safety on Mt Gravatt to Brisbane city route

[tortuga]

I'm a relative newbie to cycling but am considering trying to commute to the city by bike. I would welcome any tips/comments on the commute Mon-Fri from Mt Gravatt to the city along the bikeway for a single female. Any safety issues?

[Mulger bill]

G'Day Tortuga, welcome outside.

I can't help you as I'm a Mexican but I'll shoot this over to the Qld area for the locals to give you some tips.

Cheers
Shaun

[uncle arthur]

I can't say there's any more or less safety issues than anywhere else - then again I'm male and my perception of safety/risk will possibly differ from yours.

It's a dedicated cycle way - plenty of riders seem to use it regularly. Give it a try and get a feel for it.

Alternatively, or as an additional step, I'd suggest asking around your workplace, or if you are parking your bike at somewhere like Cycle2City, perhaps you could put up a notice asking if there are any other riders that you could share the commute with?

Enjoy:)

[dant]

Hi Tortuga,
I ride Kuraby to the city every day and if you mean safety as in no bikeway bandits, sleezy types etc then you should be very safe. It is a reasonably busy bikepath with constant traffic but not to the point of congestion.

If you mean safety in terms of cars, crossing roads etc you should have no probs. I imagine you will enter somewhere around Griffith Uni which should make your only real road riding along Klump Road. Actually, that is Upper Mt Gravatt isn't it? You may be doing Nursery or Marshall road to get to the bike path which also should be okay. Once on there are only a couple of points where you actually need to cross a road but if you aren't being silly there will be absolutely no probs.

Only time I have felt unsafe was riding on the road along Gaza road coming from Griffith Uni. It is two lanes going in the direction of travel for cars but some guy didn't appreciate me on the road and threatened to kill me the next time he saw me. I have seen him a few times since and he has been okay. If you even ride that part (may be before you join the path) just ride on the footpath. Slows you down a lot but I like to go a little hard.

Cheers,
Adam

[ozjolly]

I ride that route. It's hard to know how safe it is being a guy. At night (i.e. peak hour in winter) there are certainly some dark areas where nobody might notice an incident, but there's enough traffic at those times. During the day I can't see any issues. Although at night, it won't be obvious that you're not male anyway?

It's certainly safer than the alternative, being Logan Road!

[marinmomma]

I have a love/hate thing with the bikeway....love it from 8 Mile Plains up to where is pretty much ends at Gaza Rd, love it from Buranda (O'Keefe St) into Southbank, but as for the section in-between, what a mis-mash!
Unless you ride on the footpath all the way from Gaza Rd across Marshall Rd and use the narrow bike path up through to Sexton Street, you have to take your chances on the road...the most dangerous section when ridng on the road is trying to cross in front of the entrance to the freeway, 2 lanes of traffic all in a mad rush to get up to speed before entering the freeway...some drivers take no notice of cyclists.
My advice is to get over into the very right-hand lane as soon as you've crossed Weller Rd...right about where the green cycle lane runs out

Then once you are up on Sexton Street continue on the road through Tarragindi through Annerley then on to Buranda to rejoin the bikepath, or re-join the bikepath at the carpark of the bowls club in Tarragindi then turn right into Snowden into Sunshine Ave use the bike path through the football fields to Stones Corner then ride up the footpath at O'Keefe St.

I'll take my chances on the road between Gaza Rd and O'Kefee St over the bikepath due to the condition of the path, in parts it is very uneven and narrow...I believe that the bike path is being slowly upgraded!
Plenty of cyclists use it very day, I feel quite comfortable using it when I'm out on my own during the day....early in the morning when it's still dark/dawn I'd rather ride in on Logan Rd.

hth

[Yongkun]

I guess someone could share their routes here? Will love to see some routes

[marinmomma]

The following is the way that I go to avoid the bikepath between Holland Park West to Buranda

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Ba ... flg=h&z=13

[London Boy]

I ride that route. It's hard to know how safe it is being a guy. At night (i.e. peak hour in winter) there are certainly some dark areas where nobody might notice an incident, but there's enough traffic at those times. During the day I can't see any issues. Although at night, it won't be obvious that you're not male anyway?

It's certainly safer than the alternative, being Logan Road!

I ride Logan Road all the time, the stretch between Broadwater and Old Cleveland Roads. Never had an issue. You just have to be aware of what's going on around you, ride sensibly, etc. The most difficult bit is heading away from the city, where you join Logan Road from Cornwall, but just do a hook turn and it's all good.

On the other hand, it's easy to go up Nursery Road (well, assuming that hill doesn't kill you, it's a wee heart-starter) then along the path.

Seems pretty safe. Never noticed too many dodgy types, you know?

[London Boy]

Unless you ride on the footpath all the way from Gaza Rd across Marshall Rd and use the narrow bike path up through to Sexton Street, you have to take your chances on the road...

