QLD State Budget - 2nd day after

In today's Brisbane Times article it lists key projects that are part of this years budget. to my dismay it only lists one project for cycling, the South East Bikeway/V1 cycleway stage C. I have to say the Government had not much option but to fund this, as it is already under construction and needs to be completed. I can only hope that this funding includes the bridge that is meant to fly over Birdwood Road at Holland Park. According to NearMap aerial photo maps I can not see any work yet to begin on that part of the project. I have to say this is highly disappointing. That said there does seam to be pylons constructed for the bridge that is to fly over Lewisham St that will form the next part of the upgrade with Stage D. However Stage D was to get funding in this years budget but that now seams to of been dashed.

Today I will leave you with an image from Transport's project newsletter.  This is not the correct image for the V1/South East Bikeway. First off as can be seen on the Counts that have been reported here the majority of people that use the South East Bikeway are not on Road Bikes. Next the Lycra, then there is the fact these blokes are out for a ride hence why they are over the centerline hogging the bikeway. The South East Bikeway is a Commuter Bikeway and it should be promoted and viewed as such! This sort of image is just plain wrong and may be part of the reason why there is so little funding for bicycle infrastructure in this budget! Cycling is transport not just recreation.

Bikeway Counts - July - What Tour de France effect?

The bikeway counts for July are in and in the most part they are not in all that surprising.

The counts were again conducted during a 40 minute bracket of peak hour on the

• Kurilpa Bridge - Monday
• Goodwill Bridge - Tuesday
• Bicentennial Bikeway - Wednesday
• South East Bikeway - Thursday
• Normanby Ped/Cycle Link - Friday

The thing that was of no great surprise was that apart from Kurilpa Bridge most other count locations showed not real difference in count numbers. Now this begs the question where is the Tour de France affect that the tabloid media always goes on about after the race. There is the usual complaints of Lycra clad middle age men swamping roads and getting in the way of everyone. If this is indeed true it certainly ain't happening on Brisbane's Bikeway's and it certainly ain't happening during peak hour. If there was indeed this affect it should of spilled over into the counts but it hasn't. Most count category's stayed mostly the same except for women overall. Overall women/men share of the count dropped from a ratio of 1/4 to 1/5 on the whole. Not a good sign but this may be put down to the winter weather.

The surprise result was Kurilpa Bridge jumping from 97 bikes in May to 114 in July. While this may have something to do with the count being conducted 10 minutes later to bring it in line with the rest of the counts (excluding Bicentennial) it does represent a jump of around 20%. It will only mean something substantial if the next count is also of a similar number next time but it is encouraging when all the other counts were almost stagnant.

Oh well it will be good to see what August will net as that will be the final month of Winter in Brisbane!If Brisbane is truly to hot to ride in, the Winter months should see numbers swelling but so far that is not the case.

Kurilpa Bridge Count 20120723

Time = 7:25-8:05am

Total = 114

Sex

Male = 94 (82%)

Female = 20 (18%)

Bike Type

Road = 48 (42%)

Other* = 66 (58%)

Bike per Sex

Male Road = 44 (46%)

Male Other* = 50 (54%)

                        5 citycycle included

Female Road = 4 (20%)

Female Other* = 16 (80%)

* = any bike that is not fitted with drop bar Handle Bars

General Note

-                      Not all bikes passing were able to be counted

-                      This count did not include pedestrians

-                      This count includes cyclists going both North and South

-                      Due this count occurring 10minutes later than the original figures are not directly comparable.

-                      This count was conducted at the peak of the bridge

-                      The weather was clear skies and cool temperature.

Goodwill Bridge Count 20120724

Time = 7:25-8:05am

Total = 374

Sex

Male = 310 (82%)

Female = 64 (18%)

Bike Type

Road = 162 (43%)

Other* = 221 (57%)

Bike per Sex

Male Road = 143 (46%)

Male Other* = 167 (54%)

                        2 citycycle included

Female Road = 19 (30%)

Female Other* = 45 (70%)

                        2 citycycle included

* = any bike that is not fitted with drop bar Handle Bars

General Note

-                      Not all bikes passing were able to be counted

-                      This count did not include pedestrians

-                      This count includes cyclists going both North and South

-                      Due to this count beginning 10minutes later then the Bicentennial count the figures cannot be directly compared.

-                      This count was conducted at the peak of the bridge

      -             The weather was clear skies and cool temperature.

