BRISBANE: Hale Street Link action

Dave said:

Hi everyone. I know there are at least a few regulars here who oppose
the Hale St bridge. Here's some information from the stop the bridge
alliance. (The 'today' quoted was Friday. If you want to phone -
probably the better option - an early Monday call is the go!)

Thanks
Dave

Zero hour is approaching for the Hale Street Bridge project, with the
BCC Civic Cabinet due to consider the responses to the IAS on Monday (30
November).

We've been advised that what will work best at this late stage is emails
and phone calls to the ALP Councillors (apart from Helen Abrahams who's
already committed to voting against the bridge) today and Monday.

Councillors will take particular notice of the views of constituents in
their wards. So perhaps you could work your networks?
Councillor contact details are at:
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:STANDARD:701378721:pc=PC_5
People who don't know what ward they belong to can find out by phoning
BCC on 3403 8888.

Our recent media releases can be viewed at:
http://www.stopthehalestreetbridge.org/media.htm
They outline the key issues, facts and arguments.

Thanks once again for your help.

The Brisbane CBD BUG put in a submission on the Hale Street Link,
available on our website

http://cbdbug.googlepages.com/ .

We oppose the bridge on several grounds, but recognising that we may
not get our way, make a range of positive suggestions about such
matters as connections to the north (presently woeful), cycling on the
Link and approach roads, improved cycling amenity in South Brisbane and
cycling access during construction. We have asked to be included in the
primary consultation team throughout design and construction.

Donga

Donga said:

The Brisbane CBD BUG put in a submission on the Hale Street Link,
available on our website

http://cbdbug.googlepages.com/ .

We oppose the bridge on several grounds, but recognising that we may
not get our way, make a range of positive suggestions about such
matters as connections to the north (presently woeful), cycling on the
Link and approach roads, improved cycling amenity in South Brisbane and
cycling access during construction. We have asked to be included in the
primary consultation team throughout design and construction.

Donga

Keep up the good work, Donga. I've read the CBDBUG submission and I
like several of the points regarding cycle amenity. Traffic planners
consistently miss the mark. "Bikepath" in Brisbane often = footpath
with stick figures painted on or an isolated green strip petering out
when it all gets a bit hard.

The CBDBUG submission also points out that "the bridge will contribute
to, rather than solve, traffic problems" - very true. Bridge proponents
have chanted the "need the HSL to reduce congestion" mantra, but don't
(and can't) back it up with figures. The draft Impact Assessment
Statement was prepared for council by GHD. It puts a _very_ positive
spin on the figures, but scratch the surface and you'll find the
forecast effects of the HSL:
- increased traffic on Coro Drive (3500 vehicles per day), Hale St (7000
to 9000 vpd!) and others - Vulture, Merivale, Cordelia.
- hugely increased congestion on Hale St - from level of service C to
LOS F (The HSL puts Hale St into gridlock!)

The only bit of road that benefits from the HSL is (unsurprisingly) the
William Jolly Bridge and its immediate approaches. All of the approach
roads to the area suffer increased traffic and/or worse congestion.
(And that's in 2011 - after that it just gets worse!)

What will be the result of this? Why, in ten years time, there'll be
calls for more roads to combat the terrible congestion on Hale St, Coro,
Vulture St, Gladstone Rd, etc, etc, etc. It's a vicious cycle.

Sorry for the rant. The original point is, if you don't want this
bridge (and only the bridge construction companies should,) read the
original post. Contact your local councillor by email and by phone on
Monday morning.
The Labor councillors in general are showing spinelessness and are
reluctant to make a decision they think might be unpopular. We need to
set them straight.

Thanks for your tolerance.
Dave

PS If you live in Acacia Ridge ward, your councillor is Cr. Bianchi.
I think he's Labor.

Sorry to nag, but it's Monday morning. If you're in Brisbane, have you
called your local councillor yet?

There will be a gathering of HSL opponents in King George Square outside
City Hall at 1230 today to show councillors the level of opposition to
the bridge as they arrive for the briefing by GHD.
A large group would be very good to have. If you can make it, please
do. Look for the 'Stop the Hale Street Bridge' signs.

Dave

Dave said:

Hi everyone. I know there are at least a few regulars here who oppose
the Hale St bridge. Here's some information from the stop the bridge
alliance. (The 'today' quoted was Friday. If you want to phone -
probably the better option - an early Monday call is the go!)

