{"id":814371,"date":"2024-12-24T01:19:56","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T07:19:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/24\/bike-riders-were-asked-to-dismount-for-100m-now-they-plan-to-protest-in-the-casinos-driveway\/"},"modified":"2024-12-24T01:19:56","modified_gmt":"2024-12-24T07:19:56","slug":"bike-riders-were-asked-to-dismount-for-100m-now-they-plan-to-protest-in-the-casinos-driveway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/24\/bike-riders-were-asked-to-dismount-for-100m-now-they-plan-to-protest-in-the-casinos-driveway\/","title":{"rendered":"Bike riders were asked to dismount for 100m. Now they plan to protest in the casino\u2019s driveway"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It\u2019s 7.35 on a sticky Wednesday night. The after-work crowd has their eyes glued on lasers swirling over Queen\u2019s Wharf and The Star casino underneath the Riverside Expressway, as a DJ remixes Christmas tunes.<\/p>\n

The revellers don\u2019t seem to notice glum commuters pushing their bikes and e-scooters past the pop-up bars and food trucks of Sono Lumo, which is being hosted in a gap between two sections of Brisbane\u2019s busiest bike route, the Bicenntennial Bikeway.<\/p>\n

Organisers have asked riders to dismount and walk for 100 metres \u2013 an unwanted speed bump for people trying to get home between 4pm and 11pm.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/picture>
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The Bicentennial Bikeway was first opened in 1988 and stretches for more than 4km.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Catherine Strohfeldt<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Asking riders to hop off for 100 metres<\/a>. No big deal, right?<\/p>\n

But this scene strikes at a vexing issue that repeatedly arises as Brisbane reinvents its public spaces, often leaning on shared rather than separated spaces for walkers, bike and e-scooter riders.<\/p>\n

In 2018, construction<\/a> for Queen\u2019s Wharf closed a section of the bikeway near William Street for 12 months<\/a>. After years of disruption, it was finalised this year with Queen\u2019s Wharf Plaza becoming a shared boulevard, with no line markings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This interruption comes near the end of the 4.8-kilometre off-road bikeway along the Brisbane River from Toowong to the Goodwill Bridge, a path otherwise almost entirely separated for walkers and riders.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/picture>
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The Bicentennial Bikeway is almost entirely separated for pedestrians and bike riders until it gets to Queen\u2019s Wharf, where it breaks in the middle for a shared boulevard.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Felicity Caldwell<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Destination Brisbane Consortium spokesman described the changes<\/a> near the riverfront as creating a \u201cmuch friendlier place to be \u2026 which changes the dynamic from a dark corridor to a shared space for bikes, e-scooters and pedestrians\u201d.<\/p>\n

However, the request for riders to dismount for seven hours a day during the 10-day Sono Lumo activation has prompted frustration.<\/p>\n

\"Space<\/picture>
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Space 4 Cycling held a small protest last week against the request for people to dismount and walk, handing out colourful balloons on Thursday last week.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Space 4 Cycling<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brisbane CBD BUG co-convenor Paul French said putting an event on a busy bikeway was \u201cinconsiderate\u201d, and blamed the privatisation and commercialisation of public space \u2013 though also noting that the impact would be lessened if there was an alternative safe route along George Street.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cHow often do some people say \u2018cyclists should stay off the road\u2019? But then one of Brisbane\u2019s few bikeways is closed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Bicycle Queensland chief executive Alton Twine described the blockage as \u201cunacceptable\u201d, and asked organisers to move the dismount request<\/a> until later at night.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Loading<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt the heart of the issue is the poor design choices<\/a> \u2026 The state could have kept<\/a> the bikeway separate to the multi-use area, but have compromised both the integrity of the corridor and the safety of all users by choosing not to,\u201d a BQ statement reads.<\/p>\n

A Star spokeswoman said it was limiting the speed of active transport users \u201cfor the safety of all users of the shared public spaces during Sono Lumo, including a period of dismount when necessary\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Landing, upgraded Bicentennial Bikeway and Queen\u2019s Wharf Plaza are brand new public spaces for all Queenslanders to enjoy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/picture>
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A render of the proposed development at Howard Smith Wharves submitted to Brisbane City Council in September 2024.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Artemus<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Similar tensions play out across the city, including at Howard Smith Wharves, where advocacy groups were dismayed to discover a proposed redevelopment<\/a> retained a shared path instead of a separated one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But a Brisbane City Council senior planner has asked the developer for changes, given its importance as a connection between the New Farm Riverwalk and the Brisbane CBD, requesting a separated bidirectional bike path and designated walking paths.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeparation will provide a safe outcome for all users,\u201d the letter from the council reads.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/picture>
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The Clem Jones Promenade at South Bank is a 10km\/h shared zone for people walking and riding bikes or e-scooters, and has a photo of a car, despite cars not being allowed here. It links the key active transport Go Between, Kurilpa and Goodwill bridges.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Felicity Caldwell<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most of the proposed cycling changes for Montague Road at West End<\/a> include shared paths, and a redevelopment at 17 Skyring Terrace, Teneriffe includes a shared river path, while the busy Clem Jones Promenade at South Bank is also shared.<\/p>\n

CARRS-Q Professor Narelle Haworth said the area at Queen\u2019s Wharf could not even be called a shared path, because there were no pavement markings. \u201cIt is more akin to something like Federation Square or Queen Street Mall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sono<\/picture>
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Sono Lumo includes lights, snow, fog and haze machines and DJ music.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Catherine Strohfeldt<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Haworth said shared paths were not advised when there was little space, when paths were used for shopping, playing or restaurant seating, and when they were often used by elderly pedestrians and young families.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOne of the issues with the area at Queen\u2019s Wharf is that it is commonly used and perceived by bike and e-scooter riders as having a movement function, but the Sono Lumo event has changed that into a place function [somewhere people want to sit and walk around],\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Space 4 Cycling spokeswoman Belinda Ward said the Bicentennial Bikeway had been used by cyclists since it opened in 1988. She likened the event to shutting down the Captain Cook Bridge for seven hours every night.<\/p>\n

\u201cClosing the Bicentennial Bikeway, there really aren\u2019t other ways to go,\u201d she said, adding it was popular because it was a safe, car-free route.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/picture>
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The Sono Lumo light show and pop-up food truck event is on at Queen\u2019s Wharf until December 15.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Catherine Strohfeldt<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Star\u2019s reassurances have not mollified their critics. As some walk their bikes and scooters through Sono Lumo tonight, advocates have notified police of plans for a dance party protest in the Star\u2019s driveway on Friday.<\/p>\n

For Queensland Walks chief executive Anna Campbell, the answer is to have separated pathways \u2013 and activated spaces away from existing transport corridors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe support dismounts only as a temporary measure when it is the only safe option for people walking and riding, that is for maintenance or pathway rebuilds,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust like a major arterial corridor, an active transport corridor should remain a corridor and not a space for public activation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t build a major highway and then put a market stall in place \u2013 the same applies to our major active transport corridors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Felicity Caldwell
Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s 7.35 on a sticky Wednesday night. The after-work crowd has their eyes glued on lasers swirling over Queen\u2019s Wharf and The Star casino underneath the Riverside Expressway, as a DJ remixes Christmas tunes. The revellers don\u2019t seem to notice glum commuters pushing their bikes and e-scooters past the pop-up bars and food trucks of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":814372,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[504,28382],"tags":[6894,5634],"class_list":{"0":"post-814371","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-asked","8":"category-riders","9":"tag-asked","10":"tag-riders"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/814371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=814371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/814371\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/814372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=814371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=814371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=814371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}