 

Bicentennial Bikeway Count 20120725

Time = 7:20-8:00am

Total = 445

Sex

Male = 376 (83%)

Female = 69 (17%)

Bike Type

Road = 211 (47%)

Other* = 234 (53%)

Bike per Sex

Male Road = 198 (53%)

Male Other* = 178 (47%)

                        5 citycycles included

Female Road = 13 (39%)

Female Other* = 56 (61%)

                        4 citycycles included

* = any bike that is not fitted with drop bar Handle Bars

General Note

-                      Not all bike passing were able to be counted

-                      This count did not include pedestrian

-                      This count includes cyclists going both east and west

-                      This count was conducted just west of the Hale Street Bridge with counter sitting in the shade under the Overpass

-                      Between 30-50% of road cyclists were in groups or seamed to be out riding for exercise and not commuting

-                      Due to the count was conducted 5 mins earlier than previous counts and is not directly comparable

-                      The weather was clear skies and cool to brisk temperature

South East Bikeway Count 20120726

Time = 7:25-8:05am

Total = 210

Sex

Male = 169 (80%)

Female = 41 (20%)

Bike Type

Road = 69 (33%)

Other* = 141 (67%)

Bike per Sex

Male Road = 56 (33%)

Male Other* = 113 (67%)

Female Road = 13 (32%)

Female Other* = 28 (68%)

* = any bike that is not fitted with drop bar Handle Bars

General Note

-                      Not all bikes passing were able to be counted

-                      This count did not include pedestrians as they are not permitted on the bikeway

-                      This count includes cyclists going both North and South

-                      Due to this count beginning 10minutes later then the Bicentennial count the figures can not be directly compared.

-                      This count was conducted under the Vulture St overpass

-                      The weather was clear skies and cool to brisk temperature.

 

Normanby Ped/Cycle Link Count 20120727

Time = 7:25-8:05am

Total = 104

Sex

Male = 85 (82%)

Female = 19 (18%)

Bike Type

Road = 33 (32%)

Other* = 71 (68%)

Bike per Sex

Male Road = 30 (35%)

Male Other* = 55 (65%)

Female Road = 3 (16%)

Female Other* = 16 (84%)

* = any bike that is not fitted with drop bar Handle Bars

General Note

-                      Not all bikes passing were able to be counted

-                      This count did not include pedestrians

-                      This count includes cyclists going both North and South

-                      Due to this count beginning 10minutes later then the Bicentennial count the figures can not be directly compared.

-                      This count was conducted at the southern end of link were it joins Parkland boulevard

-                      The weather was clear skies and cool temperature.

Bikeway Counts

Once again I have got some figures from peak hour bikeway counts. Like always these figures are quite interesting as they are broken into groups compared with the figures that come from the government which are just raw bulk numbers. While these numbers by no means show how many people overall are using the Bikeways like the government figures do they give a feeling of who is using in what proportions.

This time the counts have included 5 links into the CBD

• Bicentennial Bikeway
• South East Bikeway
• Normanby Ped/cycle Link
• Kurilpa Bridge
• Goodwill Bridge

The first thing that stands out with these figures is that Bicentennial Bikeway is the busiest corridor out of them all. The figure given equals to 11 bikes every minute passing the counter. It is also the only bikeway where road bikes near making up half the traffic. This easily brakes the stereotype that commuters have to ride road bikes.

Another thing that stands out from these counts is the low number of women riding bikes. In the Queensland Government own document "Queensland Cycling Strategy 2011-2021" it clearly states that men out number women 4 to 1. What is depressing about these counts is that these figures are reinforced. It would be expected that on separated infrastructure as where the counts occurred the proportion of female cyclists may be a fraction higher but unfortunately no. It has to be said just like in the document, Brisbane is lacking safe cycling infrastructure as women cyclists are the clearest indicator of that. In the Netherlands women account for 55% of people riding bikes because they are and feel safe.

The biggest surprise of the counts is the Kurilpa Bridge. While a heavily used bridge and the newest of the two Ped/cycle Bridges the bicycle numbers were quite low. These could of been due to the count occurring on a Monday or due to the count starting a little to early in the morning as apparently it got busier as the count went on.

It will be good to see what the next count may bring in figures are the chill of winter has finally reached Brissy and single figure night temperatures are once again beginning to set in.

