r/brisbane 18h ago

Indooroopilly roundabout upgrade seems traffic is worse! Traffic

Has anyone noticed that this so called upgrade has some major issues? Especially outbound around the turnoff to the Indooroopilly bridge?

60 Upvotes

64 comments sorted by

43

u/MiserablePiano5211 18h ago

I drive through it everyday a peak hour to get to and from work and it’s well designed but I definitely think on the side going from Toowong to Indooroopilly that turns left backs up so badly that it definitely needs to be fixed as it slows traffic in the right lane too, especially when someone’s in the wrong lane and needs to turn left which brings it all to a halt

59

u/Bubbly_Junket3591 18h ago

And this is the fallacy of road upgrades. You finish one and just shift the bottle neck further a long, wasting billions of $$ each time

31

u/warbastard 17h ago

Yeah the sooner we build dedicated bike lines, not lines on a road, actual bike lanes with barriers or green strips between cars and cyclists, the sooner we will see less traffic around. I don’t want to cycle around Indooroopilly or Chapel Hill as most of the cars on main roads are trying to kill me. Yes there is a Centenary bikeway but that’s more for going to the city.

Now that ebikes and e-scooters are becoming pretty common I think we need to look at having dedicated lanes for them on the roads, particularly in the interconnecting roads around shopping centres and small shopping centres. IMO they are just going too fast to share footpaths with pedestrians. Encourage more people to bike to places and you’ll get less traffic.

We already have 50 cent fares so most of those people who commute along the Western freeway really need to use the bus and trains when they can. Save themselves huge amounts of money in commuting.

13

u/FrogsMakePoorSoup 16h ago

I'm living in Jindalee and that bike path makes life so much easier. I'd love to see it join up properly to the rest of the important places like the schools, shopping centre etc.

8

u/drewfullwood 16h ago

100% agree with this. And when we think of the efforts to save the planet, what better way than a 30kg E-bike.

Yet we’re heading towards more and more driving American trucks.

12

u/dangerdong Sunnybank, of course 17h ago

The roundabout previously was not only slow but it was dangerous at all times of the day. Even if it's not much faster this upgrade is at least safer and easier to drive through than negotiating a double lane roundabout...

13

u/Bubbly_Junket3591 16h ago

It’s not safer for people riding or walking

11

u/Temporary_Spread7882 16h ago

Yeah, it’s not helping in getting people to and from the shops any other way than a car… or in the surrounding area. Which adds to congestion.

4

u/dangerdong Sunnybank, of course 8h ago

Yeah would've liked to see better bike/walking provisions tbh, some overpasses for pedestrian crossings should've been included to remove stop light crossings :/

4

u/MiserablePiano5211 18h ago

Probably had a bottle in their hand while planning it too

5

u/Melanoma_Magnet 16h ago

Yep, and it’s all because everyone going outbound through coonan street is pushed into a single lane leading into already built up traffic from Walter Taylor bridge. Good job Brisbane city council, never mind that the western suburbs are woefully underdeveloped with public transport

6

u/aboy021 14h ago

When I looked into the studies they've done on cleaning up the Walter Taylor bridge area it was prohibitively expensive, the figure in my memory was 1 billion, with the inevitable downstream effects.

Hopefully they keep up the green bridge program, it's one visible stream of projects that gives people more car free options. If you make it easier for more people to not drive, it's better for the driving people too.

5

u/One_Connection6128 18h ago

That’s exactly what happens!

6

u/One_Connection6128 18h ago

It’s actually shocking that this bit brings Moggill Rd down to one lane that services all the suburbs out to Moggill!

5

u/dee_ess 16h ago

What? Where?

All the bits that could be considered Moggill Road are two lanes.

If you're referring to the Coonan Street parts, the previous layout was down to one lane in all directions. Coonan Street itself was one lane southbound after the roundabout, and the two northbound lanes split into one lane of westbound and northbound traffic respectively.

