Past Week in Brisbane's Media

After the terrible reporting from the Courier (trash) Mail on Thursday past about how cyclists are red light runners, they tried to butter us up with this article on Sunday. To make sure it buttered us up they turned of the comment bar on the article so that they typical mis-informed rego whingers didn't get on there soap box. In all honesty it wasn't a bad article but it did avoid one very simple fact. Your first bike once you get back into riding a bike will quickly replaced, normally within 2 years. Mine was downgraded to the spouses bike within 18 months. This is very important as it means you should not spend to much as it really is the bike that you work out what you want a bike is. That said it did point out two very important things, avoid supermarket bikes if you intend on riding often and all helmets sold in Australia offer the same amount of protection (or non protection depending on which side of the debate you sit on) it is just there appearance and shape that differs.

The Next article was from the Brisbane Times on Tuesday with this. While not a very big article it did hold some gems of info. The best was this breakdown from the website itself.

Bikeway projects to start this term include:

• Bicentennial bikeway stage 3 - between Lang Parade and Park Road as a continuation of the Bicentennial Bikeway upgrade. Cost: $7.1m (2012-13).
• Bicentennial bikeway stage 4 - from Land Street to west of the Regatta Ferry Terminal as a continuation of the Bicentennial Bikeway upgrade. Cost: $8.1m (2012-13 and 2013-14).
• Gateway North Connections - Schultz Canal - connects with the Kedron Brook bikeway, Brisbane Airport, the Gateway bikeway and further northside. Cost: $7.5m (2012-13 and 2013-14).
• Nicholson Street bikeway, Greenslopes - will improve connectivity from the Greenslopes Hospital to Transport and Main Roads' new V1 Bikeway along the M1 Pacific Motorway. Cost: $1.6m (2012-13).
• Cabbage Tree Creek - Stage 3 - completes the final link in the Cabbage Tree bikeway. Cost: $1.8m (2012-13)
• Cubberla Creek bikeway - will link Kenmore with Moggill Road and Chapel Hill Primary School. Cost: $1.6m (2012-13 and 2013-14).
• Zillman Waterholes - will complete a missing off-road link in the local bike network at Zillman by linking Robinson Road West with Murphy Road. Cost: $1.05m (2012-13 and 2013-14).

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/brisbanes-next-bikeways-revealed-20120813-244ou.html#ixzz23h2B9QKU

All I can say is thank you Brisbane Times and there reporter Katherine Feeney as this years Brisbane city budget papers were very hard to work out where this work was to occur. The stand out was of course the Bicentennial bikeway funding but another is the funding for the Gateway connection to the airport  from Kedron Brook Bikeway. Getting to the airport by bike at the moment is a bit hair raising going through a very complicated intersection. This connection will remove that bit. It will not make it perfect but it will make that little bit easier.

On top of those articles there has been others in the Brisbane Times talking about making the CBD less of the drive through and more of a destination with increased shopping and pedestrianisation which may also translate to more bicycle infrastructure. This is on talk that the CBD Master plan is again being overhauled.

all in all not a bad time in the media we just need an announcement from the State Government about the Northern Bikeway. I can dream!