Residents and businesses along the proposed final stage of a cycle route in Brisbane's north fear it will only make a congested area even more dangerous and rob a major transport hub of commuter car parks.
Designs have been released for the North Brisbane Bikeway (NBB): Price Street to Kedron Brook project between Dickson Street, Wooloowin and Jackson streets, Clayfield.
The preferred route shown on Brisbane City Council's (BCC) website shows a two-way, separated bikeway on Dickson Street and Bonney Avenue, connecting the North Brisbane Bikeway stage four at Price Street with Junction Road.
A set of traffic lights would enable cyclists and scooter riders to cross Junction Road at Keith Street, which, along with Sydney and Jackson streets, would be turned into a green street with a limit of 40kph, traffic calming devices and a roundabout.
Cyclists would ride down Jackson Street to connect to the Kedron Brook Bikeway.
Arterial road crossing to hurt businesses
BCC plans show two crossing options over Dickson Street to enable the bikeway to connect with a new Junction Road/Keith Street crossing.
The crossings will give cyclists priority and operate with signals.
BCC said it had "minimised parking loss wherever possible for both options on Dickson Street and Bonney Avenue" and latest plans showed about 30 parks would be removed from the area.
Aquariums R Us owner Darryl Leighton said one of the proposed crossings was outside his business and would make truck deliveries difficult, remove parks used by customers and create congestion.
"There was very little parking before we started this business, now they want to take out parking along one side of the street," Mr Leighton said.
"[Dickson Street] has to be 60kph because it's an arterial road, but at the same time they're trying to close it off for bikes.
"People who use this street are just transients. They are parking just to use the train [at Eagle Junction station], now we're giving up parking to people who are just riding through."
Other businesses in the affected area feared a drastic loss in customers who might find it more difficult to access their premises.
Brisbane North Bicycle Users Group (BUG) spokesman Stephen Wisenthal said his group, which advocates for cyclists, was not responsible for the design but welcomed creating safer places for those on two wheels.
He said any other route would "cause much more disruption and be much less direct".
The group is hosting a community ride through the proposed route on Sunday.
"There is millions of dollars worth of bikeway from Toombul north through to the airport.
"It's not about people in lycra, they're prepared to cycle on roads anyway. It's about people cycling to shops, to cafes, it's for people who aren't prepared to cycle because they think it's dangerous."
Commuter car parks lost
Across busy Junction Road, residents were just as vocal but said the lack of consultation was the most worrying aspect of the project.
Sydney Street homeowner Mal Peters organised a petition signed by 1,000 people opposed to the final stage of the NBB traversing Keith, Sydney and Jackson streets.
The quiet, leafy roads are full each day with cars from those who use the train, visit local businesses, or from parents walking children to school or day care.
"We've had incredible support from the region, [Eagle Junction] is a major commuter station in north Brisbane and there would be hundreds of commuters displaced every day," Mr Peters said.
"The biggest problem was the way the decision making went. This isn't a righteous answer, this is an answer that suits certain people.
Kalina Pyra, who rides recreationally and whose husband cycles for exercise, said there was no opposition to cyclists using the streets.
However, she too was angered at the lack of consultation with residents.
Ms Pyra also described plans for extra lighting, a roundabout at Park Avenue and Sydney Street, speed bumps and specific lanes for cyclists as "over engineering".
"People ride up and down [Sydney Street] anyway, every day. I understand they want a safe place to do that, my husband is riding too and I want him to be safe, but we don't need speed bumps," she said.
"It is a quiet street, it's a safe street, my kids used to ride bikes up and down it."
Cost-effective option for cyclists
Brisbane North BUG's Mr Wisenthal agreed cyclists already used Sydney and Jackson streets but said "very little" needed to be done to make them safer for all road users.
"This little connection will have as much benefit as one of [BCC's] green bridges for a fraction of the cost. It would be an embarrassment not to do it," he said.
"It's the only viable connection to the airport that's likely to be finished before the Olympics. You could use Nudgee Road but that is a death trap."
BCC's transport committee chairman councillor Ryan Murphy said the council had "received a large amount of feedback from the community during recent consultation on the North Brisbane Bikeway".
"More than 1,000 submissions were made, including more than 800 online surveys completed," he said.
"An update will be provided once the community feedback on the North Brisbane Bikeway has been assessed, it's important to carefully consider all of the feedback local residents and businesses are telling us.
"Our first priority is re-opening our bikeways following the flood event and making them safe."
