Tennyson Ward Road Safety Upgrades

One of the most common issues raised with me is road safety and traffic congestion. 

Getting small but essential road and pedestrian safety upgrades out of the Lord Mayor is almost impossible.  While there are billions for large projects like the Brisbane Metro and millions for the Moggill Road upgrade the smaller projects I push for based on resident feedback is ignored.  This is a deliberate, political decision by the Lord Mayor when he allocated Budget funding each year.   I think the focus should be reversed with a funding boost for smaller critical neighbourhood projects that would improve the safety and amenity for all residents whether they drive, walk or cycle.

The list below outlines the projects awaiting funding in a future Council Budget. These projects form the basis of my budget submission each year.

Traffic Calming

Known as Local Area Traffic Management Plans (LATMS) funding traffic calming is almost non-existent in the Council Budget. This year only three new projects across the whole City were funded.  This is appalling.  More money is spent on marketing the Olympics $2.6m this year than is being spent on new traffic calming projects $473,000.  The failure of this Lord Mayor and his predecessors to invest in traffic calming projects to reduce rat-running, speeding and improve safety has caused a massive backlog.

There are rules and eligibility criteria for traffic calming and you can read more on Council’s website here.  When designed, LATMS have a precinct focus and include the surrounding streets to ensure traffic is not displaced causing problems nearby.

Noted below is a list of traffic calming projects I have requested and are awaiting funding in a future Council Budget.

Intersection Upgrades

One of the most traffic related requests residents make is for intersection upgrades.  This ranges from signage upgrades like a stop sign or give way sign through to traffic lights, additional turning lanes or major intersection upgrades.   

For well over a decade the top three highest priorities that I have been pursing locally are Ipswich Rd/Venner Rd/Waterton St Annerley, Cliveden Ave/Oxley Rd and the Graceville Fiveways.  There are many more that appear in my annual Budget submission.

A number of Tennyson Ward intersections appear on the on the Department of Transport and Main Roads intersection as crash hot spots.  The top twelve crash hot spots in Tennyson Ward out of a total 3394 intersections are:

Ipswich Rd/Venner Rd/Waterton St Annerley (no 54)

Ipswich Rd/Cracknell Rd Annerley (no 77) (project cancelled by Council in 2020-21 Budget)

Fairfield Rd/Venner Rd Fairfield(no 110)

Hassall St/Oxley Rd Corinda (no 267)

Fairfield Rd/King Arthur Tce Yeerongpilly (no 332) 

Annerley Rd/Ipswich Rd Annerley (no392)

Cliveden Ave/Oxley Rd Corinda (no439)

Cardross St/Fairfield Rd Yeronga (no455)

Annerley Rd/Cronin St Annerley (no486)

Fairfield Rd/Sherwood Rd Yeerongpilly (no 487) (project cancelled by Council in 2021-22 Budget)

Graceville Fiveways (no576)

Graceville Ave/Oxley Rd Graceville(no586)

Many of these projects have been listed for funding for well over a decade and are unidentified by Council as being of high priority due to accidents and congestions. However, for political purposes many road intersection upgrades with a lower priority and  lower crash rate are funded. The Lord Mayor and his team have stopped governing for the whole city.