Bicentennial Bikeway Count 20120516

Time = 7:20-8:00am

Total = 452

Sex

Male = 360 (80%)

Female = 92 (20%)

Bike Type

Road = 195 (43%)

Other* = 257 (57%)

Bike per Sex

Male Road = 175 (49%)

Male Other* = 185 (51%)

                        8 citycycles included

Female Road = 20 (22%)

Female Other* = 72 (78%)

                        6 citycycles included

* = any bike that is not fitted with drop bar Handle Bars

General Note

-                      Not all bike passing were able to be counted

-                      This count did not include pedestrian

-                      This count includes cyclists going both east and west

-                      This count was conducted just west of the Hale Street Bridge with counter sitting in the shade under the Overpass

-                      Between 30-50% of road cyclists were in groups or seamed to be out riding for exercise and not commuting

-                      Due to the count was conducted 5 mins later then previous counts and is not directly comparable

-                      The weather was clear skies and cool to brisk temperature

 

South East Bikeway Count 20120517

Time = 7:25-8:05am

Total = 223

Sex

Male = 180 (81%)

Female = 43 (19%)

Bike Type

Road = 73 (33%)

Other* = 150 (67%)

Bike per Sex

Male Road = 63 (35%)

Male Other* = 117 (65%)

Female Road = 10 (23%)

Female Other* = 33 (77%)

* = any bike that is not fitted with drop bar Handle Bars

General Note

-                      Not all bikes passing were able to be counted

-                      This count did not include pedestrians as they are not permitted on the bikeway

-                      This count includes cyclists going both North and South

-                      Due to this count beginning 10minutes later then the Bicentennial count the figures can not be directly compared.

-                      This count was conducted under the Vulture St overpass

-                      The weather was clear skies and cool to brisk temperature.

 

Normanby Ped/Cycle Link Count 20120518

Time = 7:25-8:05am

Total = 105

Sex

Male = 82 (78%)

Female = 23 (22%)

Bike Type

Road = 41 (39%)

Other* = 64 (61%)

Bike per Sex

Male Road = 34 (41%)

Male Other* = 48 (59%)

Female Road = 7 (30%)

Female Other* = 16 (70%)

* = any bike that is not fitted with drop bar Handle Bars

General Note

-                      Not all bikes passing were able to be counted

-                      This count did not include pedestrians

-                      This count includes cyclists going both North and South

-                      Due to this count beginning 10minutes later then the Bicentennial count the figures can not be directly compared.

-                      This count was conducted at the southern end of link were it joins Parkland boulevard

-                      The weather was clear skies and cool temperature.

Kurilpa Bridge Count 20120521

Time = 7:15-7:55am

Total = 97

Sex

Male = 74 (76%)

Female = 23 (24%)

Bike Type

Road = 36 (37%)

Other* = 61 (63%)

Bike per Sex

Male Road = 27 (36%)

Male Other* = 47 (64%)

                        4 citycycle included

Female Road = 9 (39%)

Female Other* = 14 (61%)

                        1 citycycle included

* = any bike that is not fitted with drop bar Handle Bars

General Note

-                      Not all bikes passing were able to be counted

-                      This count did not include pedestrians

-                      This count includes cyclists going both North and South

-                      Due to numbers increasing latter during count, future counts will be conducted at a later time in the future (approx. 10min).

-                      This count was conducted at the peak of the bridge

-                      The weather was clear skies and cool temperature.

Goodwill Bridge Count 20120522

Time = 7:25-8:05am

Total = 388

Sex

Male = 316 (81%)

Female = 72 (19%)

Bike Type

Road = 146 (38%)

Other* = 242 (62%)

Bike per Sex

Male Road = 125 (40%)

Male Other* = 191 (60%)

                        4 citycycle included

Female Road = 21 (29%)

Female Other* = 51 (71%)

                        2 citycycle included

* = any bike that is not fitted with drop bar Handle Bars

General Note

-                      Not all bikes passing were able to be counted

-                      This count did not include pedestrians

-                      This count includes cyclists going both North and South

-                      Due to this count beginning 10minutes later then the Bicentennial count the figures cannot be directly compared.

-                      This count was conducted at the peak of the bridge

-                      The weather was clear skies and cool temperature.

State Gov - Worries me

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/cyclists-fear-offtrack-government-20120514-1ymsa.html

I have to say this article in Brisbane Times last week worries me.

