Council says locals don’t want more concrete on suburban streets. But this family does

2 hours ago 3

Two in five Brisbane streets have no footpaths at all – a proportion that has been stagnant for years.

In fact, out of the more than 15,000 streets owned and managed by Brisbane City Council, only 1892 have footpaths on both sides.

Last week, we revealed the Brisbane hotspots for crumbling, cracked and broken footpaths. But for some families, the problem is different.

Sarah Hanley says more walkable streets would help families stay active without compromising safety.

Brisbane mum Sarah Hanley has three young boys, and they like to walk or ride on their daily commute. Their trip to school includes 1.3 kilometres next to a busy main road, with six lanes of traffic.

“Unfortunately, footpaths are poorly maintained and drivers frequently fail to give way to pedestrians crossing driveways,” Hanley said.

“This part of our walk is tense and unpleasant, though we are fortunate enough to enjoy a safer and more peaceful experience along the bikeway remainder of the journey.”

Danita Parry, the acting chair of council’s infrastructure committee, said councillors regularly asked residents about building more footpaths – and it was not always supported.

“They tell us they would prefer to keep their leafy streets with trees, grass and gardens rather than opt for more concrete,” Parry said.

“While we’re keen to deliver more footpaths where residents want them, many of the remaining streets without footpaths are in smaller and quieter residential areas that have significant trees.

“It’s about striking the right balance so we’re providing footpaths where residents want them, like near schools, shops and public transport, while protecting the tree-lined character of our suburbs.”

Parry said there were thousands of kilometres of footpaths in Brisbane, and the council had delivered almost 60,000 square metres of new and reconstructed footpaths in the past two years.

The Hanleys’ walk from school to childcare is through quieter residential streets, but half the route does not have footpaths at all.

That presents a challenge when pushing a pram, and for her now three-year-old who is learning to ride a balance bike.

“During peak hours, we often have to step into the road to navigate around cars parked across their driveways or lawns roped off for grass regeneration,” she said.

“We would love to be able to enjoy our neighbourhood without the constant worry of uneven or non-existent paths and unsafe crossings.”

LNP councillors took to social media recently to celebrate almost 30,000sqm of footpaths being resurfaced or built in the past financial year. Asked for a breakdown, the council said that figure was made up of 5076sqm of new footpaths, and 24,696sqm reconstructed.

The council no longer keeps its footpath data in kilometres, but based on a minimum width of 1.2 metres, it would have laid 4.23 kilometres of new footpaths in Brisbane over the past year, and 20.58 kilometres of reconstructed footpaths.

New footpaths are delivered by councillors through their $568,000 annual suburban enhancement fund, based on consultation with residents.

Queensland Walks executive officer Anna Campbell said Brisbane invested in the Metro and Kangaroo Point bridge, and the next step was making sure the walking network was reliable.

“While we appreciate that some residents like to maintain the council-owned verge with lawn and trees, we can successfully incorporate connected and accessible paths and include shading and cooling properties,” she said.

“Verges are owned by council, and we would hate to hear that council has prioritised one resident’s wishes rather than ensuring that a mother can push the pram, kids can safely get to school or a wheelchair user can participate in employment or daily activities.”

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.