MOTORISTS have called for upgrades to Cleveland-Redland Bay Road and slammed the location of a new bus station while responding to the launch of a $500,000 Victoria Point bypass study.
Redlands MP Kim Richards said last week the state government would investigate the unofficial back-road route, locally known as the Victoria Point bypass, along council roads like Springacre, Kingfisher, Bunker and Double Jump roads.
"This route bypasses the busy Victoria Point precinct and avoids traffic lights on Cleveland-Redland Bay Road," Ms Richards said.
Readers of the Bulletin said Cleveland-Redland Bay Road needed an upgrade to deal with congestion. They regarded the study as a waste of money and criticised the building of bus station on Cleveland-Redland Bay Road near Bunker Road and Colburn Avenue.
Flyers about the study, to be completed by the middle of next year, have gone out to residents.
The Transport Department on its website says that the state government was working with council, which owned and operated the bypass roads, to formalise the Victoria Point bypass.
Motorist Jaimee Pfeiffer said she used the bypass to avoid taking extra time to get to work.
"When you have five schools in Redland Bay/Victoria Point, buses that don't know how to merge, parents heading to work and only two lanes to accommodate that, yes the congestion is terrible," Ms Pfeiffer said.
"It's been terrible for years, yet the government haven’t seemed to care."
Imogen Bennett said the $500,000 should go towards removing the bottle-necks on Cleveland-Redland Bay Road, making it two lanes from Redland Bay to Victoria Point.
Mayor Karen Williams said the Main Roads Department had said that Cleveland-Redland Bay Road was included in the study area.
She said the state government could rename the study - perhaps to Victoria Point Road Network Study - so that residents were not confused about what feedback they could provide.
Cr Williams said the online survey focused only on how people use the back roads.
"I have encouraged Ms Richards to lobby the state government to include some questions about the surrounding road network to ensure a comprehensive engagement process," Cr Williams said.
Redlands MP Kim Richards defended the study, saying it would ensure Redlands had roads to match development.
"Of course the Victoria Point Bypass Study will consider Cleveland-Redland Bay Road," Ms Richards said.
"Cleveland-Redland Bay Road is my first priority but locals are sick of bearing the costs of poor planning and political promises that are never delivered.
Ms Richards said that she was delivering on the upgrade of Cleveland-Redland Bay Road at Anita Street after completing the Giles Road intersection upgrade last year.
"I secured funding for Anita Street in the last budget and want to see construction under way, and once that is completed, extending the dual laning from Magnolia Parade is next on my list," Ms Richards said.
Dennis Walburn said Duncan, Mount Cotton and Broadwater roads should be a priority.
"Surely that is a more important project than a Victoria Point bypass especially [with] the ever-expanding Thornlands, Victoria Point and Redlands population," Mr Walburn said.
"Traffic to and from the Gateway seems to be getting worse."
