Council has 'grave concerns' for new Queen's Wharf pathway

Hundreds of cyclists and pedestrians will be forced to battle for space under a new bikeway design for the Bicentennial Bikeway within the Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development.

The 4.5-kilometre bikeway, which runs from Toowong to the Goodwill Bridge, carries more than 4000 cyclists and 1600 pedestrians a day.

Brisbane's Bicentennial Bikeway Credit: Dan Nancarrow

Brisbane City Council and the state government have been upgrading the bikeway to separate pedestrian and cycling, but when Queen’s Wharf Brisbane upgrades its section, separated paths will not be used for the entire 890-metre stretch.

A separated cycling and pedestrian path will run for 570 metres, while 250 metres will be a shared cycling and pedestrian path and 70 metres will be a mixed-used plaza similar to King George Square.

Austroads standards state a path with the predicted peak-hour capacity of 260 pedestrians and 740 cyclists per hour should require a shared path.

A council officer said the council had written to the state government several times raising concerns about the design and made a submission that the council believed the path should be separated.

“We have got grave concerns about the 320-metre shared areas placed in the middle of a major commuter recreation bikeway.

“We believe they should be sticking to the Austroads standards.”

Space 4 Cycling BNE representative Belinda Ward said shared path would be dangerous and a recipe for conflict.

“The original master plan for the area said they had to make improvements to the Bicentennial Bikeway so they have to comply with Austroad standards,” she said.

“They have to face the fact it is the key commuter bikeway in Brisbane and build it to the correct standards.”

A Destination Brisbane Consortium spokesman said it would upgrade the bikeway from June 2018.

"Shared zones along the riverfront have been designed in accordance with the Queen's Wharf Brisbane Plan of Development that was approved by Economic Development Queensland as areas that are safe for all users including families, tourists, pedestrians and cyclists,” he said.

The impacted stretch of the Bicentennial Bikeway will be closed for up to 12 months for the work to be completed.