Article: 40km/h speed zone for Brisbane CBD traffic safety

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40km/h speed zone for Brisbane CBD traffic safety

40km/h speed zone for Brisbane CBD traffic safety
Article from: The Courier-Mail
By Bruce McMahon

February 22, 2009 11:00pm

A council review of speed limits on inner-city streets suggests the 10km/h drop will improve safety and reduce congestion and Civic Cabinet is expected to endorse the new limits today.

Roads affected include those between Ann and Alice streets, those between North Quay and Boundary St, all of George, Roma, Tank, Herschel and Makerston streets.

Signs would be erected at each intersection, while Ann and Turbot streets would remain at 60km/h.

Deputy Mayor Graham Quirk said more than two-thirds of people support a reduction, with a survey of 152 transport stakeholders and members of the public finding 68 per cent in favour of the proposal.

Cr Quirk, council's infrastructure chairman, said the review, announced in September, was prompted by 524 accidents and four fatalities in the CBD between 2001 and 2006. And with city jobs tipped to grow to 215,000 by 2026 it was time to slow the accident rate.

"People clearly associate vehicle speed with safety so it is no surprise to us that most people want to have a slower CBD," Cr Quirk said yesterday.

Authorities also hope the move will encourage more walking, cycling and public transport use in the CBD.

Cr Quirk suggested BCC's bike hire scheme, with the first of 2000 cycles to be introduced later this year, would also benefit.

Bicycle Queensland believes the initiative will allow more people to use alternative transport and the 300-strong CBD Bicycle Users Group supports the new limits.

"It's very much a positive move in terms of sharing the road," BUG's John Lister said.

The RACQ supports the proposal but remains sceptical the move will ease congestion.

"Generally it's a sensible safety measure, considering the mix of pedestrians and public transport," RACQ spokesman Gary Fites said.

"And let's face it, if you can do 40km/h through those streets during the day you'd be travelling at a fair clip. But the only way to reduce congestion is to build a ring road around the city."

The Queensland Police Service is understood to have no objections, while some courier companies have suggested speed reductions may further slow already gridlocked traffic.

Cab driver Lloyd Allan approved the move.

"It's just too dangerous around the town. . . with people walking everywhere," Mr Allan said.

School zones in suburban areas across the state already have 40km/h zones and parts of Fortitude Valley have a 40km/h speed limit on Friday and Saturday nights.