Please help Active Travel for Annerley by signing their petition for safer cycling on Venner Rd, Annerley. (The petition closes on 20 January 2025)

Venner Rd is an important east-west connection between Fairfield Rd and Ipswich Rd. It is identified as a Principal Route in the Principal Cycle Network Plan, and a secondary cycle route in the Brisbane City Plan Bicycle Network Overlay.

Despite this, Venner Rd is currently quite hostile for cycling, as it carries a lot of heavy vehicle traffic, has a speed limit of 60kph, and yet still has kerb-side parking on both sides along much of its length. It has old faded BAZ (Bicycle Awareness Zone) symbols along the doorzone, as if suggesting that’s a safe and comfortable place to ride (which it isn’t!).

Venner Rd is scheduled to be resurfaced in Brisbane City Council’s 2025 program, so this urgent petition asks Council to take this opportunity to re-examine the function of Venner Rd and include separated cycle lanes on both sides between Ipswich Rd and Clara St. At the very least, they ask Council to remove on-street parking along the northern side of Venner Rd so that people riding up the hill towards Ipswich Rd don’t need to hold space ahead of larger vehicles racing up behind them.

On Thursday morning, there were ten cars parked along the northern side of Venner Rd, and approximately half that many on the southern side. We recognise that removing on-street parking would inconvenience some residents, who would then need to park on their own property or on the opposite side of the road (which can be difficult to cross during busy times). We also believe that all residents of Venner Rd and the surrounding streets would benefit from a calmer traffic environment and the option to take active transport themselves and leave their car at home more often.

Here’s that petition link again:

https://www.epetitions.brisbane.qld.gov.au/petition/view/pid/1411?

Please make sure you lookout for the email to validate your signature.