Thanks
Dave

Zero hour is approaching for the Hale Street Bridge project, with the
BCC Civic Cabinet due to consider the responses to the IAS on Monday (30
November).

We've been advised that what will work best at this late stage is emails
and phone calls to the ALP Councillors (apart from Helen Abrahams who's
already committed to voting against the bridge) today and Monday.

Councillors will take particular notice of the views of constituents in
their wards. So perhaps you could work your networks?
Councillor contact details are at:
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:STANDARD:701378721:pc=PC_5
People who don't know what ward they belong to can find out by phoning
BCC on 3403 8888.

Our recent media releases can be viewed at:
http://www.stopthehalestreetbridge.org/media.htm
They outline the key issues, facts and arguments.

Thanks once again for your help.

Did you notice how they've tallied up all the sigs on submissions to
work out % for and against (51% for BTW). They ignored, apparently,
that subs like ours were signed on behalf of X members.

Donga

Donga said:

Did you notice how they've tallied up all the sigs on submissions to
work out % for and against (51% for BTW). They ignored, apparently,
that subs like ours were signed on behalf of X members.

Donga

I think that's consistent with the requirements - only signatures count,
not proxies. Probably just as well, with corporate yes support.

There's a rumour kicking about that lots (hundreds) of yes submissions
were from outside the BCC area. A huge majority of yes submissions were
proforma, suggesting they resulted from Can Do Campbell's email campaign.

It's not over yet - Hinchliffe is making encouraging noises. Keep
working on Labor councillors - points are:
- majority of yes submissions were solicited from cronies who stand to
profit from the bridge
- many yes submissions are from outside Brisbane
- the bleeding thing doesn't reduce congestion - it increases it! (Read
the IAS traffic forecasts!)

Stay tuned.

Dave

I wrote my local (Labor) Councillor, Steve Griffiths an e-mail the other day and he phoned me earlier for a chat. He's always been really helpful and it's not the first time he's called me in response to an e-mail - great service if you ask me.

I asked him what his personal stance on it is and he told me he's against it. He said he'd like to see the SE Freeway Busway get a lot more user friendly and agreed with me that the School Road bike lanes are poor. He reckons of the 160 submissions from his ward, the vast majority opposed the Hale Street link.

I love him. Dearly.

Lotte

LotteBum said:

I wrote my local (Labor) Councillor, Steve Griffiths an e-mail the other
day and he phoned me earlier for a chat. He's always been really
helpful and it's not the first time he's called me in response to an
e-mail - great service if you ask me.

I asked him what his personal stance on it is and he told me he's
against it. He said he'd like to see the SE Freeway Busway get a lot
more user friendly and agreed with me that the School Road bike lanes
are poor. He reckons of the 160 submissions from his ward, the vast
majority opposed the Hale Street link.

I love him. Dearly.

Lotte

--
LotteBum

What's wrong with the busway?

T

LotteBum said:

I wrote my local (Labor) Councillor, Steve Griffiths an e-mail the other
day and he phoned me earlier for a chat. He's always been really
helpful and it's not the first time he's called me in response to an
e-mail - great service if you ask me.

I asked him what his personal stance on it is and he told me he's
against it. He said he'd like to see the SE Freeway Busway get a lot
more user friendly and agreed with me that the School Road bike lanes
are poor. He reckons of the 160 submissions from his ward, the vast
majority opposed the Hale Street link.

I love him. Dearly.

Lotte

Lotte, I love you.

(But I'm like that.)

I believe that there are some Labor councillors who are for the bridge,
but not sure which. Phone calls to all are in order. Feel free to use
the following information. Given Labor's decision to sign the Kyoto
agreement, throwing that in is probably a good idea too - how can we
sign the accord while agreeing to a bridge which increases traffic and
increases congestion?

Council was addressed on Tuesday by a friend who used his 5 minutes to
point out some traffic and congestion forecasts from the IAS. These
haven't been well covered. (and the text of the IAS ignores them
completely - you have to dig through the tables. If you're interested,
they are in Part D, tables 5-2, 6-1 and 6-2.)

Campbell Newman was challenged to give some figures to back up his 'we
need it to fix congestion' mantra. His response was priceless: 'You're
confusing increased vehicle numbers with increased congestion'
(He totally ignored the link level of service predictions that had been
pointed out, showing increased congestion.)

