October 17, 2021eastbug

17 Oct 2021

Good news for the CityLink Cycleway on Edward St in the CBD! 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, and that means the cycleway will switch sides of Edward St between Alice St and Margaret St to run in front of the Port Office Hotel – where we created a pop-up protected cycleway for Parking Day in 2016! That will make the cycleway continuous between the Botanical Gardens and Elizabeth St, and will get rid of the exasperating delays at the intersection of Edward St and Margaret St.

Construction on the new signalised crossing and the bikeway will start on Monday 18 October 2021 and will take place at night between 7pm and 5am, Sunday to Thursday. It is expected to take approximately two months to complete, weather and site conditions permitting.

We’re pleased that Council has listened to feedback from riders (including us), and brought forward these changes to the CityLink Cycleway on Edward St.

For more information, see Council’s web page.

North Brisbane Bikeway concerns

The news is not so good just north of the CBD, where Brisbane North BUG are concerned about a downgrade of North Brisbane Bikeway (NBB) at Bowen Hills, when the pedestrian entry for the Exhibition Station opens onto it.

Despite our protestations, Cross River Rail is planning on directing a lot of pedestrians onto the NBB near the underpass on Bowen Bridge Rd, whenever this is an event at the Exhibition Grounds. When Transport and Main Roads built the NBB (which they did a great job with buy the way) we are positive they didn’t design it expecting station loads of people using the narrow footpath. Not to mention the numbers of people crossing the busy bikeway right on the corner of the underpass.

We can expect pedestrians wandering into the bikeway, crowds spilling over onto the bikeway trying to use the narrow path and spilling over onto the pathway as they wait to cross the road.

We don’t understand why Cross River Rail didn’t use one of the other options that would have removed these conflicts. Alternative suggestions from North BUG included directing people through the underpass where there appears to be plenty of space (no need to wait to cross the road) or building a ramp up to Bowen Bridge Rd directly.

You do wonder if they would be willing to accept the same outcomes if it involved a busy road for 80 days of the year?

Perfect weather for cycling?

Early this week, we asked our Facebook followers: what’s the perfect temperature for cycling?

Researchers from the University of Queensland analysed eight years of data from 40 bike-sharing schemes around the world (a total of 100 million trips), and linked this to fine-grained historical weather information for those locations.

They found that the sweet spot in terms of temperature for cycling is around 27-28℃. That supports our hypothesis that Brisbane has perfect climate for riding a bike!

Australians (in Brisbane and Melbourne) were found to be more reluctant to cycle in the rain than people in other cities. Our theory: this has less to do with wanting to avoid getting wet then wanting to avoid exposure to motor vehicle traffic and driver behaviour when the roads are wet.

We asked our followers: do you delay your journey, or take another transport option when it rains? What temperature is too hot or too cold for you to ride?

It seems we spoke a little too soon. The weather on Thursday certainly tested the commitment of those who cycle no matter the weather!

Obviously some puddles and local flooding are to be expected with conditions like those Brisbane experienced on Thursday. But if there are places where the water was still deep 12 hours later, or where significant amounts of debris have gathered, please log these with Council via their Contact Centre (3403 8888) or via the Snap Send Solve app.

Bikes for Climate Action

Bikes and social justice movements seem to go together. Check out the number of bikes at the School Strike 4 Climate Queensland in Brisbane on Friday. Not just marchers but the paramedics and police were on bikes too. It was great to see!

Norman Creek Bikeway

In the suburbs: Stage 3 of the upgrade to Hanlon Park at Stones Corner is looking good after this week’s heavy rain. This next stage will reinstate the Norman Creek Bikeway and finally connect it under Logan Road. We can’t wait!

SE Freeway Path

Nearby, we checked on progress on stage 2 of the SE Freeway Shared Path upgrade behind Sunshine Ave, Tarragindi. This is due to be completed in late November. It’s looking good so far.

Archerfield Wetlands Path

Further south again, construction is underway for the first stage of the Archerfield Wetlands Parkland project as part of the Oxley Creek Transformation Master Plan. Thanks to Councillor Steve Griffiths, we understand this is due for completion in early 2022, and will include:

  • a 3m wide shared gravel path between Gleneagles Cres, Oxley and Bowhill Rd, Durack.
  • Construction of four low-level culvert crossings over Blunder and Hanley Creeks.
  • New tree planting along the shared path.

We’d like to see the path connect to the new concrete shared path along Boundary Rd (without having to walk or cycle up to Factory Rd) which would then link it to the Ipswich Mwy Cycleway via the underpass.

We’re also a little concerned about the durability of a gravel path. However, if this works well along Oxley Creek it might be a good option for other green corridors around Brisbane.

More information on the project is available on the Oxley Creek Transformation website.

Granard Road, Rocklea

If you use the shared path along Granard Rd, Rocklea, you will have noticed work to install new fencing on the corner and at the culvert. We understand this was not completed as part of the original project due to delays in availability of materials.

We’re not quite sure why the path connection at Balham St was also delayed, but it’s good to see that underway again now too. The work is expected to be finished by the end of October.

Cardross St Bridge

In Yeerongpilly: We strongly support some aspects of this petition from Cr Nicole Johnston. We encourage you to add your signature in support of calls for a better active transport connection across the rail line at Cardross St, Yeerongpilly. The current single, skinny footpath is a nightmare, and the connection to the pedestrian crossing at the Fairfield Road intersection is diabolical.

Whereas Cr Johnston is asking for a shared path, we would prefer to see separate facilities for people walking and those using faster modes like bikes, e-scooters, etc. (Note that the Cardross St bridge is on the Principal Cycle Network Plan).

We also have some reservations about adding a lane of general traffic that could entice more people to rat-run between Fairfield Rd and Ipswich Rd via School Rd. But we agree the Cardross St bridge does not cope with the current level of local traffic (never mind the rat-runners), and that traffic is not going to reduce until people have alternatives—like safe and convenient connections for walking and cycling, and buses that aren’t held up in general traffic!

Rail Trails

Did you catch the Weekender episode on Channel 7 on Sunday evening, featuring a segment on the fabulous Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail? Did you spot the Space4cyclingBNE brand placement??

This is a cycling experience worth getting out of town for! You might not decide to ride all the way from Brisbane, but Packs N Pedals can help you out with shuttle options.

Rail trails are great assets for regional communities. We’re excited about the opportunities to explore more of Queensland as this and other rail corridors open up for two-wheeled adventures.