Similar to Nundah, this proposal sends through traffic underground so the surface road (in this case Stanley Street) can be turned into a main street (not to be confused with Main Street, Woolloongabba ).
Iâm unsure how positive to be about road sinking projects like this. On one hand it does help create walkable neighbourhoods and remove stroads. On the other hand, it does represent more money for roads instead of public transport, and I wonder if similar benefits could be realised by simply taking away lanes for car traffic. But I suppose doing that would create a backlash because many people still want to drive absolutely everywhere, so maybe this is the best we can do for the moment.
We can reduce car traffic, and sink Stanley St. Unfortunately, it will cost money. Stanley St is now 4-5 lanes. Make the tunnel 2. Reduce the surface road to three: a divided pedestrian and cycle lane, a bus lane, and a general traffic lane.
Just to point out, this proposal to âsinkâ Stanley Street isnât proposing any tunnelling, it looks like they intend to funnel the general traffic through the already sunk busway corridor, retaining a very narrow bus corridor beside it - a corridor that doesnât look to be wide enough to accommodate the âMetro stationâ they indicate will be there.
I also have doubts as to how much land they can free up by doing this. Using the busway, I donât think traffic would get down deep enough to build over by Gibbon Street as they indicate - I personally think it wouldnât be until part way to Hubert Street. And then you have to consider where the roadway has to start rising to get high enough to pass over the SE Busway and be at street level for the Leopard Street intersection. I think it might have to start earlier than Reid Street like they suggest.
Dedicated bus paths are always good, but I would question whether they need to go underneath. When the Gabba is redeveloped you could probably just run them along the surface next to Stanley Street. It would mean waiting for lights at Mains Road but it would be a much cheaper solution and would still speed buses up a lot.
We worked with Inertia on this concept. We pushed the metro/bus station platforms to the west of the busway corridor (where the bus parking is currently).
The main idea was to repurpose the busway corridor as a tunnel and to include traffic from Stanley Street within it (overcoming the fragmentation of Woolloongabbaâs commercial heart). By doing this, it enables:
A renewed low-speed pedestrian-centric âhigh streetâ (main neighbourhood centre street) on the old Stanley Street alignment
An uninterrupted public domain from the âhigh streetâ across to the new arena
A new food and beverage precinct to flank the old commercial street, supporting the new arena.
This podcast goes into depth about the Woolloongabba Village vision, aiming to transform it from âan isolated bypass precinct into a connected, vibrant destination.â
Definitely enjoyed it as it combed through the masterplan - overpasses/green bridges over arterial roads, Stanley St busway and Stanley St to be co-located to create a public realm above, extending the South Bank Arbor to Woolloongabba for shade, and the economic opportunity for mixed-use developments (shopping/residential/dining/entertainment) on the site.
I think if all were to be realized, itâd make Woolloongabba a Brisbane landmark thatâd be in everyoneâs itinerary. Along with James St, Cultural Centre, Mt Cootha, Howard Smith Wharves, etc. The only thing Iâd be sad to see go away is the iconic Woolloongabba busway canyon.. hahaâŚ
But for now, the only thing that comes to my mind when I think Woolloongabba is poor walkability despite being 2km from the CBD, and the name of a forgotten busway station that teeters on the SE busway fringe.
Youâre not wrong. The complete prioritisation of car movements along Ipswich Road or Stanley is at such a detriment to the local shops, bars and restaurants. That whole area could be something really special if giant roads and cars didnât completely dominate the urban realm and placemaking.
At the bare minimum, it could use a few more trees between the bus station and Logan Road.
Sinking the road is nice, but what would be really revolutionary is if we stop making it easy for people to drive in this area at all. The mere presence of road space at high speed limits gets more people driving instead of taking public transport. But our societyâs obsession with the car makes it unlikely for any major party politician to advocate for this.
Agree but unlikely given the current Government and BCC are both opposed to these ideas and all the Advancing Qld material emphasises cars getting people home safely faster. Which given the increase in deaths in Qld this year and last, the data is saying theyâre mostly doing this by killing pedestrians and cyclists. Calling for greater compliance is a moot point because most 40 zones in the CBD have zero enforcement conducted.
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