2024 Brisbane council election: Policies on roads, transport

In the lead-up to the 2024 Local Government Elections, parties have unveiled their transport and road infrastructure plans for Brisbane.

Traffic and congestion are always a hot election topic in Brisbane. Picture: Nigel Hallett

In the lead-up to the 2024 Local Government Elections, parties have unveiled their transport and road infrastructure plans for Brisbane.

Labor’s main drawcard is a $1 billion plan featuring initiatives such as restoring the Norman Park ferry service, a significant investment in footpath repairs and construction, and a 50 per cent fare discount for bus zones 1 and 2.

Brisbane Council Election 2024 guide: Candidates, party promises, preference voting

Meanwhile, the LNP’s four-point plan emphasises better road construction, public transport improvement, and investment in existing infrastructure, including extending the Brisbane Metro service north and east.

Independents Bruce Tanti and Gilbert Holmes propose innovative approaches, including focusing on sealing potholes, investing in walkway awnings, and providing residents the opportunity to take on road and park maintenance in return for lower rates.

With contrasting visions, the election campaign promises to reshape Brisbane’s transportation landscape.

Here’s what each party and mayoral candidate had to say about the future of roads and transport in Brisbane.

LABOR

Labor has announced a $1 billion transport and road infrastructure plan as its main election drawcard.

The plan includes:

Restoring the Norman Park ferry service and terminal with a timetable service.

A $25 million investment per year to fix 2000 broken footpaths and construct an additional 50km of footpath annually.

Labor mayoral candidate Tracey Price said her bus fare incentive would help alleviate congestion, something she claims the LNP have failed to address.

Labor plans to implement a 50 per cent fare discount for all zone 1 and 2 bus zones. The party estimates the half price fares would save commuters $1000 per year.

Fix the Lindum Level crossing.

Build six new bus stops in Pallara and Heathwood.

Resurface Ritchie Rd in Calamvale.

Axe the Brisbane Metro project. Ms Price said the over-funding for the Brisbane Metro has been a problem “entirely of Adrian Schrinner’s own making” and a Labor-led council would not allocate any further funding to it.

A $10 million pledge to extend the Northern Transit Way on Gympie Rd to Aspley.

Bring bus manufacturing back to Brisbane.

Extend Brisbane night buses and make night time fares between midnight and 5am free.

Fit all buses with driver barriers.

Hire more night-time security vehicles and guards for bus drivers and passengers.

Upgrade Western Ave and Hamilton Rd intersection in Chermside.

$30 million to improve the Banyo Open Level Crossing, including implementing a signalised intersection, crossing realignment and safety upgrades.

Over $1 billion would be investment in road infrastructure in the next year towards traffic calming, safe school projects, Slow for Sam signs and intersection upgrades, with funding increased over the next four years.

Create a Suburban Congestion Taskforce to advise Council within the first 100 days. The taskforce would comprise of representatives from Bicycle Queensland, RACQ, the Bus Industry Council, Transport unions and TMR and would be tasked with developing congestion busting projects, identifying safety upgrades and better cycling infrastructure.

Implement a CityCat Emergency Response Protection Plan to protect our city’s iconic vessels from extreme weather events.

Bring forward cycling projects to fix missing links so all road users can be safer.

Expand the auditing of footpath assets to include hazard and deterioration identification.

Plant more street trees for added shade.

Increase bus stop connectivity and accessibility.

Complete the CBD Cycling Grid through consultation with CBD businesses and the cycling community, relieving pressure on our roads during peak hour.

Come down hard on e-scooter companies to ensure safety for pedestrians, road users and e-scooter users.

Ms Price said her transport plan was ambitious but realistic.

“It’s about getting back to the basics and really thinking about what the city needs as our population grows,” she said.

“People should be able to get around the city, safely and affordably. My team is focused on getting public and active transport right while tackling congestion at the same time.”

LNP

The LNP has a four-point transport plan aimed at building better roads, improving public transport and “keeping Brisbane moving” by better utilisation of existing infrastructure.

The plan includes extending the Brisbane Metro service and a $2 billion suburban congestion busting plan, as part of the existing council budget.

The LNP have committed to invest $40 million towards all State Government level crossing removal projects.

Further general road upgrades to Johnson Rd in Forest Lake and Heathwood (jointly funded with Logan City Council), Sinnamon Rd in Jindalee, Miles Platting Rd in Rochedale and Childs Rd in Nudgee.

A $15 million upgrade to Brisbane’s traffic management system and $10 million Safer Schools Precincts are part of the Suburban Congestion Busting Plan.

The party recently announced a Safer School Precincts plan to make school streets safer and ease congestion along local streets.

