Cr Lucy Collier

Yesterday, Belinda from East BUG caught up with her local councillor, Councillor Lucy Collier (Labor’s candidate for Morningside) and her daughter Maisy for a walk along Wynnum Road. Lucy doesn’t ride a bike these days after an injury a few years ago, but she understands how important it is for the community for families to feel safe to walk or ride in their local streets. Lucy doesn’t want kids like Maisy to miss out on the opportunity to ride to school, to sport, or to activities with their friends.

Wynnum Rd is the major transport link to the eastern suburbs of Brisbane, and also an important local connection to shops, services, and public transport for many people in our area. East BUG regularly hear from people who would like to ride their bike to work but are put off by the potential hazards of Wynnum Rd – particularly through the suburb of Morningside. Lucy recognises that Wynnum Rd and Lytton Road need to be top priorities for safety improvements so they work for everyone.

Our short walk showcased a bit of everything that needs fixing in our suburbs: slip lanes where drivers don’t give way; long waits in the sun for pedestrian signals; overgrown and bumpy footpaths; and a “diversion” around a blocked footpath that is so poor it’s completely unusable for anyone with a pram, wheelchair, scooter, or walking aid. (Yes, we had to walk with the pram on busy Wynnum Rd!). We also checked out the sad plastic bollards (what’s left of them); “bike lane ends” sign; surprise protruding kerb; “Share the road” sign hidden behind a tree; and a bike lane blocked by bins and parked cars and then simply vanishing.

Thanks to Lucy for taking the time to walk and talk with us, and promising to keep listening to the priorities of the community. Thanks to Maisy for showing us how much kids want to be able to move independently, but how badly our suburban streets and connecting roads let us all down.