Southbank Boardwalk
This shared path runs alongside the Brisbane River at Southbank Parklands and joins the West End Boardwalk with the Goodwill Bridge and the Kangaroo Point bikeway. The shared path has a posted speed limit for cyclists of 15kph which is interesting as the nearby Goodwill Bridge has a posted speed limit of 10kph which is very impractical. The path gets very crowded with pedestrians these days and is not really a suitable commuting link for cyclists. The North Quay Bikeway on the other side of the river is a better alternative route. It is still however useful for a time-out riverside amble if care is taken.
The Southbank Boardwalk was the original pedestrian section while the Bikeway was the narrow and elevated section adjacent. Complaints exposing the safety hazards of this arrangement back in the 90's resulted in Southbank Corporation designating the lower, wider section nearest the river for bicycle access. This section however is now the main route for pedestrians and can be very crowded. To make the situation worse, not just for cyclists but for pedestrians and mobility vehicles and cafe staff, one of the riverside cafes has taken to placing cafe tables out on this main thoroughfare. There is no warning to users of the path, there are no safety barriers installed or used, serving staff are continually carrying hot food and drinks across what is technically a 15kph shared path near a corner.
The matter was raised with Southbank management early in 2006 seeking clarification as to whether the relevant safety issues were considered before granting the cafe approval and whether all the relevant OH&S rules have been followed. The management were dismissive of the problem and could not recall the approval process. Being a State Government owned Corporation it comes under the portfolio of the Premier. A followup enquiry with the Premier's Office is planned for the beginning of 2007.
The entrance to the Southbank Boardwalk under the Victoria Bridge (shown right)is incorrectly signed suggesting a bicycle only thoroughfare to Southbank. The sign appears to be missing the supplementry "End" sign below it. This has been brought to the attention of the BCC in Nov 06. The other picture to the left shows a 'No Bicycle' sign placed between the bike path and the pedestrian path which can be confusing when approached by a cyclist or pedestrian from the West End Boardwalk. A more correct sign would be the divided Pedestrian/Cyclist sign showing Pedestrians on the left of the sign and Cyclists on the right.
At the Goodwill Bridge end of the parklands there is another confusing marking. Here the bikeway from the bridge continues through the parkland adjacent to the Maritime Museum. The bicycle path is signed with a speed limit of 15kph as shown left but there is a metal pavement marker in the middle of this path which idicates 'No Bikes'. Presumably this is a leftover from an earlier use of this path.