During the State election the LNP made no public policy on what they would be doing with regard to cycling and cycling infrastructure. This is of concern as it means they can not be held to acount on what they may or may not do with regard to cycling. Now the LNP is the Government of Queensland and we still do not know what they think of cycling.

During the last term of Labor as Government an important policy was enacted. This policy is the "Cycling Infrastructure Policy". This policy calls for cycling infrastructure to be called for when ever a transport infrastructure project is to built. This is very important as many times in the past cycling has been left out creating a major barrier to people being able to cycle. Many times these projects have blocked the retro-fitting of cycling infrastructure due the massive extra cost of coming back and making good of what should of been done in the first place.

A key project where retro fitting is going to cost a furtune is the South East Transit Bikeway now know as the Veloway 1 Cycleway. The South East Transit bikeway was to be built in conjuction with the South East Transit Busway (South East Busway). Now to the project team credit key parts of the project were built but all bridge sections were left out. Now this resulted in a mass of concrete path that runs besides the busway but is unable to be used. Anyone that uses the SE Busway would see this and have no idea what it is or what it is meant for as all bridge sections of the project were not built. The then Labor government said that it would be built in a later stage as the Busway was running over cost at the time. Well the final cost of the busway came in at $452 million. to complete the bikeway would of cost $20 million from what people had told me. Less than 5 years latter the cost of completing the bikeway had balloned to $60 million. The South East Transit Bikeway was to be a true arterial bikeway fast at busway level for the most part. Assuming a fast rider (30kmph) was to use it it would of meant they would be able to reach the edge of the Brisbane CBD within 30 minutes. A time that would of been very competitive with the Bus services themselves which take around 20mins.

Another Project were this policy would of been a great help is Airport Link. Under this policy it would of meant that the Northern Bikeway with which I have posted about would of been built. If it had not of been built the corridor would of been reserved meaning faster installation when it was built.

So what is at risk if this policy is removed. The first bikeway that may be at risk is the Moretan Bay Bikeway which is due to run beside the new Redcliffe Railway. Another Bikeway that is at risk is the new sections of Centenary Bikeway which is due to run along the new Springfeild Railway which is currently under constuction. Both projects run along corridors that are identified in the SE Qld cycling plan. If this policy is reversed it will not only result in missing links in the bikeway network but substandard bikeways when the links are filled as they will cost far more then they would of in the first place.

South East Bikeway

As I commented yesterday there is only two Active Transport arterials in Brisbane.  The same bloke that did the count for the Bicentennial went out and did a count on the South East Bikeway this morning, figures can be seen below.

Unlike the Bicentennial Bikeway, the South East Bikeway is not dual mode, it is a bike only bikeway. While there are sections where it is shared these are the old non arterial parts of the bikeway that will eventually be bypassed with new high quality sections. This of course has it's good and bad sides. The main bad side to this is because pedestrians can not access it people have a poor understanding of the corridor ( that is of course if they do not get on a bike) Also because the corridor has no pedestrians on it, it get next to no media attention. This is ofcourse a good and a bad thing.

Currently the non arterial parts of the bikeway are planned to be replaced with High Quality bypasses. I will talk more about them in later postings.

The figures from this morning are quite interesting. First of all the figure for women is still well below the figure for men  at 4 to 1. The other fact that is quite interesting is that road bikes are out numbered 2 to 1 by other bikes. This is a swap compared with the Bicentennial where the road bikes made the majority. The later can be put down to two things in my mind.
1st- the South East is more a commuter path and lacking in views
2nd - many parts are still very rough and narrow not leanding themselves to bunch riding with road bikes

South East Bikeway Count 20120105

Time = 7:25-8:05am

Total = 185

Sex

Male = 148.5** (80%)

Female = 36.5** (20%)

Bike Type

Road = 65 (35%)

Other* = 120 (65%)

Bike per Sex

Male Road = 53 (36%)

Male Other* = 95.5 (64%)

Female Road = 12 (33%)

Female Other* = 24.5 (67%)

* = any bike that is not fitted with drop bar Handle Bars

.5**= indicates a tandem bike with both a male and female riding it

General Note

-                     Not all bikes passing were able to be counted

-                     This count did not include pedestrians as they are not permitted on the bikeway

-                     This count includes cyclists going both North and South

-                     Due to this count beginning 10minutes later then the Bicentennial count the figures can not be directly compared.

-                     This count was conducted under the

Vulture St

overpass

-                     The weather was overcast with drizzle and moderate temperature but high humidity