Plans Emerge for Brisbane's New Bikeway

New design concepts for Brisbane City Council’s Woolloongabba Bikeway have reached the community, as council seeks public feedback on the $11 million project.

Based on the initial plans, 1.1 km of Stanley Street and 1.4 km of Annerley Road will be provided with dedicated bike lanes. Part of the plan is to remove the existing pedestrian crossing on Annerley Road, located about 150 metres south of the Stanley Street and Annerley Road intersection.

It will be replaced with a signalised crossing at the corner of Annerley Road, Clarence Street and Catherine Street.

The design also involves changing the number of intersections on Annerley Road and Stanley Street to improve traffic flow. Bus stops will also be reconfigured to minimise conflicts between cyclists and buses.

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Speaking last week at the Brisbane Bicycle Film Festival, Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey announced a multi-million-dollar facelift to improve Brisbane’s cycling infrastructure.

Bailey said that a tender to develop a major cycling maintenance and rehabilitation program has been awarded to HDR, with consultation now under way.

“Once the program is developed, we have allocated $6.91 million to carry out works between 2017-18 and 2020-21 ensuring a safer, more comfortable ride for everyday users.

Bailey said rehabilitation of the bikeways supported the Queensland Cycling Action Plan 2017-2019, which was heavily influenced by community feedback.

The Woolloongabba project aims to make roads safer for cyclists and encourage more people to use bikes instead of cars as part of council’s plan to create new lifestyle and leisure opportunities through active travel options.

The initiative is part of the council’s Better Bikeways for Brisbane program, which is being funded through a $100-million investment.

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Queensland’s population projected to hit 5 million

Motivations for new and easier cycling options come as a result of growing population figures and the accompanying number of cars on the road, as Queensland's population is projected to reach the five million milestone in May, according to the latest population figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

ABS Demography director Anthony Grubb said that by the end of September 2017 Queensland's population had reached 4.9 million and was growing at 1.7 per cent.

"Natural increase and net overseas migration each added an additional 31,000 people to the state's population in the year preceding September 2017,” Grubb said.

“The third component, net interstate migration, contributed 19,000 over the same period, including a net flow of 12,000 from New South Wales."

Grubb said Queensland took 37 years to hit the one million milestone in 1938 and another 36 years to reach two million in 1974.

“After that, population growth picked up its pace, taking only 18 years to get to three million in 1992, and just 14 years to reach four million in 2006.”