Story Bridge protesters hit back at ‘illegal' claim as dispute heads to court
After mediation last week failed to resolve the issue, a magistrate will on Thursday be asked to decide whether to keep or change the protest's time or location, and whether it should go ahead.
In a post on social media, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said experts ruled out closing lanes on the Story Bridge for cyclists and pedestrians because the footpaths were about three metres wide on both sides, meaning about six metres would be required to carry the normal volume of pedestrians, cyclists and scooter users.
'The traffic lanes on the bridge are only 3.1 metres wide, and if you add water-filled barriers [required for safety] this would take up at least 0.6 metres and leave only around 2.5 metres available for pedestrians, cyclists and scooter users travelling in both directions,' the post read.
'As a result, two traffic lanes would need to be closed.'
Schrinner said closing two of the bridge's six lanes would cause widespread traffic issues on the Riverside Expressway, Inner City Bypass, Wynnum and Gympie roads, and Stanley and Vulture streets.
The Space 4 Cycling group has claimed while the footpaths were three metres wide on blueprints, they had been narrowed by the safety railing, and parts of the footpath were between just more than two metres and 2.4 metres wide at several points.
They said if one of the 3.1-metre outer lanes was turned into an active travel path, a row of 560mm barriers would leave a 2.54m shared path 'which would be wider than what we have been using for decades'.
Good said protesters would comply with any court orders made.
In April, cyclists protested by riding across the Story Bridge in one traffic lane, escorted by police cars, on a Saturday, but Good said it 'didn't work – there was no response from council'.
'What we're trying to point out with this protest is how much of a disparate response there is between closing the bridge for one hour for cars versus closing the bridge for months on end, with no end in sight for active transport users,' she said.
Loading
Just two days after their planned protest, the Story Bridge will be closed to all traffic on Sunday for seven hours – from 4am to 11am – so people can run across it during the Brisbane Marathon.
There is no date for when the footpaths will reopen, although Schrinner said the first stage would be footpath repairs, with a potential temporary structure floated, and former users are directed on a lengthy detour via the Kangaroo Point Bridge and busy CBD streets, or a bus or ferry.
A business case for the full bridge restoration is not due until 2027.
Good said the proposed detour through the city was 'really unsafe' and much longer, and she had heard of two crashes.
'The section along the Riverwalk is pretty narrow at points, there's usually crowds of pedestrians trying to get on and off ferries, trying to go in and out of restaurants – it's just a nightmare to get through,' she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
4 days ago
- The Age
‘Budget Bjelke-Petersen': Organiser lashes lord mayor as court blocks Story Bridge protest
A protest organiser has labelled Brisbane's lord mayor 'budget Bjelke-Petersen' after a protest that would have shut down all six traffic lanes on the Story Bridge during peak hour was blocked by a court ruling. Protesters had lodged a notice of intention of the protest on May 20, making it an authorised action under the Peaceful Assembly Act, for a one-hour walk across the bridge on Friday from 8am to draw attention to their calls for Brisbane City Council to allocate one car lane to pedestrian, cyclist and scooter traffic while the footpaths were repaired. The Story Bridge footpaths – used by about 4000 walkers, bike and scooter riders daily – were closed on March 5, with reports later revealing parts of the bridge were an 'extreme risk' to the public, while council has called for cash from the state and federal governments to restore it. Mediation efforts last week failed, and police took the matter to Brisbane Magistrates Court, with the support of the council. Prosecutor Acting Senior Sergeant Donna Kay said closing the bridge during peak hour would cause 'mass disruption'. In making his ruling, magistrate Ross Mack pointed to disruptions for thousands of commuters if the protest went ahead. Kathryn Good, who lodged notice of the protest and was self-represented, told the court she understood the protest would cause disruption, but pointed to numerous other times the Story Bridge was shut, including for seven hours this Sunday for the Brisbane Marathon. Mack asked a Brisbane City Council solicitor when the footpaths would be reopened, and he replied: 'I don't have those instructions'. A business case for the full bridge restoration is not due until 2027, but the council plans to work on a temporary footpath replacement first.
