Construction for the Indooroopilly bikeway along Radnor St is anticipated to begin in early 2019.
With that in mind, Councillor Nicole Johnston shared her thoughts on the possible impact and repercussions that the project may have on life in the community.
Cr Johnston is concerned that residents will have to deal with noise disruptions and traffic for a project that will have “little or no benefit” for residents living on the south side.
“The project is a good one but it will not benefit Ambrose Treacy College students, and other cyclists and pedestrians on the southside if it does not connect safely to the Walter Taylor Bridge. My aim here is to make sure the project benefits both northside and southside residents equally,” Cr Johnston wrote in a Facebook post.
The councillor added that it would be a shame if southside residents could see this bikeway but not access it safely and easily.
Referring to the Bikeway Draft Plan released by the Brisbane City Council, Cr Johnston mentioned that it includes an off-road dedicated 5ms wide shared pathway along over the River but does not include a bikeway ramp link to or from the Walter Taylor Bridge.
In response to Cr Johnston’s remarks regarding the project, BCC’s Public and Active Transport chairman Adrian Schrinner said the planned construction works on the south side will be a critical link to the entire bikeway project.
Chairman Schrinner emphasized that there was no suitable location on the north due to “topography,” which leads to the decision of completing construction works on the south side.
He revealed that BCC investigated suitable locations for a temporary jetty and they selected a location at Chelmer because of its close proximity to the works. The Council believes it will reduce potential time and cost impacts and impacts to river traffic that a more distant location would generate.
BCC decided to expand the project into a 6m-wide bikeway and pedestrian path with a design similar to the 900m New Farm Riverwalk which costs around $70 million. The goal of creating the Indooroopilly bikeway is to increase the number of people walking or cycling to work to one-in-five commuters by 2026.
The bikeway project is part of the Council’s Better Bikeways 4 Brisbane program, aiming to create dedicated bikeways and active travel options with a $100 million investment from 2016 to 2020.
Find out more about the Indooroopilly Bikeway project by visiting the Brisbane City Council website.
