Stage D of the Veloway 1 (V1), an infrastructure project delivered by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, is now underway. When finished, the V1 will connect cyclists from Brisbane City to the Gateway Motorway at Eight Mile Plains. This project has been divided into five stages and right now, three stages are already completed and in use.
Stage D Completion
(Photo credit: www.tmr.qld.gov.au)
Stage D, presently under construction, is scheduled to be completed by October 2017. It will run from Lewisham Street, Greenslopes to O’Keefe Street, Buranda. The Queensland Government has just announced a dedicated budget of $3.7 million for 2017-2018 out of the total $23.7 million proposed investment for the construction.
Stage D is divided into four sections, with completed sections 1, 2, and 4 that will only be in use once the ongoing Section 3 construction is completed. Other completed and upcoming stages of the V1 development can be viewed on Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads’ official website.
Read: Veloway 1 Stage D Plan
“Better Bikeways 4 Brisbane”
(Photo credit: www.pensar.com.au)
The V1 Project is a part of the $100-million, four-year Better Bikeways 4 Brisbane program that aims to extend Brisbane’s network of bikeways to provide ease of access to different destinations, especially the Central Business District. The BB4B program was launched by the Brisbane City Council in 2016.
Benefits and Advantages
(Photo credit: www.space4cyclingbne.com)
The V1 project will successfully provide dedicated roads for cyclists that will ensure their safety and security. The 17-kilometre cycleway also promotes an active and healthy lifestyle. Cycling provides cardio benefits, and aids in strength conditioning, weight loss, and injury recovery.
Cycling to work, instead of just sitting in a car or on a bus, will be easier with the V1 project. With “Better Bikeways 4 Brisbane”, the community will be encouraged to walk or cycle. Over the last four years, South East Queensland has had a 12% increase in vehicle registrations that has contributed to greater congestion. The construction of the V1 will be able to reduce the number of vehicles on road; therefore, decreasing the congestion and decreasing the travel time from point A to point B, either via bicycle or car.
In a bid to study traffic and movement patters, eco-counters have been installed in some areas of the inner city, to monitor the volume of cyclists and pedestrians and help the Council understand how people are travelling. The data will be used in planning, monitoring, and maintaining the bikeways and pathways.
Along with promoting healthy lifestyle and minimising traffic congestion, the cycleway will reduce pollution in Greenslopes and nearby areas. Less cars also mean less pollution.
Green Affecting Green
(Photo credit: www.norman-creek-catchment.org.au)
V1 has also had a controversial impact on the environment. During its construction, some areas of the Norman Creek riparian corridor were affected, destroying significant vegetation that had been growing for nine years, affecting flora and fauna that used to live here. Along with the decreased vegetation, possibilities of erosion also increased.
However, the Norman Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee (N4C) established a Development Control Plan for this affected site and managed to bring back the beautiful green patch of forest and the faunas living here.
Read: Norman Creek Catchment New Issue
Environmental Offsets
Every development project has impacts on the environment and the community, both positive and negative. Queensland Environment Offsets Act (QEOA) of 2014 aims to balance the unavoidable impacts of the infrastructure projects and developments to the environment and vegetation.
Offset restoration includes:
- Revegetation and planting
- Mulch to avoid soil erosion
- Habitat enhancement through placement of coarse woody debris
- Installation of natural or artificial hollows, perches, and nesting sites for the local wildlife’s habitat; and
- Regeneration including weed management and native vegetation maintenance.
The government and the community aim to work together as joint stakeholders to provide alternate solutions for every negative outcome it will yield, similar to the solutions that N4C has come up with during the V1 project.
Other infrastructure development projects can be viewed on the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads’ official website or on the Brisbane City Council’s official website.