I'll take my chances on the road between Gaza Rd and O'Kefee St over the bikepath due to the condition of the path, in parts it is very uneven and narrow...

The path isn't great, but works for me and loads of others. Lumpy here and there, and you have to cross a road or two. Not as bad as it's made out. Give it a go, and if you don't like it, fair enough...

[marinmomma]

Unless you ride on the footpath all the way from Gaza Rd across Marshall Rd and use the narrow bike path up through to Sexton Street, you have to take your chances on the road...

I'll take my chances on the road between Gaza Rd and O'Kefee St over the bikepath due to the condition of the path, in parts it is very uneven and narrow...

The path isn't great, but works for me and loads of others. Lumpy here and there, and you have to cross a road or two. Not as bad as it's made out. Give it a go, and if you don't like it, fair enough...

I used to ride on it when I had my MTB, and to be honest, I'd rather take my chances on the road than with peds and other shared path users, that goes for any shared path in and around Brisbane...I'm sick of people who aren't considerate of other users...and most of them have their ears plugged up with iPods and are totally unware of anyone else but themselves

Each to their own, but looking forward to the day when this section is up-graded to be comparable to what is before and after it!

[ozjolly]

I ride that route. It's hard to know how safe it is being a guy. At night (i.e. peak hour in winter) there are certainly some dark areas where nobody might notice an incident, but there's enough traffic at those times. During the day I can't see any issues. Although at night, it won't be obvious that you're not male anyway?

It's certainly safer than the alternative, being Logan Road!

I ride Logan Road all the time, the stretch between Broadwater and Old Cleveland Roads. Never had an issue. You just have to be aware of what's going on around you, ride sensibly, etc.

That's what I thought once... one cracked helmet and very lucky escape later and I'll take the bike path every day.

[tortuga]

Thank you all for the great info - I'll be giving it a go! It's my first time posting a question on-line, so I'm doubly impressed with the response - cheers!

[Architecturra]

Hey all, just wanted to bump this thread for some more info on the ride between Mount Gravatt (Broadwater road) to the CBD (Botanic Gardens)
 
I’m considering the commute and I’ve reviewed a couple of routes, but wanted to know if it would be best to get onto the dedicated bike path as soon as possible and avoid as much of Logan Road as I can. It seems in the above comments that Logan road can be a bit dicey at times
 
I’m keen on avoiding traffic as much as I can, but I’m resigned to riding at least some of the section on Logan road. But not sure if I should go all the way up to O’Keefe street and onto the bikeway, or take Juliette street and cut across to get on the path.
 
Some opinions of those that go this way are appreciated.
 

[Kenzo]

Hey all, just wanted to bump this thread for some more info on the ride between Mount Gravatt (Broadwater road) to the CBD (Botanic Gardens)
 
I’m considering the commute and I’ve reviewed a couple of routes, but wanted to know if it would be best to get onto the dedicated bike path as soon as possible and avoid as much of Logan Road as I can. It seems in the above comments that Logan road can be a bit dicey at times
 
I’m keen on avoiding traffic as much as I can, but I’m resigned to riding at least some of the section on Logan road. But not sure if I should go all the way up to O’Keefe street and onto the bikeway, or take Juliette street and cut across to get on the path.
 
Some opinions of those that go this way are appreciated.
 

Inbound - I think one of the worst parts of Logan Rd is just where you will join Logan Rd - i.e. the section between Creek Rd and The Red Rooster store (at least you don't have to ride past Garden City). Now.. 'worst' does not mean you always feel like you're going to be killed, it is just a section where having a road presence is important.

If you are looking to deviate off Logan Rd to the bikepath Juliette St can be a touch hairy. Turn off Logan Rd earlier onto Ridge St.
But if you do continue down Logan Rd - the Juliette St turnoff is somewhere you need to have your wits about you. Then past the shops at Stones Corner and join the bike path at O'Keefe St. My choice from Broadwater would be Logan Rd, Ridge St then either the bike path or Earl St down to O'Keefe.... then bike path into the CBD.

Going Outbound - I would follow the bike path to Ridge St, back onto Logan Rd all the way back to Broadwater.

[Architecturra]

Excellent thanks!
I've ridden though the 'high street' at mt Gravatt plenty of times before and know what you mean. The bus stops and multiple lights are somewhere where caution is required. But it's short and it doesn't hurt to take it slow.

I gues it may be path of least resistance going both ways. Logan road through stones cnr to o'keefe inbound... then bike path to ridge st onto Logan outbound.

Thanks for the heads up

[molly]

Unless you ride on the footpath all the way from Gaza Rd across Marshall Rd and use the narrow bike path up through to Sexton Street, you have to take your chances on the road...

