Whilst RACQ welcomed Lord Mayor Schrinner’s plan to build five additional green bridges across Brisbane, the State’s peak motoring body stressed disappointment over the proposed West End to Toowong bridge.
After being officially appointed as Brisbane’s new lord mayor last 8 April 2019, Chandler ward councillor Adrian Schrinner announced that he plans to build additional green bridges across Brisbane to help reduce traffic congestion and enhance cross-river connectivity:
- Kangaroo Point Green Bridge – a pedestrian/cycle bridge for which the Council is currently undertaking a business case.
- Toowong to West End Green Bridge – a potential pedestrian/cycle/public transport bridge.
- St Lucia to West End Green Bridge – a potential pedestrian/cycle/public transport bridge.
- Breakfast Creek Green Bridge – a pedestrian/cycle bridge connecting Kingsford Smith Drive Riverwalk into the existing Riverwalk network.
- Bellbowrie Green Bridge – a potential pedestrian/cycle/public transport bridge, with emergency access.
The said program is going to cost at least $500 million, of which the Council will shoulder at least two-thirds whilst the rest of the funding contributions will be sought from the State and Federal governments.
The proposal reflects the residents’ sentiment as shown in the 2017 Bridging Brisbane campaign, RACQ spokesperson Paul Turner said.
The survey was conducted from 28 April – 30 June 2017, and the results revealed that an overwhelming number of respondents support 10 out of 12 proposed new or upgraded river crossings.
A welcome news but…
Whilst the Club applauds the Brisbane City Council “for stepping up to create new green bridges across the city,” the exclusion of traffic lanes for cars in the proposed West End to Toowong bridge, to them, was disappointing.
“We know that western corridor has some of the slowest traffic times in Brisbane and we’d call on Council to help alleviate that pressure,” RACQ spokesperson Paul Turner said.
“West End faces the prospect of becoming a car park with the closure of Victoria Bridge to drivers and the lack of vehicular access across the river to the west.
“Not only do we need investment in public transport and active transport infrastructure but we need to ensure Brisbane motorists have access to free alternative routes that minimise delays by car.
“We would like also to see Council consider duplicating the Walter Taylor Bridge at Indooroopilly to mitigate the bottlenecks we see created every morning and evening there during peak hour.”
The Club also hopes that the Council will be able to secure additional funding from the State and/or Federal government.
“We know attempts to attract funding and planning cooperation across all levels of government has proven problematic in the past, and we hope all three tiers see the sense in working together to ensure Brisbane doesn’t grind to halt – whether its residents are on foot, on a bike, on public transport or behind the wheel.”
