New paint job to clear up walking and riding confusion on city bridge

5 hours ago 1

An inner-city car-free bridge will finally get paint to separate walkers and riders of e-scooters and bikes more than one year after its speed limit was raised above jogging speed.

Police had fined bike riders $464 for exceeding the 10km/h limit on the Kurilpa Bridge before the state government said it would raise the speed limit to 20km/h, to mirror rules on the Goodwill Bridge.

A CCTV study found that while the 10km/h limit was almost universally ignored on the Kurilpa Bridge – which links South Bank with Tank Street in the CBD – most interactions between riders and walkers did not seem to be disconcerting or uncomfortable.

Signs indicating the previous 10km/h speed limit on the Kurilpa Bridge have been painted over on the concrete, but the black markings have worn down.

Signs were updated to reflect the faster speed limit in April 2024, and 10km/h pavement markings blacked out, although they had slowly worn away.

The state government said last year the central three metres of the Kurilpa Bridge would be coloured with “soft segregation”, similar the Goodwill Bridge where pedestrians are encouraged to walk on the outside edges and e-scooter and bike riders in the middle.

At present, walkers tend to either walk in the middle or outside as they enjoy the view or seek shade or protection from the rain, with riders needing to weave around them.

The Kangaroo Point Bridge uses green paint to indicate that walkers stick to one side, and cyclists to the other.

However, in response to a letter from the Brisbane CBD Bicycle User Group, a Public Works Department public servant said the department was preparing to improve markings on the bridge.

“[This] will include the update of speed signage, plus the addition of soft segregation markings between pedestrians and cyclists to further enhance safety for the users of the bridge,” he said.

The Kangaroo Point Bridge uses paint to encourage pedestrians to walk in both directions on one side of the bridge, under the shade cover, whereas the Goodwill Bridge has pedestrians walk on the outside lanes of the bridge, with bikes and e-scooters confined to the middle lanes.

Queensland Walks executive officer Anna Campbell said the Kurilpa Bridge was an important link for people walking into the Roma Street end of North Quay and the GOMA and State Library precinct, and she welcomed the clearer definition of spaces.

“As with any space, we encourage all riders and walkers to continue to be very careful,” she said.

“People make mistakes and sometimes their reaction times are not as quick, or they are unfamiliar with our city.

“Riding more slowly will allow for mistakes. Slow down, be predictable and enjoy the view.”

On the Goodwill Bridge, the walking lanes are on the outside, and the cycling and e-scooter lanes are on the inside.

Research from NSW proposed segregation of different user groups was the most effective way to increase their capacity to use a shared path, and most surveyed cyclists and pedestrians preferred segregated paths.

Fewer people use the Kurilpa Bridge compared with the Goodwill or Victoria bridges – but it also has an awkward connection through a 10km/h non-segregated shared zone with pedestrians, e-scooter users and bike riders through South Bank.

The Public Works Department was contacted for comment.