Cr Steven Toomey

Stephen, Clotilde, and Mary recently met with Cr Steven Toomey (LNP candidate for The Gap) to discuss active travel opportunities for The Gap Ward in the context of population growth and congestion pressures.

Cr Toomey is an avid recreational rider, completing regular river loops, and who commuted to the CBD via Waterworks Road in the past. He is a strong believer in childhood independence, and described getting about Cairns independently as a child and the role bicycles and walking played. He mentioned his household has the use of only one car, supplemented by cycling, walking, public transport and his adult son’s electric monowheel.

Clotilde is a school P&C member and is acquainted with Cr Toomey over a number of years of representation. She was keen to talk about the intersection of Payne Road and School Road, and the difficulties for school children and bus users crossing Payne Road. Clotilde accompanies her children to school through here by bicycle, and asked if a zebra or wombat crossing could be installed to ease the situation. Cr Toomey does not support a crossing due to driver speeds and field of vision, and this is consistent with prevailing council policy favouring pedestrian refuges over zebra crossings. We asked for a speed limit reduction and traffic calming necessary to support a wombat crossing.

Clotilde also raised difficulties with wayfinding to the CBD, and in general, including the Jaloon St route between local bikeways. When Clotilde first cycled to the CBD she had to call a very kind colleague to fetch her from Herston when she got lost! Cr Toomey dutifully volunteered a council cycling map which Clotilde added to her collection. She finds these impractical to use on the move though, and would prefer large, consistent signage at frequent intervals along bikeways. Cr Toomey mentioned that signage for all road users is a concern of his, and that bikeway signage citywide is managed centrally by Cr Ryan Murphy (Civic Chair for Transport). We pointed out that wayfinding is a significant barrier to getting people out of cars and onto bicycles and highlighted a specific example at Royal Parade where independently we have all experienced getting lost; we’ve all found ourselves at Taylor Range Country Club when we intended to navigate via Ashgrove Golf Club! Mary highlighted the work that TMR have done with users of the V1 to improve wayfinding.

Stephen raised his main request of a quietway to Red Hill via residential streets either side of Ashgrove Avenue. This would allow users to connect to the CBD and Paddington. The communities in these streets are subject to oppressive rat running, which diminishes street experiences like neighbourly conversations and children getting to school. Cr Toomey believes community support is usually low for traffic calming, citing perceived effects on property values as one reason. Thankfully, his experience has differed recently in the Quarry Street precinct in The Gap where consultation has found in excess of 80% support.

Closing the meeting, Cr Toomey suggested a future bike ride and we will certainly look forward to this!