Locals pleaded for a dangerous crossing to be fixed. This isn’t what they had in mind

Brisbane City Council’s decision to remove a zebra crossing from a busy four-lane road after a teenage boy was hit by a car has shocked and angered locals, who mounted a community campaign to make it safer.

The pedestrian crossing in Holland Park West cuts across four lanes of traffic on Logan Road, opposite the popular Glindemann Park, where the council recently invested in a new BMX track.

More than 720 residents signed a petition late last year calling for the council to make it safer after a 13-year-old boy was hit by a car that failed to stop. Many hoped traffic lights would be installed.

Instead, the council has announced it will remove the zebra crossing entirely and replace it with a “pedestrian refuge”.

Among the residents shocked by the outcome is Jody Dorahy, whose son, Hugo, was the boy hit last November.

Hugo was leaving the BMX track with a friend when a car swerved out from behind stopped vehicles and went straight through the zebra crossing, hitting him.

The driver was charged for allegedly not paying attention.

Hugo suffered a severe concussion, a fractured wrist, and significant facial bruising. Emergency doctors told the family it was miraculous that he was not critically injured or killed.

“He was very lucky to survive,” Dorahy said.

“We were incredibly fortunate that he had his helmet on, and that really saved his life.”

In a newsletter sent to residents last week, local councillor Krista Adams said engineers had reviewed several options for upgrading the crossing, “including the obvious solution of installing traffic signals”.

“Unfortunately, this would not provide an immediate or efficient outcome for those who travel this corridor by bus or car. Instead, they have recommended removing the existing zebra crossing and installing a protected pedestrian refuge,” she wrote.

Adams encouraged young bike riders to use the traffic lights at the intersection of Nursery Road, which she said were “only 200 metres from the BMX facility”.

Holland Park Residents Association president Steven Newton said the council was living in a “fantasy land” if they expected people, including children on bikes, to travel 450 metres from the existing crossing to the nearest traffic lights on Nursery Road, cross Logan Road, and then travel 200 metres back to the park.

“The council did a great job upgrading that park. We have this great facility, but then a great facility like that attracts people,” he said.

Anna Campbell, executive officer of Queensland Walks, said pedestrians and riders would generally seek the most direct route to their destination.

“Asking people to add significant distance to a journey, particularly in Queensland’s climate, is unrealistic for many community members,” she said.

Campbell is concerned about what she describes as the council’s increasing reliance on pedestrian refuges to maintain traffic flow.

“The fact that a zebra crossing may require upgrading is not evidence that removing it will improve safety,” she said.

“We know that pedestrian refuges are not a safe option. Few parents would feel comfortable asking their child to cross four lanes of traffic via a refuge island, and even fewer would feel comfortable expecting an ageing parent to do so.

“Residents need a safe, convenient crossing to access local bus stops, parks and community facilities. When safe crossings are removed, streets become barriers and highways rather than places that connect communities.”

Holland Park resident and former Olympic cyclist Katherine Bates, who is now the managing director of road safety advocacy group Amy’s Foundation, mounted the petition calling for the crossing to be improved.

“There’s no scenario I can see with the council’s plan that won’t put the community at further risk,” she said.

“If there is another incident … a driver will be fairly able to say there wasn’t a crossing there, I had the right of way.”

Bates said she was surprised to learn last November that the council had not considered improving pedestrian access to the park as part of the recent upgrade.

“I was told that’s the responsibility of another council department,” she said.

Bates has called for the council to defer the removal of the zebra crossing and trial a pre-fabricated raised pedestrian crossing, also known as a wombat crossing.

In response to the community’s reaction, Adams said a pedestrian refuge would give people a protected place to stop and cross one direction of traffic at a time, “rather than having to cross the whole road at once”.

“It also encourages people to stop, check for traffic, and cross when it’s safe, rather than relying on every driver seeing them and stopping at a zebra crossing,” she said.

“We’ll keep a close eye on how people use the crossing and, if the evidence shows traffic signals are needed in the future, we’ll look at that too.”

But Newton, who drives along Logan Road each day, fears the worst.

“It’s another accident waiting to happen,” he said.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

License this article

Marissa Calligeros is a journalist at Brisbane Times. She was previously an editor at The Age.Connect via X or email.AdvertisementAdvertisement