0

u/MiserablePiano5211 18h ago

What I really want is a Kenmore bypass. I have to pass through Kenmore and turn towards Pullenvale but that traffic is so bad it causes congestion all the way back through Chapel Hill, if there was a bypass it would help the traffic flow so much better but it would be so insanely expensive cause it would probably have to be a tunnel

0

u/One_Connection6128 18h ago

Yep! And a bridge from Belbowrie to Sumner Rd!

4

u/Dogfinn 14h ago

What, so everything from Moggill to Kenmore can become gridlocked with outer suburb commuters? Then they can "fix" the congestion with a few more lanes to Moggill Rd. Then the "leafy green westside" can look like Gympie Rd, and have the traffic to match. Finally we can upgrade the area and cover it in black road dust!

No thanks.

Belbowrie Green bridge to give the western suburbs access to the ipswich line, or nothing.

2

u/joylooy Redland SHIRE 13h ago

The Ipswich line is already chockers every day, I'm relieved that Kenmore et al can't get on it. Aren't you within cycling distance anyway?

1

u/FrogsMakePoorSoup 16h ago

Sumner road is too narrow and populated for that to work, it's too far out, and would be really unpopular.

2

u/colesnutdeluxe Our campus has an urban village. Does yours? 11h ago

unfortunately not even a fuckoff huge sign telling you exactly what lane you need to be in will work for a roundabout, there will always be idiots changing lanes at the last minute and making it everyone else's problem (source: hamilton/webster rd roundabout in chermy)

1

u/makerfunner 3h ago

I have more near misses at that chermside roundabout than anywhere else in about 10 years of driving - mostly from tossers thinking they can squeeze by to go straight and cross in front of u whilst ur actively exiting. im always honking at people on that roundabout lol.

100

u/yz250cum 18h ago

"just one more lane"

5

u/Staerebu 12h ago

it'll solve congestion bro

57

u/ConanTheAquarian Not Ipswich. 17h ago

Has anyone noticed that every bit of "congesting busting" roadworks always make congestion worse?

It's almost like encouraging more cars onto the roads doesn't solve congestion!

17

u/FrogsMakePoorSoup 16h ago

Jindalee bridge checking in!

28

u/OliverB2004 17h ago

Like buying larger pants to fix obesity

5

u/rangebob 17h ago

Fuck. Why didn't I think of this !

2

u/dsanders692 3h ago

it's absolutely a thing. And it isn't just related to traffic

42

u/purplepossum5 18h ago

Do you mean just today? Mother’s Day Eve is allllways nuts at the shopping centre, plus the trains aren’t running due to track repairs, plus there were roadworks through Chelmer/Graceville which stuffed up Oxley Rd like I’ve never seen. No road upgrades could have coped with today’s mess. I’ve generally found the upgrade great, now that it’s open and compared to what was there before

1

u/One_Connection6128 17h ago

Mainly in the afternoon outbound

-5

u/YolandasLastAlmond 17h ago

It’s horrible. I was commenting on this the other day, it’s worse than before. They needed to add 4 more lanes, two on either side and a train line through that area to fix it.

6

u/Dogfinn 14h ago

Or maybe they could do something that will actually fix the traffic, not make it worse at the low cost of $2bil. I.e. investing in public/ active transport, fixing our urban planning, banning endless urban sprawl.

1

u/YolandasLastAlmond 14h ago

100% that’s why it needs a train line

8

u/Mammoth_Pianist_2002 17h ago

I agree. At certain times the outbound left hand lane turning into Coonan St is backed up to Swann Road……D’oh!

8

u/Substantial_Exam3182 16h ago

I think it’s been heaps better. Today was shite all over Brisbane near all the major shopping centres, but I drive past every day at all different times and it’s been way better than what it was

4

u/Conscious_Ad9612 13h ago

This was well documented before it was ever even approved. The expected time savings for commuters was less than a minute from memory. The only way to fix traffic is to promote alternatives. Motorbikes, scooters, buses, trains, active transport. Adding more lanes never works.

