Bike path blow to shop owners in Brisbane’s Wooloowin

A GROUP of Brisbane shop owners are furious a bike path that will strips dozens of parking spaces from outside their businesses may be built to accommodate just 100 cyclists.

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A GROUP of Brisbane shop owners are furious a bike path that will strips dozens of parking spaces from outside their businesses may be built to accommodate just 100 cyclists.

The proposed Brisbane City Council bike route runs hundreds of metres through Wooloowin and would cause the removal of nine trees and a stopping zone, and the installation of traffic islands.

Council admits just 100 cyclists a day use the proposed path, which was first announced three years ago but only just unveiled to residents.

The design compels locals to place garbage bins on the road, several metres from the kerb, and force customers of businesses on the corner of Kent and Junction roads to park hundreds of metres away.

Artist's impression of how the bike path may look along Kent St, Wooloowin

The most affected by the changes is Wooloowin Animal Hospital owner Bob Inglis, whose business and separate private residence are on the proposed route.

“You get hardly any bikes through here at all, and it’s going to annoy everybody,” Mr Inglis said.

“This is ridiculous.

“It’s a double issue for me because it affects me when I back out of my driveway and at the business.”

Mr Inglis, along with the owners of up-market restaurant Rhubarb Rhubarb and Pomeroy’s Coffee Roasters Café, did not know about the proposal until visited by The Courier-Mail.

Council has given locals until May 8 to make submissions about the plans.

“We will absolutely be objecting,” Rhubarb Rhubarb co-owner Thomas Allan said.

“We have the capacity for 80 people, and that’s about 30 to 40 cars, and where are they going to park if one side of the street is completely off-limits?”

The proposed route will provide safe access for cyclists, coming off Dickson St, to access Kedron Brook.

Pomeroy's Coffee Roasters owner Nathan Ward has spent 18 months building up his business. Picture: Darren Cartwright

Aside from the removal of 69 car parks in total along five streets, Brook Rd will be reduced to 30km and one metre long raised markers will divide the bike lane from the road.

Friends Hair Studio owner Sharon Wilkinson yesterday found out by chance through a customer, and said the council should address drainage problems on the corner of Kent and Junction roads before funding a bike path.

“It floods here all the time and they should spend the money on that first,” she said.

Ms Wilkinson, who has owned the salon for more than 20 years, said banning parking on one side of the road would affect all businesses.

Local Chris Tyquin, who lives on Kent Rd, is also heavily affected because both sides of the street where he resides will be no-stopping zones, while his neighbour Eugene O’Sullivan can wave goodbye to the privacy and shade provided by five large trees on his nature strip.

Mr Tyquin said the design showed no consideration had been given to residents.

“It’s all win-win for cyclists and a complete loss and destruction for local residents,” he said.

“All they have done is look at this, from a bike path perspective and not from a resident’s perspective.”

Bicycle Queensland CEO Anne Savage said the bike path was likely to increase the value of homes in the area and be of benefit to businesses.

She said independent investigations for this project found that car parking spaces were being under-utilised and inappropriately used by commuters to the city.

“Studies show that land and homes within 50m of bikeways increase in value by more than 10 per cent, and businesses adjacent to bikeways are likely to increase sales and revenue,” she said.

“In contrast, the bikeway will invite more people to visit the precinct in a more efficient way.”

Council is holding a “feedback” session about the bike path on Wednesday from 3-5pm at Melrose Park, Woolowin.

Local resident Eugene O'Sullivan with the trees outside his property that will be removed. Picture: Darren Cartwright

Flooding has been a problem outside the shops in the past.

Rhubarb Rhubarb restaurant owners Thomas Allan (left) and Josh Gamble