Media release Mon 5 March

Smart options to reduce traffic on Kingsford Smith Drive

Community Action for Sustainable Transport (CAST) are promoting a range of options for reducing traffic on Kingsford Smith Drive.

“Airport Link, construction traffic from the North-South Tunnel, the North Shore development, Portside and the Cruise Ship terminal are all going to be creating more traffic on Kingsford Smith Drive, so we need a smart plan to deal with this*”, said CAST spokesperson Tristan Peach.

CAST are proposing a range of options that will reduce traffic, improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions:

(1) An extension of the Doomben railway line to service the North Shore development and the Cruise Ship Terminal at Hamilton. There is already a freight line between Doomben and the Hamilton Wharves which could be utilised by CityTrains.

(2) Council’s planned walkway/bikeway along the Brisbane River linking Hamilton, Breakfast Creek, Teneriffe, New Farm, Fortitude Valley and the City must be completed in the next year

(3) A rapid public transport service linking Hamilton with the City via Kingsford Smith Drive – Breakfast Creek Street and Ann / Whickham Street utilising the existing 300 and 305 bus services. This service could have priority at traffic lights along the route and if traffic impedes the buses then a peak-hour bus/cycle priority lane should be provided

(4) A new City Cat Stop at the Eastern end of the North Shore development with high frequency services throughout the day

(5) Car-pooling and car-sharing programs for workers and residents at North Shore, Portside and the Cruise Ship terminal.

These improvements would provide significant benefits to the tourism industry by servicing the Cruise Ship Terminal.

Improvements to Brisbane-wide transport services would also be required to make these options totally effective.

Brisbane City Council’s proposal is to widen Kingsford Smith Drive and Nudgee road.

“Council’s option for reducing traffic on Kingsford Smith Drive should be tested against our options,” said Mr Peach.

“Given that the Airport Link tunnel is a major cause of this extra traffic I am concerned that building more roads will just create more problems,” he said.

END NOTE
* The Airport Link impact statement (table 9-10 traffic and transport technical paper) shows that east of Cooksley Street (on Kingsford Smith) traffic will increase by 8.23% by 2016 (66,900 in 2004; 71,000 2016) with Airport Link. East of Racecourse Road traffic will increase by 25.87% by 2016 with Airport Link. The North Shore development at Hamilton is predicted to have 10,000 residents.