Bike rage in Brisbane

Runners and cyclists battle for Brisbane paths

Fairfax

SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE: Cyclists and pedestrians are at war on Brisbane's footpaths.

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Growing tension between cyclists, joggers and walkers on Brisbane's burgeoning bikeway network has forced their separation on one busy strip, where a refusal to share the bitumen has been likened to "kindergarten behaviour".

Walkers and joggers have lodged 37 complaints this year about cyclists speeding or riding into them, as patience on Brisbane's two main shared cycle and pedestrian tracks wears thin.

Pedal pushers have retaliated with three complaints to Brisbane City Council about pedestrians straying on to their side of the path.

Most gripes have come from the riverside Bicentennial Bikeway, which runs along Coronation Drive, west of the city.

About 3000 cyclists a day use the route, which is also popular with joggers.

A Brisbane City Council spokesman said Bicycle Queensland and State Government officials had reported "a number of complaints by cyclists concerning pedestrians".

"These are of a general nature and not specific to individual incidents."

Most complaints were based on sharing the space of the bike path and walkway, he said.

"They tend to concentrate on areas of high activity such as the Bicentennial Bikeway which the council is addressing through widening, and separating pedestrians from cyclists," he said.

Bicycle Queensland spokesman Ben Wilson understood pedestrians got frustrated with cyclists, but urged both to grow up.

"I have seen cars getting involved in road rage over the most senseless issues right outside our office," Mr Wilson said.

"There is no answer when it comes to getting people to behave better when it comes to sharing.

"Unfortunately children at kindergarten carry on the same way as sometimes cyclists and pedestrians do, sadly with the same level of maturity."

Mr Wilson said sharing problems had been identified about 10 years ago and the council was now widening Bicentennial Bikeway to accommodate both groups.

He agreed the two hot spots for complaints were Coronation Drive and Kangaroo Point, where the path winds along the cliff face.

Most shared space was three metres wide, while advocates of modern design would prefer it to be at least 5.5 metres to six metres wide, Mr Wilson said.

In an ideal world pedestrians would get two metres, and the cyclists four metres.

"But I do know that is tens of millions of dollars to do that and I know that potentially means building out over the river," Mr Wilson said.

He acknowledged there would be problems such as potential loss of mangroves, complex structural support and flooding risks.

"It is under way in sections as budgets permit," he said.

The first section of the pathway to be widened runs from William Jolly Bridge to the Hale Street Bridge and Park Road at Milton, where it will join the bikeway.

It will be widened to 5.5 metres, with designated pedestrian and cycle lanes painted in different colours.