Plan to tackle congestion around elite Brisbane school

It is Queensland’s best secondary school, but expansion plans mean something has to be done to tackle traffic congestion.

Construction work at the Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology at Toowong. The school is developing a transport plan to cope with an increase in students. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker

Cyclists, local politicians, school and transport department leaders met recently to plan ways to cope with the extra traffic expected as Toowong’s “Smart State’’ academy grows.

The Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology is in the middle of a major building program to house hundreds of new students as it moves to a full Year 7-12 campus.

The meeting also came after a student was hit by a car at the corner of Morrow St and Moggill Rd.

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“We have been working consistently on improved active and public transport for our students,’’ principal Kath Kayrooz said.

“Our aim is to reduce traffic congestion and to improve student experience using active and public transport.’’

However she stressed the strategy was at the very initial stage and still had a long way to go.

A school transport survey was also presented which showed many students at the selective school had long commutes and would benefit from more public and active transport options.

State Greens MP, Michael Berkman, who organised the meeting, said it was great the school was being proactive.

It comes after recent research from Griffith University which found students at elite secondary schools travelled greater distances each day than those at most state high schools, where the majority came from the local catchment.

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Construction at the QASMT campus. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker

“I’m now asking Transport Minister (Mark Bailey) to consider a shuttle service to QASMT from Roma St Station, where a lot of students’ trips converge, plus solutions like bike lockers at train stations and reducing rat running in surrounding streets,’’ he said.

“I’m asking Council to improve pedestrian crossings near the school and investigate a reduced speed limit on Stanley Tce (and) interim safety measures like signage and yellow lines.

“I’ll be hosting a public meeting in early 2020 so I can take feedback to TransLink in time for its February 2020 review of school routes.”

Steph Wyeth, from the QASMT P&C, who is also a town planner, developed the school transport survey.

It found most students already used public transport to get to and from the school, although one-third (36.4 per cent) were dropped off by car.

Another 31 per cent used a combination of trains and walking, and 24.4 per cent caught the bus and walked.

Only a combined 6.5 per cent cycled or walked the entire way to school, or used car pooling.

The survey found a pilot shuttle bus service to/from Taringa Station was the top suggestion from parents, followed by working with Council to improve key walking routes and crossings.

Students who responded to the survey also wanted real time travel signs at key QASMT bus stops and better undercover seating, and pilot shuttle services to/from Toowong Railway Station and Roma St Station.