Montague Road Draft Transport Study Submission

I am generally supportive of this draft transport study and grateful that it has finally been delivered. The areas west of Montague Road had their first major upzoning in density in 2011 and the allowable height limits have only continued to increase since then. To date this increase in density has not been accompanied by the infrastructure upgrades required to accommodate higher populations.

This was a shortsighted decision that has left the community to deal with the consequences. The release of this draft transport study is an important first step in delivering infrastructure upgrades that should have been built over a decade ago. Council now needs to get their act together and ensure the community is not left waiting for another decade before the actual corridor upgrade begins.

Residents want to leave their cars at home

Successive Council administrations have overinvested in Brisbane’s road network while underinvesting in public and active transport. This failure of city planning is why congestion has become such a problem in our city. Residents have been forced into car dependence because everything in our city has been designed to prioritise private car travel. So I am not surprised that the study found driving is the most common transport mode used by residents.

I’m also unsurprised that residents would prefer to use active and public transport to get around. A large part of the appeal of living in the inner city is that you live in close proximity to the places where you can meet most of your daily needs. I am supportive of a shift to prioritise public and active transport along Montague Road so that residents have a real choice to leave their car at home.

Short local trips are ideal for active transport

A 2012 Transport of Main Roads Travel in south-east Queensland study found that 79% of all journeys in South East Queensland under 5km are made using a private vehicle. Trips under 1km are ideal for walking, but the narrow footpaths, long waits to cross the road (when crossings even exist), and little shade make walking difficult. Trips under 5km are ideal for riding, but the lack of protected bike lanes on most routes limits access to only the most confident cyclists.

Investing in better active transport infrastructure is how we can support residents to leave their cars at home for shorter and more local trips - these car trips are the “low hanging fruit” to be replaced by other modes of transport. The 2015 Delivering Sustainable Urban Mobility study found that 40% of cars on the road between 8am-9am and 3pm-4pm are due to school traffic. Supporting school students to use active and public transport to get to school is a great example of trips that are relatively easy to shift out of cars. Generally speaking the draft transport study is heading in the right direction to support the shift away from cars but more can be done as will be detailed below.

It’s important to note that prioritising active and public transport also benefits people who need to use their cars for whatever reason. If more residents are supported to walk or cycle to local destinations then there will be less cars on the road and less congestion for those that still drive. If Council wants to support real congestion busting initiatives, they need to invest in public and active transport.

Modal separation is best practice

Every week I hear from residents who were put in unsafe situations because our streets are designed to put people into conflict. People riding bikes report feeling unsafe when forced to share the road with people driving. People walking report feeling unsafe when they are forced to share footpaths with people riding bikes or using e-mobility devices. Best practice transport planning is to design separate and protected spaces for each mode of transport.

The inclusion of protected bike lanes from Vulture St to Mollison St is a positive step. This will ensure that all road users have their own dedicated lane to travel along.

I am concerned that the lack of protected bike lanes from Vulture St to Orleigh St will create ongoing conflict between people walking and people riding or using e-mobility devices. Further investigations should be conducted to explore options to include protected bike lanes along this section of Montague Rd. Ideas for how to do this are included in this submission.

The draft transport study notes that higher speed cyclists and e-mobility device users will continue to use Riverside Drive. This is only partially true. People riding bikes for sport or leisure will likely continue to use Riverside Drive. However there will still be a relatively high number of local cyclists who use Montague Rd to reach local destinations.

For a resident who lives at the Montague Markets and wishes to cycle to Urban Climb, the trip is almost double the distance if they go along Riverside Drive instead of Montague Rd. In a subtropical city like Brisbane, this additional distance is a relatively large barrier and may prompt the person to drive instead of cycle.

People wanting to ride along this section of Montague Rd are either going to use the shared footpath or the bus lane. While both options are legal, there are negatives to both. Cyclists using the bus lane will slow down buses. Cyclists using the footpath will be put into conflict with pedestrians. If this proposal is delivered, I expect to continue to receive complaints from residents about near misses on the footpath.

Further clarification is required on the suggestion to use Hardgrave Rd as a primary cycle route. The City Plan 2014 lists Montague Rd as a primary cycle route however Hardgrave Rd is listed as a local cycle route. While improving cycling infrastructure along Hardgrave Rd is important, doing so won’t help anyone making local trips along Montague Rd.

Given that riding a bike or using an e-mobility device was the second most preferred mode of transport in the study, the lack of cycling infrastructure between Orleigh St and Vulture St is an oversight. This proposal also does not match the insight that better separation between all travel modes was a key theme from the community feedback.

