Don't spoil the Story for us!

NEWS


We all know the new Clem7 tunnel is struggling for patronage, but is there a chance all motorists will soon pay a price for that one way or another? Brisbane City Council Labor leader Shayne Sutton has called on Lord Mayor Campbell Newman to rule out traffic funnelling to boost the Clem tunnel’s lacklustre performance, after the idea was floated in the media.

A senior Brisbane analyst recently said “a transit lane on the Story Bridge might increase tunnel traffic” and “fiddling with the timing of traffic lights on the above-ground roads, by 15 to 20 seconds, might also help.”
Councillor Sutton said the Lord Mayor in council back in 2005 had supported the idea of a bus lane on the city’s iconic bridge once the north-south bypass tunnel was completed. She called on Cr Newman to rule out taking action that would lead to motorists being ‘funnelled’ into the toll tunnel.
“In planning for the Clem7, Cr Newman publicly talked about funnelling and creating a T3 bus lane on the Story Bridge and along Main Street at Kangaroo Point,” Councillor Sutton said.
“That’s why I am calling on him to rule out any works that will make traffic worse for those who want to use the free roads above the river. “You don’t have to be Einstein to work out that if the Story Bridge becomes more congested it will force extra motorists into the toll tunnel.
“I understand RiverCity Motorways is hurting at the moment, but it’s not fair to punish Brisbane motorists for their botched traffic projections,” she said.
• The Independent ran out of time to get the the Lord Mayor’s take on this issue. He has been asked to reply and his comments will be uploaded to the Independent’s website shortly.