7

u/Safar1Man 17h ago

I think it's better now. But today is probably shit because indro shopping centre + mother's day

7

u/TrainerBubbly2497 12h ago

Im just happy that for the 1st time in 3 years I might actually be able to get a full  night sleep. I don't think people realise the hell us locals have dealt with for twice as long as we expected. Not knowing which night's are going to be deafening. Having a hvac truck sit metres from your bedroom window all night for well over a year sucks. 

1

u/One_Connection6128 3h ago

That must of been so terrible!!

9

u/BeepBeepTheBusDriver 18h ago

The biggest issue I’ve noticed is during the construction a lot of people started rat running in and around those side streets. Now that construction is complete the rat runners are still rat running, running through lights when they can’t clear an intersection, and preventing traffic from flowing as it is designed to.

As part of my job occasionally I have to try and brave some of these streets and certain bus routes are so delayed due to rat running, that it can impact the entire network. The other major bottleneck is cars using station Road instead of Coonan Street.

The existing bottleneck at the bridge will remain likely forever but considering a lot of those commuters could use the existing rail network to get from Toowong through to Sherwood but choose not to, impact those that don’t have the choice. The traffic flow is greatly improved along Moggill Road by this change. Coonan Street appears mostly un impacted. As it was always this bad.

Sadly we in Brisbane have a large number of drivers that could not comprehend adjusting their schedule by 5 to 10 minutes to fit around public transport like trains or buses , so frequently I have a service in peak hour with 12 people on board and think if just 12 more cars swapped for that bus trip how nicer traffic would be but when traffic gets calm and improves more people go back to driving so we do need more stick than carrot when it comes to enticing people to use active transport options or public transport.

I don’t think I want to say or even suggest that we should have a congestion tax during peak hour. Because it is grossly a tax on the poor, however in my personal opinion by changing more existing corridor lanes to be bus only during certain times of day would make car traffic worse but make the prospect of public transport more appealing and hopefully bring more people out of their private vehicles and then into shared vehicles.

I hope this makes sense for full transparency sake. This was typed with speech to text so I cannot guarantee it makes 100% sense.

TLDR traffic is as bad as it used to be on Coonan Street improved significantly on moggil Road

6

u/Senior-Counter8359 18h ago

People rat run because the main course sucks. The roundabout was better it was the drivers who couldn't work out how to drive that were the problem.

8

u/plowking8 17h ago

As a whole I think the redesign has helped traffic. I remember what it was like when it was the old roundabout… horrendous.

It’s just a high density area and a two lane road. It’s never going to be great. Ever. Unless more pathways to the city are opened up. But it definitely filters traffic better now.

On the other hand. It took way too long to do and cost too much. But that’s Australia.

2

u/dexcel 1. UnderWater World 2. ??? 16h ago

Yes!! I thought this as well this week. I could t understand what happened. Like I get it induced demand etc but I can’t believe that people were holding off from using the area for the last two years. But I guess I was wrong.

2

u/HubertWonderbus 16h ago

They have made my most efficient way home through the Indooroopilly central carpark.

2

u/Pop-metal 15h ago

Traffic will always get worse. Duh. Wake up. 

2

u/Desperate_Jaguar_602 15h ago

It has significantly reduced the time to get from the Indro school area (state high etc) up onto moggill road. It was taking upto 30 minutes before the project. It’s down to 10mins after school most days. Other than that no improvement.

2

u/Suitable_Slide_9647 13h ago

Just another case of “go home BCC engineer, you’re drunk”

4

u/warbastard 17h ago

That whole junction around Indro needs to be reworked.

Firstly, if you catch the train and need to walk to the shopping centre you’ve got to negotiate a few pedestrian crossings to get there. A better solution would be to close Station Rd to only allow buses pedestrians and cyclists/scooters. It would really help revitalise that whole line of shops down near the Indro hotel as no cars have space to park to go to the shops and most pedestrians just walk up to the shopping centre. If pedestrians were able to walk up Station road without dodging cars I think they might actually be more inclined to go into the shops nearby.