Riverside Drive should be fully closed to car traffic

A major oversight in the proposal for Riverside Drive to be the primary cycle route instead of Montague Rd is the fact that motor vehicles can still use Riverside Drive north of Jane St. This means people cycling (and walking) are put into potential conflict with people driving. 

Successive consultations done by myself and previous Councillor have indicated strong support for closing Riverside Drive to cars. This would bring the northern section of the street into line with the southern section.

I also note that Riverside Drive is zoned as parkland. However a majority of the parkland in the northern section caters to motor vehicles. This does not align to its designation as a park and should be promptly addressed.

Support for priority bus lanes

The inclusion of priority bus lanes along the entire corridor is a positive step forward. The Blue CityGlider (60) is an extremely popular bus route carrying thousands of people every day. I often hear complaints from residents that their buses are caught up in traffic. Providing priority bus lanes for these services will help improve reliability and travel times. This will increase the attractiveness of bus transport and help make it an easier choice for residents to take the bus and leave their cars at home.

Transparency required for Mollison St to Stanley Place section

The failure to include any details about the indicative street cross-sections for Montague Rd between Mollison St and Stanley Place is concerning. Work has been done on designs for this section and they should have been included in the draft transport study.

The lack of information about this section of the corridor has left many residents concerned that it will not be upgraded. This lack of transparency is an ongoing issue with Council that needs to be addressed.

The stated reason for not including this section in the study is the “high level of anticipated future development in the corridor”. However work has been done and residents should be kept informed about what the potential options are. At the very least indication should be given as to whether protected bike lanes and priority bus lanes are proposed to be included in this section.

Victoria Street Ferry Terminal missing

The much anticipated second ferry terminal for West End is missing from the draft transport study. This essential infrastructure delivery was included in the recently updated Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP) for delivery between 2026-2031. This is an oversight that should be addressed in the final plan. 

Bus service required north of Mollison St

While slightly out of scope of this project, it must be noted that there are currently no buses that service Montague Rd north of Mollison St. Given the extreme densification that is projected to occur in this area, it is extremely important that a plan be developed to service this area with public transport.

The much-loved and well-used Kurilpa Loop (86) did provide coverage on this section of Montague Rd and provided an important connecting service within the Kurilpa peninsula. It’s incredibly important that a high-frequency bus service be delivered along this section of Montague Rd before it is redeveloped into a residential mixed-use area.

Narrower traffic lanes are safer

Research shows that narrower traffic lanes result in less crashes than wider lanes. This is because people drive slower in narrower lanes and this results in fewer crashes. The WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities Health and Road Safety found that cities with a traffic lane widths between 2.8m and 3.25m have the lowest fatality rates. Roads with narrower or wider traffic lanes consistently have higher fatality rates.

The Brisbane Standard Drawings (BSD) allow for 2.75m traffic lanes on local roads, with 3.5m traffic lanes on major roads. Council should explore using narrower 2.75-2.8m traffic lanes on Montague Rd to create additional space for infrastructure such as protected bike lanes. The speed limit should be reduced to 40km/hr to match the narrower lane widths. Consultation should be conducted with residents to gauge support for reducing the speed limit to 30km/hr for neighbourhood streets that connect to Montague Rd.

Explore integrating through traffic lanes and turning lanes in constricted sections

The draft transport study indicated that the preferred modes of transport for residents are:

1. Walk, run or use a mobility device
2. Ride a bike or e-mobility device
3. Public transport

Despite the fact that driving is not within the top three preferred activities, driving is still prioritised in the draft study. For example, dedicated turning lanes for people driving are prioritised over protected bike lanes for people riding. If dedicated turning lanes were removed and some of my other suggestions incorporated, it could be possible to include protected bike lanes, priority bus lanes, car lanes, and wider footpaths in the section from Orleigh St to Vulture St.

Streetmix is a tool used by consultants and planners to roughly estimate the carrying capacity of different modes of transport:

Interestingly, residents have prioritised the most efficient modes of transport for Montague Rd. Council should do more to align the draft transport study with the wishes of residents. Doing so would increase the carrying capacity of Montague Rd.

Intersections and crossings should prioritise pedestrians

Residents made clear that people walking or using a mobility device are the top priority along Montague Rd. Waiting to cross the road can add several minutes to a pedestrian’s journey which can be a large barrier that prevents someone from choosing to walk.

Intersections and crossings along Montague Rd should prioritise pedestrians to minimise time spent waiting. At signalised intersections this could look like creating scramble crossings like the one on Vulture St and Boundary St. For other crossing points this could look like creating zebra crossings that give pedestrians right of way over other modes of transport.