Some the forecasts:
With the HSL (compared with doing nothing):
- Hale St will have to cope with 6000 to 9000 extra vehicles per day (vpd)
- Coro will have an extra 3600 vpd
- The 6 main feeder roads (Coro, Hale, Merivale, Cordelia, Vulture and
Gladstone) all have increased traffic (2500 to 9000 vpd)
- None of the six have reduced congestion, as measured by link level of
service.
- Three of the six have increased congestion. In the case of Hale
Street, markedly increased, from level C to level F (which is gridlock!)

How ironic - the HSL puts Hale Street into gridlock!

Other guff that's being thrown about is how the freeway closure shows we
need more river crossings - as if there wouldn't have been a problem if
the HSL was there. What bollocks! The gridlock that occurred wasn't
due to rivr crossing capacity - it was the capacity of the feeder roads,
which still were at a standstill after crossing the river.

What a rant! Please put pressure on ALP councillors. Please get others
to do so.

The HSL doesn't reduce congestion, it increases it (according to the IAS)
The HSL is contrary to Labor's commitment to Kyoto.

Cheers
Dave

Donga said:

Dave said:

Donga said:

Did you notice how they've tallied up all the sigs on submissions to
work out % for and against (51% for BTW). They ignored, apparently,
that subs like ours were signed on behalf of X members.

Donga

I think that's consistent with the requirements - only signatures count,
not proxies. Probably just as well, with corporate yes support.

There's a rumour kicking about that lots (hundreds) of yes submissions
were from outside the BCC area. A huge majority of yes submissions were
proforma, suggesting they resulted from Can Do Campbell's email campaign.

It's not over yet - Hinchliffe is making encouraging noises. Keep
working on Labor councillors - points are:
- majority of yes submissions were solicited from cronies who stand to
profit from the bridge
- many yes submissions are from outside Brisbane
- the bleeding thing doesn't reduce congestion - it increases it! (Read
the IAS traffic forecasts!)

Stay tuned.

Dave

This approach is only encouraging the "referendum" beat up. CBD BUG
made a careful evaluation and provided substantive comment. I am
dismayed that our submission is being boiled down to what side of the
fence our signature falls. I expect our comments to be given the same
consideration as we put into them.

Donga

I won't argue with that. Although, how can you disagree with the yes
submission from Perth that said "it would be nice to have a bridge when
we visit'? [Note: that might be fictitious. But there were yes
submissions from Perth. And Canberra. And Cairns. And Newman's staff.
And their family. Maybe from Newman's cat. And so on.]

I agree. The HSL should be discarded due to its lack of merit, not due
to its unpopularity.
Tell your local councillor. (And a few others.)

Dave

Tamyka Bell said:

What's wrong with the busway?

DOH! I meant BIKEway!

Dave said:

Donga said:

Did you notice how they've tallied up all the sigs on submissions to
work out % for and against (51% for BTW). They ignored, apparently,
that subs like ours were signed on behalf of X members.

Donga

I think that's consistent with the requirements - only signatures count,
not proxies. Probably just as well, with corporate yes support.

There's a rumour kicking about that lots (hundreds) of yes submissions
were from outside the BCC area. A huge majority of yes submissions were
proforma, suggesting they resulted from Can Do Campbell's email campaign.

It's not over yet - Hinchliffe is making encouraging noises. Keep
working on Labor councillors - points are:
- majority of yes submissions were solicited from cronies who stand to
profit from the bridge
- many yes submissions are from outside Brisbane
- the bleeding thing doesn't reduce congestion - it increases it! (Read
the IAS traffic forecasts!)

Stay tuned.

Dave

This approach is only encouraging the "referendum" beat up. CBD BUG
made a careful evaluation and provided substantive comment. I am
dismayed that our submission is being boiled down to what side of the
fence our signature falls. I expect our comments to be given the same
consideration as we put into them.

Donga

LotteBum said:

Tamyka Bell said:

What's wrong with the busway?

DOH! I meant BIKEway!

Well in that case I concur - hence taking Logan Rd or
heading via Rocklea!
But the Busway rocks.

T

Dave said:

Lotte, I love you.

I've spent my whole life telling boys I love them. FINALLY I get a response.

Wow!

Sorry Paulie, it's off mate. I'll fill you in tonight.

Lotte