The Annerley Rd-Cornwall St intersection is an absolute headache for motorists, a pain for pedestrians to try and cross, and downright deadly for cyclists. These issues will only worsen with the upgrade of Dutton Park Station, with the Noble Street slipway already a hotspot for heavy construction trucks.
With more and more kids getting to and from Dutton Park State School and Brisbane South State Secondary College through this intersection, it's crucial that we're making this area as safe as possible and easy to use for people on foot, on bikes, or with prams and wheelchairs.
Our community meeting on Saturday, 25 March 2023, in Hefferan Park, brought together community members, representatives from Active Travel for Annerley, local Councillor Nicole Johnston and Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Mark Bailey.
How could we transform this intersection?
We could make this intersection safe and friendly for pedestrians and cyclists with a few key changes.
We're pushing for:
- Slowing speed limits to 40km/h along this busy section of Annerley Rd
- Closing the slip lanes onto Noble St and western Cornwall St (some background on what closing slip lanes can look like here)
- A safe 'wombat' (raised) pedestrian crossing on the eastern Cornwall St entrance
- Separated bike lanes along Annerley Rd - see Active Travel for Annerley on how this could work
A local architect has put together some ideas on how we could improve this intersection and what closed slip lanes and safe crossings could look like.
How do we win this?
Making this intersection safe and accessible will require both the Brisbane City Council and the state government to come to the table.
We're putting pressure on the BCC to:
- Lower the speed limit
- Close the slip lanes and build out the corner on Noble St to be safe for pedestrians
- Install a raised 'wombat' crossing on the eastern Cornwall St entrance
- Work with the state government for joint funding for protected bike lanes
To do this, we'll need to demonstrate that there is widespread community support for these simple and common-sense changes. Sign up for upcoming actions you and your neighbours can take to put pressure on key decision-makers.
(Some technical background)
- These roads are council-controlled roads. In the BCC road hierarchy, Annerley Rd, western Cornwall St and Noble St are classified as arterial roads. The eastern stretch of Cornwall St is classified as a suburban road.
- The bridge over the rail line is a QRail asset, but council is responsible for pathways and road surfaces on rail bridges.
- Council could apply to the state government for joint funding for cycle networks through the Cycle Network Local Government Grants program.