Projects under the plan would include pedestrian crossing upgrades, footpath widening, expanding 40km/h zones, and adding kerbside drop off and pick-up zone or gateway safe-walking zones.

The new precincts will be in four parts of Brisbane (Mansfield, Kedron, Wynnum Manly and Indooroopilly) and encompass 12 different schools: Mansfield State School, Mansfield State High School, Brisbane Adventist College, Padua College, Mount Alvernia College, St Anthony’s Primary School, Manly State School, St John Vianney’s Primary School, Indooroopilly State High School, St Peters, Holy Family Primary School and Brigidine College, with future upgrades slated for Enoggera, Bardon and Forest Lake.

The congestion busting plan includes an existing $25 million commitment to upgrade the Inner City Bypass including upgrading the Herston Rd roundabout and Gilchrist Ave at the ICB off-ramp and an upgrade to Gregory Tce and Bowen Bridge Rd intersection near the Inner City Bypass on-ramp.

An existing $10 million towards Ipswich and Beaudesert roads.

A further $45 million to fix Milton Rd and Croydon St and Sylvan Rd and Croydon St intersections.

More than $425 million to be spent on road resurfacing, kerb and channelling across the suburbs and upgrades to suburban pedestrian and traffic bridges including upgrading intersections along Kelvin Grove and Enoggera roads in Kelvin Grove, Archerfield Road, Pine Road and Azalea Street in Inala, Cavendish Rd, Kitchener St and Holdsworth St in Coorparoo.

It would also include removing the Jackson Rd and Hellawell Rd roundabout in Sunnybank Hills and a jointly funded $10 million to upgrade the Goggs Rd roundabout in Jindalee.

More than $126 million to be spent on active transport projects, including a new bikeway along Shafston Ave and new walking and cycling paths in high-growth suburbs like Pallara and Rochedale.

Active travel projects include a new bikeway along Shafston Ave (jointly funding by the State Government), new walking and cycling paths at Pallara, design and consultation on the Tilley Road Bikeway, Wakerley, a ew bikeway connecting Minnippi Bikeway to the Minnippi Golf Course and a bikeway along Prebble Street connecting Rochedale to Wishart.

The LNP also support a detailed investment proposal into a new northside tunnel by North Brisbane Infrastructure.

Adrian Schrinner’s LNP council has previously committed to extending the Brisbane Metro Service north from the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital by adding a new charging station at Fitzgibbon, and extending services east between Coorparoo and Capalaba.

“We’re confident we will be able to strike an agreement with the State Government where we deliver the depot, and they complete their transitway and busway plans,” Mr Schrinner said.

“We also believe an airport and eastern route through to Carindale is important to improving Brisbane’s public transport system and reducing congestion in the future.”

The Fitzgibbon station would allow bus services to use the State Government’s dedicated 24/7 Northern Transitway and proposed northern busway from Kedron to Bracken Ridge, as well as Gympie Road.

The LNP also plan to make Howard Smith Wharves a permanent CityCat stop.

The LNP has criticised Labor’s half price bus fare proposal, claiming the plan would cost $440 million to implement and Labor was yet to explain how it would be paid for.

The LNP have also slammed Labor for its lack of support towards the Brisbane Metro project.

GREENS

Public transport across Brisbane would be free for kids, and free off-peak travel (including on weekends) for everyone.

They would also do a three-month trial during which public transport would be free for all across the city, as part of the Greens broader Brissie Bus Boost initiative.

Turn traffic lanes on six Brisbane roads into bus lanes or transit lanes. Specifically, turning existing lanes on Coronation Drive, Mains Rd and Kelvin Grove Rd into bus or transit lanes to support more high-frequency buses.

The party also has plans for other bus lanes and T2/T3 lanes on the Lutwyche, Ipswich and Old Cleveland Road corridors.

Deliver a new CityCat terminal for the western side of West End. 

The Greens agree the best location would be along Riverside Drive near Victoria Street or Beesley Street, but there may also be a case for putting it closer to Davies Park.

The second terminal was first identified for delivery in the South Brisbane Riverside Neighbourhood Plan in 2011 under LNP Lord Mayor Campbell Newman.

To investigate putting a tram line connecting Mount Gravatt to Hamilton via the Story Bridge.

The proposed light rail route would run from Westfield Mt Gravatt, up Kessels Rd, Beaudesert Rd, and Ipswich Rd, across the Story Bridge, into Fortitude Valley alongside the Brunswick Street Mall, weaving through Newstead, before finishing near Eat Street Markets at Hamilton.

INDEPENDENTS

BRUCE TANTI

Independent mayoral candidate Bruce Tanti said he would focus on sealing pot holes, fixing footpaths, investing in durable road materials and building bridges over green zones.

