Parking removed and freeway access proposed to close for $11m bikeway

A new $11 million separated bikeway in south-east Brisbane will remove 30 inner-city car parks and potentially close an access to the South East Freeway.

After almost a year of consultation, Brisbane City Council has revealed the designs for the project, with construction due to start construction in 2018.

The council's public and active transport chairman Adrian Schrinner said, as part of the proposed upgrade, access to the freeway from Stanley Street would be closed, restricting access to vehicles that used the on-ramp during the morning peak.

“The state government has been supportive of this proposal,” he said.

A Transport and Main Roads spokeswoman said the department was working with the council to assess the impacts of changing traffic arrangements as part of the Woolloongabba bikeway project.

“Brisbane City Council’s request to close the left turn from Stanley Street to access the southbound on-ramp of the South East Freeway is currently being assessed and we expect the assessment will be completed by the end of the year,” she said.

When the upgrade was announced last year, it was revealed the 1.7-kilometre stretch of road between Annerley Road and Stanley Street had been the scene of 31 serious accidents, two of which were fatal, between 2010 and 2016.

Bike lanes, with sections separated from the main road, along with floating bus stops were proposed as part of the bikeway scheme.

As the designs were revealed to the council’s public and active transport committee this week, so too were the results of the 2016 traffic surveys that helped shape the design.

In 2016, between 660 and 720 cyclists rode along Annerley Road per day, compared to the 8500 vehicles and 1200 cyclists recorded on Stanley Street, along with 45,000 vehicles.

Cr Schrinner said the council expected cyclist numbers would grow following the project.

“Council is currently consulting with the community about the proposed designs for the project, with the intention to start construction next year and complete the project by 2020,” he said.

“Council has previously consulted with the community about impacts to parking along Annerley Road when the peak-hour lanes were first introduced.

“While there are some impacts to businesses or residents, feedback has been overwhelmingly supportive of the move to increase safety for cyclists along the corridor.”

The construction of the bikeway will remove 30 car parks as well as loading zones and taxi ranks.

Separated bike lanes are also likely to be rolled out across the city as Cr Schrinner said the council looked to implement them wherever possible.

“The $650 million upgrade of Kingsford Smith Drive will deliver a world-class separated cycling riverwalk along the Brisbane River and council is delivering an off-road bikeway with the Wynnum Road upgrade,” he said.

“Delivering separated bikeway infrastructure along existing roads is not always physically possible, which is why council also looks to off-road separated options to expand the bikeway network.”

On September 8 West End residents are planning to create their own temporary pop-up bike lane along parts of Hardgrave Road to show how they can make the streets safer.