Plans to fix Doggett St/Commercial Rd, Newstead intersection
A notorious Brisbane intersection, which has been labelled a tragedy waiting to happen by residents, is set to receive a major upgrade — but the timeframe for the project is not set.
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One of the inner-city’s most dangerous intersections is set to be completely redesigned to improve the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
The Doggett St/Commercial Rd intersection in Newstead will be upgraded with traffic lights and signal-controlled pedestrian crossings.
The Federal Government is expecting to fork out an estimated $2 million for the redesign of the intersection which will be undertaken by Brisbane City Council on their behalf.
It is not known whether Brisbane City Council will put any funding forward for the project, with the Federal Government saying it would fund the “majority” of it.
The project is expected to be started within the year but Newstead residents hope it happens before somebody is killed.
The last major traffic study was undertaken in September 2016 by BCC and noted that between 6500 and 7600 vehicles used Doggett St per day and up to 10,600 used Commercial Rd.
Since then there has been a heavy concentration of high-rise apartment developments pop up in the suburb which has increased the amount of cars on local roads.
What locals say
Newstead cafe owner Zac Lazarac, who runs Salt Coffee Roasters which is located on the corner of Doggett St and Commercial Rd, said something had to be done urgently to fix the intersection.
Mr Lazarac said his business had been open for three weeks and he had already seen how dangerous the intersection was for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
“We see two to three near misses every hour, so it’s pretty high,” he said.
“We haven’t seen a crash yet, but there have been a lot of close calls.
“A safer intersection is vital for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists — it’s a win win.
“Overall I think a redesigned intersection would be excellent, it would restore order to a very dysfunctional intersection, making it more user-friendly and hopefully increasing the flow of people through the area.”
Newstead resident Gavin Bricknell said: “The intersection is one of the worst in the city.
“I cannot believe it has taken so long to receive funding,” he said.
“I have seen so many near misses and it is only a matter of time before somebody is killed. “The population in Newstead is increasing every day.”
A fellow Newstead resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the City North News the intersection was a “nightmare”.
The Doggett St resident said she and her husband often avoided the intersection, opting to use Longland St, near The Gasworks shopping centre, to enter or exit the street.
“I think what we find the most frustrating is that it seems as though no one really understands who has right away,” she said.
The woman said the intersection caused “a lot of confusion” with people hesitating or getting angry and pulling out of the streets quickly.
“I have seen many near misses in the two years we’ve lived in the area,” she said.
Residents also would love for the design to incorporate a more user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing way to protect the Australia Federal Police building, which sits on the southern side of the intersection, and is currently barricaded by concrete and plastic bollards to stop a potential terrorist from driving their car in to the building.
What the Federal Government says
Federal Member for Brisbane Trevor Evans MP has been campaigning for funding for close 12 months and on January 29, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the Federal Government would fund the major intersection upgrade.
Despite who wins the Federal Election this year, funding for the intersection will be guaranteed.
“The funding for upgrading this dangerous intersection is a big win for the local community,” Mr Evans said.
“I’ve heard literally hundreds of stories of accidents or near misses from pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
“And it’s another step towards tackling the challenge of congestion, caused by the huge growth over the past few years in this popular area of Brisbane.”
In parliament last month Mr Evans said: “It’s one of the worst intersections in Brisbane.
“It’s increasingly busy, with all the nearby development and new apartments around Newstead, and it’s increasingly dangerous for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians. So this is great news for local residents in Newstead.”
The Federal Government also reportedly contributed $166,000 to undertake “safety improvements” through the Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program 2012-13 to 2015-16.
What RACQ thinks
RACQ Head of Public Policy Dr Rebecca Michael said the intersection was located in a very busy part of the inner-city and as such had a heavy traffic volume which could be frustrating for motorists using the area.
“High traffic volumes tend to lead to low speed crashes which would explain why most crashes at the site are minor,” she said.
“There are several main concerns with the site when it comes to redesigning it.
“Engineers will be working with limited space and will have to incorporate the existing buildings and infrastructure.
“It’s about balancing the need for Commercial Rd to have enough traffic flow with not letting Doggett St get too congested.
The Doggett St and Commercial Rd intersection has had about 19 incidents since 2001 — eight of those were property damage or minor injury only, eight required medical treatment, and three required hospitalisation.
No fatalities have been recorded. There have been five incidents requiring hospitalisations or medical treatment in the past five years at this site.
What council says
Brisbane City Councillor Vicki Howard (Central ward) said: council was investigating an upgrade to the intersection including the installation of traffic signals.
“The time frame and cost of the upgrade will be determined once the design has been finalised,” Cr Howard said.
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