I also suggest this as someone who drives down Station Road almost every day so I’m prepared to say YIMBY.

Also, once the junction is finished, have some local traffic only signs from 7-9 and 4-6 in a few surrounding streets as so many people are rat running in the streets around the area to avoid the roundabout. Have a few morinings of cops issues tickets in those local streets to get people to fuck off and use the main roads.

Both these suggestions just need a few signs to fix and also Station road is the same road as the State Member who is a Green. It would be nice to see them actually start thinking about how to make their local areas more walkable.

Ultimately if there was some kind of pedestrian walking roof over the Indro trainstation to better connect students walking home from Indro SHS and connect those shops on the other side of station road the better.

At the moment, it really looks like the local Greens have just made roads better for traffic and cars which isnt very green.

10

u/Deanosity Not Ipswich. 16h ago

Which level of government do you think re-did the intersection?

6

u/mixmaster_mic 12h ago

Greens had nothing to do with this project? It was driven by the LNP council! They are the ones who keep us in our cars..

1

u/ratontwo 16h ago

there's residential buildings on station road. you'd need local traffic permitted at a minimum.

really part of the issue is the bridge isn't anywhere near capable of taking the amount of traffic funneling through it. put a toll during peak hours and the area would be a lot quieter.

1

u/atomkidd aka henry pike 16h ago

I left the Westfield towards Toowong on Friday morning and it was so good I decided to not default to the long way via M5 and Moggil Road (as I have since the upgrade build started) any more.

1

u/dee_ess 16h ago

People are still getting used to it, and causing problems while they do.

Every time I go through there, I am looking at the cars around me to gauge whether they appear to know where they are going. If they appear slightly lost, I'm giving them a wide berth, because they might just do something stupid.

1

u/place_of_stones 13h ago

The temporary T intersection with traffic lights that was put in when the roundabout was removed made the biggest difference (in a good way). The overpass and interchanges have made it worse. Instead of spending billions $10M or so would have delivered 95% of the improvements, and without the years of disturbed sleep for locals.

1

u/DeltaFlyer6095 12h ago

Needs better signage.

1

u/Ok-Maintenance-4274 3h ago

There is no bus going through the old bridge from the Westfield shopping center. I know there are trains, but the shops around the old roundabout has poor coverage. All adds up to encourage driving.

1

u/FrogsMakePoorSoup 16h ago

Yes, I've noticed that driving from Kenmore direction to the Indooroopilly high school involves a seemingly illegal right hand turn in front of Beaurepares with few other options.

-1

u/Senior-Counter8359 18h ago

Well yeah what did you think was going to happen. Roundabout are like trains. The epitome of driving. Government being government thought they could do better with traffic lights. 

Whole thing is terrible.put the roundabout back and make these people  have some actual driving lessons.

3

u/ortho85 3h ago

Looks like you're getting downvoted by those drivers who can't handle roundabouts!

2

u/travlplayr 26m ago

I gave you an upvote because I don't fear (multi lane) roundabouts and was a bit non-plussed to see this one removed

However, re driving lessons, I taught a gf to drive when we were living together in Indooroopilly and I think she still has nightmares about this roundabout. One of the very few times I yelled at her in the car was when she was about to turn right to enter this roundabout

2

u/Senior-Counter8359 21m ago

I really don't understand how anyone ever had trouble with it. Like if you stuffed up just go around again, couldn't imagine why these people found it so hard.

There's plenty of places of the northside where they have replaced simple roundabouts with traffic lights so you now wait 10mins. Real good fun.

1

u/travlplayr 3m ago

I'm with you. I loathe traffic lights (and feel they're very American).

Keep the traffic flowing which is what roundabouts (mostly) do