Other opportunities to promote walkability

Several other ways Council could promote walking include:

• Removing any slip lanes that exist.
• Ensuring the streetscape is interesting by prioritising human scaled architecture. Ensure there are lots of things to look at and no large blank walls.
• Prioritising medium-high density mixed use developments with an activated ground floor. This will also help prevent suburban sprawl and vertical sprawl.
• Creating kerb extensions in appropriate locations to minimise the distance required to cross the street.
• Creating pedestrian only laneways and shortcuts.
• Planting more street trees.
• Lowering speed limits.
• Building more awnings over the footpath.

Investigate “superblocks” in nearby “little streets” of West End

There is a risk that by deprioritising car travel on Montague Rd, there is an increase in rat running on the nearby “little streets” of West End (e.g. the streets between Montague Rd and Hardgrave St). Council should consult with residents about trialing the delivery of “superblocks” on these streets.

Superblocks were first developed to help Barcelona address congestion and have proven positive health and economic impacts. The general idea is to lower speeds and design streets to make clear they are shared spaces between people in cars, on foot, on bikes, and children playing in the street. They work to reclaim street space as a public space for community and play as well as for transit.

Not only do superblocks deliver amenity benefits to residents, they also work to prevent rat running. The little streets of West End are an ideal location for Brisbane to trial this concept. The specific design would look quite different from superblocks delivered in Barcelona and would need to address the local context.

Tactical urbanism should be employed as a cost-effective and collaborative approach to trialling superblocks. By using tactical urbanism, Council could work with residents and local community organisations to quickly deploy designs at minimal cost. Any successful trials could then be incorporated permanently in the future.

Explore loading zones in bus lanes

It’s important that businesses along Montague Rd are still able to receive deliveries despite the removal of parking along the corridor. A creative solution to this problem would be to create commercial loading zones in appropriate locations within the bus priority lane. The loading zones should only come into effect outside of peak times.

Montague Road as a public space

Montague Road is an important street; it has dual purposes as both a transport corridor and public space in its own right. I am pleased to see that the study recognises the importance of streets as places for people to gather and connect, rather than just a temporary space of transit.

Council should explore opportunities for placemaking elements including public art when delivering the concept designs for Montague Rd. Noise pollution is also an often overlooked barrier that prevents a street from becoming a pleasant public space. Council should explore a speed limit reduction to reduce the noise pollution created by private vehicles and buses on Montague Rd.

Positive lessons to replicate in future consultations

This project did something positive that is very rarely, if ever, done with Council consultations. Rather than just creating concept designs, Council first consulted with residents to understand what their priorities were and what issues they wanted addressed. This approach is to be commended and should become the standard approach.

By asking residents what their priorities were, Council was able to confidently propose indicative designs that prioritise active and public transport over private vehicles. Without the first stage of consultation where residents indicated this was the priority, I suspect Council would have delivered a less ambitious design. If Council had taken a similar approach for previous corridor upgrades such as Dornoch Tce, I suspect the outcomes would have been a lot more positive.

Opportunities to improve future consultations

In-person consultations are important because they give residents an opportunity to ask questions of Council planners. Council organised one consultation on Saturday 23 November at the West End Markets in Davies Park. Notification of the consultation was delivered to residents between 18 and 22 November. This is very short notice and meant many residents would likely not have been able to attend the consultation. For future consultations Council should provide residents with multiple opportunities to discuss the project in person. Even just a second consultation in early December would have been an improvement.

The consultation survey was open from 18 Nov to 15 Dec. This is an improvement on the 2 week consultation which is too often used by Council. However at this time of year many people are on holidays or just paying less attention to Council than usual. Consultation would have been improved by extending it for an additional 2-4 weeks. Council is shut down for 2 weeks over the holiday period, so the results will not be analysed during this period anyway. Consultation should have been extended to 5 January 2025 so that residents had ample opportunity to have their say.

Short-term upgrade opportunities

Montague Rd is already failing to accommodate the transport demand created by the rapid population increases along this corridor. Demand is only set to increase with the implementation of the Kurilpa TLPI which removed height limits in the northern section of the corridor.

Residents cannot afford to wait another decade for Montague Rd to be upgraded along the lines proposed in the draft transport study. Council should investigate opportunities to provide high-impact upgrades to improve safety and access in the short term. Some of the highest priority opportunities include:

• Ferry St and Drake St intersection.
• A pedestrian crossing near Donkin St.
• A bus jump lane at Jane St.
• Street tree planting along the entire corridor.