I'll take my chances on the road between Gaza Rd and O'Kefee St over the bikepath due to the condition of the path, in parts it is very uneven and narrow...

The path isn't great, but works for me and loads of others. Lumpy here and there, and you have to cross a road or two. Not as bad as it's made out. Give it a go, and if you don't like it, fair enough...

I used to ride on it when I had my MTB, and to be honest, I'd rather take my chances on the road than with peds and other shared path users, that goes for any shared path in and around Brisbane...I'm sick of people who aren't considerate of other users...and most of them have their ears plugged up with iPods and are totally unware of anyone else but themselves

Each to their own, but looking forward to the day when this section is up-graded to be comparable to what is before and after it!

I'm going to weigh into this comparison between this particular section of bikeway path and the road. In my opinion it is rather narrow and somewhat lumpy but then thats fine if you are not wanting to fly along at 30kph (and it is a shared path so I think people shouldn't be). Again in my personal experience, all pedestrians have been fine and considerate especially if you use your bell (which so many cyclists fail to do).

Actually, I have found some other cyclists to be the problem, cutting blind corners, wanting to take up the whole path etc. Last week I had some guy (idiot ahem) on an MTB nearly collide head with to me when he tried to go around some pedestrians, this after clearly seeing me and in the section of roadworks under the highway so I had nowhere to go but into the fence and quite nearly had to to avoid this guy barging thru. /end rant

[marinmomma]

I have started commuting to work using my bike and am using the V1 nearly all the way in...still not great especially through the section in Tarragindi behind Sunshine Ave. Mornings are better as there are very few peds but the afternoons are painful with peds on the very narrow path....but better than using Logan Rd at peak hour

Looking forward to the new section on the Eastern side of the busway to be completed

[Kenzo]

Happy to see Brisbane City Council responding quickly to the fixogram I lodged on Tuesday.
The shared path on Bapaume Rd between Messines Ridge Rd and Perrone Rd was getting overgrown by the bush.. To the point half of it was unusable pushing all users into just one half of the path width.
This morning, the mess was 90% cleared up. They could have done a better job.... But still, a job was done and for now, safety has been improved.

[briztoon]

I ride Logan Road from Creek Road down to Stones Corner fairly often, though not during peak hour. If I was looking to commute I'd ride Logan Road to Greenslopes, turn left on to Ridge Street and ride down to the shared paths running through the Thompson Estate Reserve park lands to Stones Corner then along O'Keefe Street and on to the shared path that runs along the freeway to South Bank.




http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Thomps ... d&t=m&z=15

[RobM]

The path isn't great, but works for me and loads of others. Lumpy here and there, and you have to cross a road or two. Not as bad as it's made out. Give it a go, and if you don't like it, fair enough...

I used to ride on it when I had my MTB, and to be honest, I'd rather take my chances on the road than with peds and other shared path users, that goes for any shared path in and around Brisbane...I'm sick of people who aren't considerate of other users...and most of them have their ears plugged up with iPods and are totally unware of anyone else but themselves

Each to their own, but looking forward to the day when this section is up-graded to be comparable to what is before and after it!

I'm going to weigh into this comparison between this particular section of bikeway path and the road. In my opinion it is rather narrow and somewhat lumpy but then thats fine if you are not wanting to fly along at 30kph (and it is a shared path so I think people shouldn't be). Again in my personal experience, all pedestrians have been fine and considerate especially if you use your bell (which so many cyclists fail to do).

Actually, I have found some other cyclists to be the problem, cutting blind corners, wanting to take up the whole path etc. Last week I had some guy (idiot ahem) on an MTB nearly collide head with to me when he tried to go around some pedestrians, this after clearly seeing me and in the section of roadworks under the highway so I had nowhere to go but into the fence and quite nearly had to to avoid this guy barging thru. /end rant

haha yeah, welcome to the commuter cup! Where every man and his dog is trying to shave seconds off their ride to/from work. I too have seen some truly rediculous actions by cyclists in this bit of path. But i figure they will be eliminated from the gene pool eventually (especially if they try that kinda recklessness in traffic)

I agree - i commute thru there (both on a mtb with slicks and road bike depending on weather) and while it is narrower than a full on cycleway....the 1.2m path should be enough for peds and cyclists to get along just fine. Surprisingly, the peds in that area havent been too bad in my experience - i guess if they walk there they know its a cycling route too. Having a bell and lights helps of course. And not doing rediculous warp speeds.

As with all vehicle operations, you drive/ride to the conditions of the road/path. After all...im never in that much of a rush to get to work

PS - Kenzo - yeah that BCC app is quite handy and i find they do follow up pretty quickly (depending on size of the job). I sent a funny photo of our local park with knee height grass all thru it (from all the rain) and they rang me to let me know it was scheduled and then rang when it was mown. Not bad customer service (ive had worse at bikes shops )