“For roads that are broken by green zones, I would look at implementing a bridge that will be open at peak hour to reduce traffic congestion once peak hour the bridge is closed to motorists access so as to relieve strain on main roads,” he said.

“If there are roads where there are no concrete/cement footpaths then this road is to have one side cemented in order to make more access for expectant mothers and or with children those with disabilities and those who are elderly so they don’t have to negotiate the grass on the footpath.”

Mr Tanti said he would also attempt to create banking branch hubs in the suburbs.

“I would look at doing a deal with (banks) to set up in council buildings a multi branch desk and a multi money safes and ATM by offering incentives like cheap rent,” he said.

“I don’t believe that someone who doesn’t want internet banking has to be forced to do it, so if they like a bank counter and/or ATM then the council will provide it in suburbs where banks have taken out their ATMs and branches.

“The banking will only be for normal banking transactions (i.e. bank inquiries, deposits and withdrawals etc) and not complex ones(ie buying and selling of shares).

“I don’t like the other alternative that has to use a private provider ATM to do bank transactions that will charge them a fee. To me that’s not on.”

Mr Tanti said he would also invest in walkway awnings over footpaths in the CBD, particularly in Fortitude Valley, Toowong, Southbank and West End to protect residents from rain, hail, strong winds and high UV during summer.

Public transport:

Mr Tanti said his aim is to make public transport more accessible, affordable, and to reduce traffic congestion.

The mayor hopeful said he would extend City Cat services upstream as far as Jindalee, or possibly beyond to Westlake and downstream to the Port of Brisbane.

Mr Tanti also wants to reduce all bus fares to gold coin donations, bringing trip prices down to $1 for the elderly, children and concession card holders including students and those with disabilities. He would then make adult fares $2.

“I would negotiate with TransLink and the state government to bring the fares from the present amount to a gold coin deduction on Brisbane users’ TransLink Cards, so commuters only pay $2 for adults, $1 dollar for children, pensioners and those with disability,” he said.

Mr Tanti said he would also develop an AeroMovel Atmospheric Rail to link up trains to major shopping centres and “non rail areas”.

He would increase bus routes to service more areas and reduce bus black spots to decrease the walking distance to less 400 metres.

If elected, Mr Tanti said he would immediately look at all complaints lodged in regards to public transport.

“I would then look into the feasibility of implementing the transport strategies regarding CityCats (extensions and reducing public transport fares,” he said.

“Go into discussion with Aeromovel atmospheric rail about the cost and feasibility and viability of implementing their systems here and how their systems have impacted other cities.

“And go into discussion with those cities to see how they have been impacted by the AeroMovel system, if the overall result was a net positive start negotiations with AeroMovel or other companies that provide atmospheric rail.”

Mr Tanti said he would consider using the atmospheric rail in the CBD itself, with a possible route between QUT and Bardon (on the old tram route) or if it was feasible and affordable, routes servicing beyond to Ashgrove or The Gap.

He said he would also look into a possible park n ride service by placing multi-story free car parks near Westfield’s Carindale, Chermside, and Indooroopilly Garden city for people to park their cars and commute to the city on public transport.

“And then charge Westfield for it especially on public holidays Christmas, Boxing Day, Good Friday, Easter, Australia Day, Anzac Day due to the reason that people park there to go into the city but on these days the shops are shut and the parking metres are free in the city,” he said.

His public transport plans include extending the automatic electronic bus signage to the suburbs and have them include wait times for services.

Mr Tanti also wants to look at ways to stop rubbish bins from falling over when being picked up and dropped off by garbage trucks and find ways to make local BMX tracks safer for children to entice them to spend more time at skateparks instead of “loitering on the streets and causing mischief or mayhem at night”.

GILBERT HOLMES

Independent mayoral candidate Gilbert Holmes aims to create better public transport for residents and provide residents the opportunity to take on their own road and park maintenance.

“My key theme is to build governance and economic capacity through neighbourhoods, suburbs and town centres throughout Brisbane,” he said.

“This supports local patterns to daily life, moving us toward where we can offer policies such as a local job guarantee. Interactive communities open up social opportunities closer to home, while small and micro, locally focused businesses allow us to get what we need without driving across town.

“I wish to build a Brisbane where people are better off if they don’t own a car.

“Toward this goal, local capacity building is necessarily supported by an effective public transport system.

“Subject to budgeting requirements, I also support policies that enable efficient, simple ‘active transport’ options such as walking, cycling and scooting.”

Mr Holmes said he would aim to reduce spending in road and park maintenance by providing locals the option to have lower rates in return for community labour.

“I support local communities to increasingly look after their own requirements in terms of maintaining local roads, parks, streetscapes etc,” he said.

“Brisbane City Council can support this through reserving a portion of the rates for those communities that wish to undertake that work.”