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

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

Police had fined bike riders $464 for exceeding the 10km/h limit on 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 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 to the Goodwill Bridge, where pedestrians are encouraged to walk on the outside edges and e-scooter and bike riders in the middle.

At present, pedestrians 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.

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

A second department spokesman later added that the planning was in the final stages.

In addition to new speed signage, he said: “It is proposed line markings and traffic symbols will be applied to delineate the central three metres of the bridge, aiming to reinforce existing user behaviour, where pedestrians walk along the outer edges and cyclists travel along the centre.”

The work is due to be finished by year’s end, and temporary bridge closures will be scheduled for outside peak times.

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, with bikes and e-scooters confined to the middle.

Bicycle Queensland director of advocacy Andrew Demack said it welcomed soft separation on the Kurilpa Bridge, with green paint to indicate a riding area.

“The central option is a great fit for how walkers and riders use the bridges across the river, as it allows pedestrians to easily cross from one side to the other to see the views, while riders can transit through the middle,” he said.

“Given pedestrians will always have priority in shared spaces like this, the soft separation with a green painted area for riders in the centre would be the best fit.”

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.”

NSW research proposed that the segregation of different user groups would be the most effective way to boost the capacity of a shared pathway, 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 through South Bank.