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Budget Bjelke-Petersen': Organiser lashes lord mayor as court blocks Story Bridge protest
A protest organiser has labelled Brisbane's lord mayor 'budget Bjelke-Petersen' after a protest that would have shut down all six traffic lanes on the Story Bridge during peak hour was blocked by a court ruling. Protesters had lodged a notice of intention of the protest on May 20, making it an authorised action under the Peaceful Assembly Act, for a one-hour walk across the bridge on Friday from 8am to draw attention to their calls for Brisbane City Council to allocate one car lane to pedestrian, cyclist and scooter traffic while the footpaths were repaired. The Story Bridge footpaths – used by about 4000 walkers, bike and scooter riders daily – were closed on March 5, with reports later revealing parts of the bridge were an 'extreme risk' to the public, while council has called for cash from the state and federal governments to restore it. Mediation efforts last week failed, and police took the matter to Brisbane Magistrates Court, with the support of the council. Prosecutor Acting Senior Sergeant Donna Kay said closing the bridge during peak hour would cause 'mass disruption'. In making his ruling, magistrate Ross Mack pointed to disruptions for thousands of commuters if the protest went ahead. Kathryn Good, who lodged notice of the protest and was self-represented, told the court she understood the protest would cause disruption, but pointed to numerous other times the Story Bridge was shut, including for seven hours this Sunday for the Brisbane Marathon. Mack asked a Brisbane City Council solicitor when the footpaths would be reopened, and he replied: 'I don't have those instructions'. A business case for the full bridge restoration is not due until 2027, but the council plans to work on a temporary footpath replacement first.
The Age
5 days ago
- The Age
Story Bridge protesters hit back at ‘illegal' claim as dispute heads to court
After mediation last week failed to resolve the issue, a magistrate will on Thursday be asked to decide whether to keep or change the protest's time or location, and whether it should go ahead. In a post on social media, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said experts ruled out closing lanes on the Story Bridge for cyclists and pedestrians because the footpaths were about three metres wide on both sides, meaning about six metres would be required to carry the normal volume of pedestrians, cyclists and scooter users. 'The traffic lanes on the bridge are only 3.1 metres wide, and if you add water-filled barriers [required for safety] this would take up at least 0.6 metres and leave only around 2.5 metres available for pedestrians, cyclists and scooter users travelling in both directions,' the post read. 'As a result, two traffic lanes would need to be closed.' Schrinner said closing two of the bridge's six lanes would cause widespread traffic issues on the Riverside Expressway, Inner City Bypass, Wynnum and Gympie roads, and Stanley and Vulture streets. The Space 4 Cycling group has claimed while the footpaths were three metres wide on blueprints, they had been narrowed by the safety railing, and parts of the footpath were between just more than two metres and 2.4 metres wide at several points. They said if one of the 3.1-metre outer lanes was turned into an active travel path, a row of 560mm barriers would leave a 2.54m shared path 'which would be wider than what we have been using for decades'. Good said protesters would comply with any court orders made. In April, cyclists protested by riding across the Story Bridge in one traffic lane, escorted by police cars, on a Saturday, but Good said it 'didn't work – there was no response from council'. 'What we're trying to point out with this protest is how much of a disparate response there is between closing the bridge for one hour for cars versus closing the bridge for months on end, with no end in sight for active transport users,' she said. Loading Just two days after their planned protest, the Story Bridge will be closed to all traffic on Sunday for seven hours – from 4am to 11am – so people can run across it during the Brisbane Marathon. There is no date for when the footpaths will reopen, although Schrinner said the first stage would be footpath repairs, with a potential temporary structure floated, and former users are directed on a lengthy detour via the Kangaroo Point Bridge and busy CBD streets, or a bus or ferry. A business case for the full bridge restoration is not due until 2027. Good said the proposed detour through the city was 'really unsafe' and much longer, and she had heard of two crashes. 'The section along the Riverwalk is pretty narrow at points, there's usually crowds of pedestrians trying to get on and off ferries, trying to go in and out of restaurants – it's just a nightmare to get through,' she said.
