10 years after cycling tragedy, this westside Brisbane road is still a death trap
Musician Richard Pollett had the world at his feet when he was run over by a truck 10 years ago. His death led to a law on minimum bicycle passing distances, but friends and cyclists are outraged the road where he died is still a killer.
South West
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A ghostly white-painted bicycle still marks the spot where talented classical musician Richard Pollett’s life ended on notorious Moggill Rd on September 27, 2011.
He had been in Brisbane to visit his parents, University of Queensland Professor Philip Pollett and his mother Patricia Pollett.
But the rising international star, then only 25, was also back in town to play as soloist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in the Australian premiere of the work Selenite City, a concerto for piano and violin.
Tragically, it was never to be. A cement truck hit him on a blind bend in Moggill Rd, Kenmore.
The cement truck driver was later acquitted of dangerous driving causing death after arguing he was boxed in by other vehicles and reasonably thought he had enough space to pass.
Kenmore Cycles owner John Forbes, who spoke to Mr Pollett minutes before his death when he stopped in to pump up his tyres, said he was appalled a planned bikeway, to be built as part of the Kenmore Roundabout upgrade, would stop before the crash site.
“Richard used to come in regularly to pump up his tyres. I think on the day I joked that he needed to get his own pump,’’ Mr Forbes said.
“The accident happened five minutes after he left. My son and I drove past the accident scene but we didn’t realise it was him until later when we went by again and I recognised the bike.
“I’ve only ever ridden that stretch twice since then. I never do it now.’’
Mr Forbes said he was so deeply affected he made a roadside memorial with a white-painted bicycle which has been there ever since — apart from a mysterious disappearance about a month ago when it was removed and later put back, repainted.
Mr Forbes said he had been told a lack of co-operation between the State Government and Council meant the bikeway would stop at the crash site as it would traverse Council land.
Moggill Rd is named year after year by the RACQ as one of Brisbane’s 10 most dangerous.
Prof Pollett said while he supported the memorial, as it was a reminder to others of the danger, his wife Patricia was still unable to drive past.
While disappointed at the lack of action on upgrading the road, he was also upset that the minimum 1.5m passing distance law, sparked by his son’s death, did not appear to be working.
“It was law when (cyclist and local father Richard Burden) was (fatally) hit in 2017, very close by,’’ Prof Pollett said.
“We worked very hard to get that law, but it did not help Richard Burden.’’
Prof Pollett said he and his wife took comfort from their son’s legacy, four music prizes, scholarships and awards set up since his death.
The main one, the annual Richard Pollett Memorial Award, gives about $10,000 to promising classical musicians.
He said, over the years, most winners had gone on to bright careers.
The crash also sparked the Principal Cycle Network Plan, a collaboration between local and state governments to design a network of priority cycling routes, and the Queensland Cycling Strategy.
But lobby group Space4Cycling and local state MP, Dr Christian Rowan, said nothing had been done to improve cycle safety on Moggill Rd since Mr Pollett’s death.
Even worse, the same mistakes were being repeated to this day, Space4Cycling spokesman Chris Cox said.
He accepted Moggill Rd, which stretches 20.6km from High St in Toowong to the Moggill ferry, was too long to be fixed end to end — at least any time soon.
“But plans to upgrade Kenmore Roundabout show they’re still getting it wrong. The original design has on-road bike lanes — basically painted lines — from Kenmore Rd, disappearing into bus lanes,’’ Mr Cox said.
“When you get as far as Brookfield Rd, cyclists would be stuck in the middle of five lanes of traffic.
“What is needed is something like at Everton Park Link Rd — an off road, single lane dedicated for cyclists and grade separated.
“You can’t do all of Moggill Rd, so the focus needs to be where it’s more densely populated, from Kenmore to the Western Fwy.
“Obviously, with Richard’s death and the death of Richard Burden, the natural tendency is to fix the area where those accidents happen, but by doing that you end up with disjointed pieces of bikeway that don’t connect.’’
Mr Cox said it was disappointing the State Government had knocked back a request from Brisbane City Council to use Covid stimulation funds to upgrade Witton Rd, providing a safe access to Council’s impressive Indooroopilly Riverwalk cycle/pedestrian link.
That could have linked the Riverwalk to the Centennial (Western Fwy) separated bikeway.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey is a keen cyclist and has arguably built more high-grade bikeways than any other Queensland Transport Minister.
But Dr Rowan said it was unacceptable that his Transport and Main Roads (TMR) department claimed there were no funds to upgrade Moggill Rd.
Instead, it was offering only to conduct two more studies.
Dr Rowan said the Government announced on June 13, 2017, that there would be a study to “make cycling safer along Moggill Rd’’ and the study was expected to take about eight months.
“Unfortunately, and despite the urgent need to address cyclist safety on Moggill Rd, it was confirmed only in July of this year, more than three years after the study was announced, that there is no funding available for detailed design or construction for potential improvements on Moggill Rd or alternative routes,’’ he said.
“TMR will be carrying out further planning studies in 2020-21 and 2021-22 to identify additional improvement options along the corridor.
“By the Palaszczuk Government’s own timeline, it will be five years before any potential solutions may be examined to address cyclist safety and prevent further fatalities on this state-controlled road.’’
“The inertia and inaction by the State Government and Mr Bailey is breathtaking.
“Clearly the Labor Government has no interest in cyclist safety in the western suburbs.’’
Mr Bailey said his government had invested to improve facilities and safety for bike riders on the westside of Brisbane in recent years.
“That investment includes the Moggill Rd cycle bridge that was installed in 2016 to separate bike riders crossing Moggill Rd along the Centenary Hwy/Western Fwy Bikeway,’’ he said.
“The new Sumners Rd Interchange, opened six months early, separates bike riders and traffic via a new tunnel and the new 3km-long Ipswich Mwy bikeway that was completed in the past 12 months has also delivered improved safety outcomes for bike riders.
“On Moggill Rd specifically, my department completed a study in 2019 to develop bike safety improvements along Moggill Rd and look at alternate routes from the suburbs of Kenmore, Chapel Hill and Brookfield to the Centenary Hwy.
“Local BUGs (Bicycle User Groups), Brisbane City Council and Bicycle Queensland provided valuable input into the study.
“Where we are at now is Transport and Main Roads are working on a business case that will develop the best options and provide cost estimates for a long-term strategy for delivering bike upgrades on Moggill Rd.
“Transport specialists Aecom is working on that business case – known as the Moggill Road Cycleway Planning Study.
“BUGs and BCC are being consulted as part of that work and once the business case is complete, we will be in a position to identify and commit funding for the priority projects that could be rolled out for riders on Moggill Rd.’’
Mr Cox said the outcomes of TMR’s 2018 planning study remained unpublished.
“I have participated in the business case process that is currently under way, and the solutions being proposed give me reason to be hopeful,’’ he said.
“However, they will come to nothing if funding is not provided to make them happen.
“The ‘fit and fearless’ cyclists continue to ride on Moggill Rd, putting their trust in the attentiveness and patience of motor vehicle operators.
“Some people ride on the footpath. Countless more don’t consider cycling an option because it’s not safe here to do so.
“I do not want to see any more ghost bikes on Moggill Rd.
“In 10 years’ time I want anyone to be able to cycle from Kenmore to the CBD safely.’’
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