For over a year, the Brisbane City Council and State Government have been working together with community input to create more bicycle friendly roads around South Brisbane and Woolloongabba areas.
Between 2010 and 2016 it was revealed that there were 31 serious accidents around the Annerley Road to Stanley Street stretch, with two of them being fatalities.
Council has now released plans for an $11 million upgrade to roads around the area which would facilitate the creation of grade separated bike lanes and new ‘floating’ bus stops which help to further protect cyclists from the traffic.
Grade separation means that bikes and cars have their own dedicated lanes which is universally acknowledged to dramatically reduce road conflicts and encourage more people to cycle.
Stanley Street – Vulture Street – Ipswich Road
Separated bike paths will be created along these roads with new curbs and traffic islands used as buffer space, with a 1 metre and 0.6 metre clearance planned along the Stanley Street stretch. Bike priority crossing points are also planned, along with two new City Cycle stations at Merton Road and near Reid Street.
Annerley Road – Stanley Street – Gladstone Road
The two-way bikeway which continues on from Stanley Street splits and becomes on-road bike lanes on either side of Annerley Road. These lanes are protected by a 0.5 metre buffer zone and will feature floating bus stops on either side of the road. A new City Cycle station is planned for Gloucester Street.
BCC Chairman for Active Transport Adrian Schrinner told the Brisbane Times that while some impacts to business or residents can be expected, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive for the project and that Council will be rolling out separated bike lanes across the city wherever possible in order to increase safety and encourage cycling.
The number of people using the separated cycling lanes are expected to dramatically increase over the coming years.
Construction is anticipated to commence next year with completion of the project around 2020.
The Brisbane City Council’s newly released Riding in Brisbane Guide can be found here.
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