'm not sure how much longer this bike waiting space will last capacity-wise(shorturl.at/krxIQ), especially with the new green bridge set to be spitting out most of the cyclists onto Edward St. It probably needs to change sooner rather than later.

[AnonymouslyBad]

I've never fully understood it either but it's probably to do with the amount of works required at Edward x Alice. You can't just put a crossing anywhere there, and it means extra traffic lights. Can't have that!

The CityLink Cycleway is after all about finding a cheap and quick solution. If moving permanent infrastructure, or ripping up intersections was on the table there'd be many, many better locations for cycle lanes.

What does that mean for the cyclists who are currently meant to wait for the lights in exactly that location to continue south along Edward Street?

I don't think anything. The traffic island behind will be replaced with a turning lane, which is a bit bleh. The bike box itself, being the entire width of the road, should be unaffected......?

[nathandavid88]

I've never fully understood the reasoning for the set up at the Edward/Margret St intersection. I would have thought having the cycle lanes on the south/western side of Edward St all the way to Alice St, then put in a new bike and pedestrian crossing right at the corner of Edward/Alice would work better (just before you swing around to the right onto Alice) - pretty much in the exact place this ramp is in: shorturl.at/uxQ37.

You then have the current set up between Margaret and Alice flipped, with the cycle lanes on the west and commercial loading, taxis and turning into driveways on the east. Then, an additional set of pedestrian signals would be put in right at the entrance of the Botanical Gardens, river walk and soon to be green bridge will be very important.

Plus, I'm not sure how much longer this bike waiting space will last capacity-wise(shorturl.at/krxIQ), especially with the new green bridge set to be spitting out most of the cyclists onto Edward St. It probably needs to change sooner rather than later.

I've never fully understood it either but it's probably to do with the amount of works required at Edward x Alice. You can't just put a crossing anywhere there, and it means extra traffic lights. Can't have that!

The CityLink Cycleway is after all about finding a cheap and quick solution. If moving permanent infrastructure, or ripping up intersections was on the table there'd be many, many better locations for cycle lanes.

What does that mean for the cyclists who are currently meant to wait for the lights in exactly that location to continue south along Edward Street?

I don't think anything. The traffic island behind will be replaced with a turning lane, which is a bit bleh. The bike box itself, being the entire width of the road, should be unaffected......?

You might already know about this, but you're going to get your wish. As part of the early works for the Kangaroo Point Bridge, the cycleway between Margaret & Alice Streets is being realigned to the Port Office Hotel-side of the street, with an intersection (described as temporary) being added at the corner.

Temporary Signalised Crossing
Edward Street and Alice Street intersection, Brisbane City
In anticipation for construction of the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge, Brisbane City Council will be installing a temporary signalised crossing at the Edward Street and Alice Street intersection.

With a new signalised connection to the City Botanic Gardens, and in response to community feedback, we are also moving the CityLink Cycleway on Edward Street to the western side of the road, between Margaret Street and Alice Street.

To facilitate these works, a section of the CityLink Cycleway needs to be temporarily closed between the Stamford Plaza Hotel driveway and the roundabout near the City Botanic Gardens. A temporary detour will be in place to divert riders from the CityLink Cycleway onto the footpath on the eastern side of Edward Street. Please follow onsite detour signage and ride with care while works are underway.

Timing
Construction commenced on Monday 18 October 2021 and will take approximately two months to complete, weather and site conditions permitting.

To minimise impacts to road users and ensure safety for road workers, the works will be undertaken at night between 7pm and 5am, Sunday to Thursday.

Residents and businesses in close proximity to the works may experience an increase
in noise, dust and vehicle movements. Council apologises for any inconvenience caused.

Project Details
These works will involve:

   -installing a signalised crossing at the Edward Street and Alice Street intersection, including new traffic signals, concrete islands, line marking and detector loops
   -switching the CityLink Cycleway to the western side of Edward Street, between Margaret Street and Alice Street
   -relocating taxi and loading zones from the eastern side to the western side of Edward Street.

Moving the CityLink Cycleway to the western side of Edward Street also improves connectivity for riders by removing a two-stage crossing at the Margaret Street intersection, which has been key feedback from riders during the trial. The CityLink Cycleway trial is currently underway and will continue until March 2022.

[Cazza]

Yeah I have seen that update, common sense prevails! I rode through on an e-scooter today (going from Elizabeth St towards the Botanical gardens) and since the light went green for Edward straight across Margaret (because of how the lights are timed to go green in a row southbound), I went that way then crossed Edward in my second movement (on red I must say- there were no cars coming anyway ). This extension to the very end of Edward would speed up this journey even quicker and reduce the need and likelihood of southbound riders using this intersection in reverse to what they intended.

But also from what I've seen, they really need to make the cycle lights go green at the start and end of the Edward St phase. Because the lights are timed for southbound drivers and riders, any rider coming northbound has to wait at every set of lights because they just miss the green by the time they reach the next intersection and cars are already turning right from Edward (side note: at least it's pretty easy and safe to ride on red here as you have such clear vision of any right turning traffic).

But the same can also be said for Stanely St @ Annerley Rd - crossing Annerley Rd against the desired flow (e.g. eastbound in the AM, westbound in the PM- I'm not exactly sure when the lights switch over from cyclist green at the end of the Stanley St green in the AM to the start of the green in the PM), you have to wait nearly a whole light cycle to make this 2 movement crossing. Plus, if you just miss the lights for the first movement, you're looking at upwards of 5 mins just waiting at this singular set of lights!

Edit: as of now (2:40pm), the Stanley St/Annerley Rd lights are still set to the AM "optimal" phases.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/space4cyclingbn/status/1469653919324278788

[AnonymouslyBad]

I just noticed Brisbane City Council has released their report into the CityLink Cycleway trial:
https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/roads-infrastructure-and-bikeways/bikeway-and-pathway-projects/citylink-cycleway-trial

To nobody's surprise, the report determines it's a success and the lanes should be made permanent

It looks like they plan to make it permanent by making the existing infrastructure more robust, rather than putting in big concrete separators or anything like that.

The project page has been scrubbed of any mention of potential future stages. This is disappointing because the proposed expansions were already path-of-least-resistance stuff. It could be that the page for a "completed" project just wasn't the place. But more likely, I reckon, BCC's decided against installing more bike lanes in the CBD anytime in the near future.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> New walkway to link Story Bridge to city heart

Openings have been cut in to the concrete walls of Brisbane's 83-year-old Story Bridge for a new walking and riding trail from the city's Kangaroo Point Green Bridge.

Once completed, the underpass will feature new separated pedestrian and bike paths, an accessible viewing area and illustrative wall panels depicting the history of the Story Bridge. ...

New Kangaroo Point walkway under Story Bridge will connect to the city's new green bridge. BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL

[verbatim9]

This is a good change and outcome for active transport. It was included in my submission and I assume with many others' submissions as well.

[verbatim9]

LM Adrian Schrinner FB--->https://fb.watch/kHPj3zytnJ/?mibextid=6aamW6

[ozbob]

The William Street section of CityLink Cycleway has now reopened and is looking fresh. 🚴�♀️✅ This part of the Cycleway...

Posted by Cr Ryan Murphy on Thursday, 19 October 2023

[ozbob]

https://x.com/ozbob13/status/1720098853247148073?s=20