Victoria Bridge bicycle access

Petitions express the views of the Head Petitioner and may not represent the views of Council.

Residents note that Council’s plans for Victoria Bridge involve a reallocation of space from two lanes of general traffic to two lanes of Brisbane Metro, while maintaining the existing bus lanes. The only current options for people riding bikes are the on-road traffic lanes or the path on the western side of the bridge, which is shared with pedestrians and too narrow to be viable for the volume of shared traffic. Although Council claims the proposed changes will be “greening” the bridge, the effect will be to exclude people travelling by bicycle. Alternative routes across the Brisbane River by bicycle involve either substantial detours, or poor connections to safe and popular bicycle routes. Active transport can only be successful if direct and convenient paths are provided. Should the proposed metro proceed, implementation on Victoria Bridge is expected to be some years away.

Your petitioners therefore request that: •

• in the interim, space on the Victoria Bridge be allocated for dedicated bicycle access; •
• the business case for the metro consider the impact on public health of discouraging active travel by closing Victoria Bridge to bicycle traffic; and
• plans for the metro include funding for alternative routes to ensure that active travel remains viable and attractive for short trips between the Brisbane CBD and South Bank and West End.

It is acknowledged that there is a desire for the project to include funding for cyclist routes which ensure active travel remains a viable and attractive option for short trips between the Brisbane Central Business District (CBD), South Bank and West End.

Victoria Bridge provides a key river crossing for public transport, pedestrians, cyclists, and general traffic. The bridge currently comprises two lanes for general traffic, two lanes for buses, one shared pathway on the upstream side of the bridge and one dedicated pedestrian pathway on the downstream side of the bridge. Some cyclists also ride on-road in the general traffic lanes.

Victoria Bridge will also play an important role in the Brisbane Metro project. As part of the project, Victoria Bridge is proposed to be converted to a ‘green’ bridge, providing a dedicated connection for Brisbane Metro and bus services, pedestrians and cyclists. Removing general vehicle traffic will provide additional cross-river public transport capacity. This will allow the project to achieve its aims of cutting travel times and reducing inner city bus congestion by providing a dedicated bridge crossing that is segregated from general vehicle traffic.

The Brisbane Metro draft Design Report proposed four lanes dedicated for Brisbane Metro and bus services (two inbound lanes and two outbound lanes). This required the existing on-road cycle access to be removed, with cyclists required to use the shared path on the upstream side of the bridge. The downstream footpath was proposed to be widened to increase the capacity for pedestrian movements.

Following a period of stakeholder and community consultation on the draft Design Report, Council has developed a revised concept design for Victoria Bridge. The revised design improves connectivity, safety and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians without impacting on travel times or reliability for Brisbane Metro services, and the ability to meet future demand.

As the configuration of the bridge is constrained by the limited width, Council is proposing to reconfigure the number of Brisbane Metro and bus lanes on Victoria Bridge from four lanes to three lanes in order to provide improved pedestrian and cyclist facilities. Three lanes for Brisbane Metro and some bus services will be allocated in the centre of the bridge, with space either side for pedestrian and cyclist paths. A separated two-way cycleway and pedestrian pathway will be included on the upstream side of Victoria Bridge, with three metres dedicated to the cycleway and 2.7 metres dedicated to the pedestrian pathway. The downstream pathway will be widened to approximately 3.9 metres to facilitate increased pedestrian movements accessing the Cultural Centre and North Quay. The downstream pathway will continue to be allocated to pedestrian use only, however cyclists may use the pathway if they dismount from their bicycles.

As detailed above, Council will be improving pedestrian and cyclist connections on Victoria Bridge as part of the Brisbane Metro project. By removing general vehicle traffic from Victoria Bridge, Council will be encouraging active transport such as walking and cycling. On-road cycle lanes will also be provided along both sides of Melbourne Street from Grey Street and Merivale Street.

Following the release of the revised concept plan for Victoria Bridge, Council is now proceeding to the next stages of project planning. This will include finalising the detailed specifications for all aspects of Brisbane Metro’s design, construction and operation in partnership with key stakeholders and the community.

Subject to government approvals, Council expects construction to commence in 2019, with Brisbane Metro services to commence in 2023.