Montague Road transport study

The Kurilpa peninsula in South Brisbane and West End is experiencing significant levels of development. The areas between Montague Road and the Brisbane River are transitioning to high-density buildings that combine residential units with commercial and retail spaces. 

As more people visit and move into the area, the need for diverse services and amenities will continue to rise. 

Ongoing growth is expected into the future and the demand for transport along Montague Road and the surrounding network will also increase.

This transport study is a joint initiative of Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Government and has been developed in the context of key policies and strategies that guide Brisbane’s growth and development over the next 25 years. 

Key policies and strategies 

• Shaping SEQ
• Transport Plan for Brisbane
• Brisbane Inner City Strategy 
• Brisbane City Plan 2014

Strategic directions

• Provide infrastructure that supports vibrant communities. 
• Promote unique visitor and cultural experiences. 
• Create a more walkable, healthy and connected inner-city. 
• Facilitate efficient movement of people and increase access to public transport.

What was involved in the technical analysis? 

• Multi-modal transport analysis, including traffic modelling, needs assessments and movement and place analysis.
• Public transport network and services analysis.
• Walking network analysis along Montague Road and connecting/surrounding streets based on Queensland Government’s Walking Network Plan Guidance.
• Road safety auditing.
• Constraints assessments including utilities, heritage, environment and flooding.

Fast facts about Montague Road

• Montague Road is a District Road that serves as a key connection between the inner south to the CBD, the northern suburbs via William Jolly and Go Between bridges, and eastern suburbs via Vulture Street.
• Montague Road is an important corridor in the Kurilpa peninsula, supporting a mix of residential, commercial, recreational and industrial areas.
• More than 16,000 vehicles per weekday use Montague Road in the central and northern sections, which is greater than the 15,000 expected demand of a District Road.
• 339 bus services run daily on weekdays and more than 7000 bus trips are taken to or from Montague Road on weekdays, on average, which is considered high-use.
• More than 6580 walking trips are taken on a weekend day on Montague Road to local destinations and to access facilities and amenities in the surrounding local area.
• More than 770 cycling and e-mobility trips are taken on a weekend day on Montague Road, while about 1800 cycling and e-mobility trips are observed on Riverside Drive on a weekend day.

Key technical challenges and potential opportunities 

• There is congestion at key intersections along Montague Road, at peak periods on weekdays and weekends, particularly at Mollison Street and the Go Between Bridge. There are opportunities to improve the availability and attractiveness of public and active transport options.
• Unreliable travel times are experienced on Montague Road, particularly for cars and buses travelling inbound to the city during peak periods. There are opportunities to re-balance the existing road corridor layout, including optimised intersection and lane arrangements, and priority to higher capacity transport.
• There is strong demand for transport and movement through Montague Road, and a need for enjoyable and attractive urban spaces. There are opportunities to strike a better balance between these demands to support an integrated environment that meets the needs of a diverse community.
• Footpaths and intersection crossings have accessibility challenges and offer opportunities to make walking a more inclusive and connected transport option. New crossings, in addition to improved ramps and footpaths, can support a safer and more comfortable road environment.

Download the potential opportunites map (PDF - 7.05Mb).

In late 2023, we invited the community to share their feedback on current travel patterns, experiences, challenges and ideas for travel improvements in the local area. 

We received valuable feedback from residents, visitors, commuters and community members during the consultation period. Thank you to everyone who took the time and provided their feedback. 

There were 430 online surveys completed and approx. 900 pins placed on the map tool. 

Community identified priorities

Analysis of all feedback received during the consultation period highlighted the community priorities are:

• Improved safety with more pedestrian crossings, dedicated cycle paths and separation of different modes of transport. 
• Better amenities with more shade and greenery.
• Reduced congestion along with slower speed limits, traffic calming measures and safety improvements for turning vehicles at key intersections. 
• Improved public transport with more reliable travel times. 

Key data insights*:

• 75% of respondents travel through the study area via public transport
• 75% of respondents travel through the study area by driving
• 70% of respondents travel through the study area by walking, running or mobility device 
• 52% of respondents travel through the study area via bike or e-bike 

Top three preferred modes of travel in the study area were:

• walking, running or mobility device (31%)
• riding a bike or e-bike (25%)
• catching public transport (20%).

Top things respondents liked most about their active travel experience:

• convenience to home/destination (46%)
• not driving/parking a car (42%)
• being in the outdoors (30%).

Top challenges when actively travelling through the study area were:

• safety – risk from vehicles (50%)
• crossing roads (44%)
• heat/weather (28%).

Top things respondents liked most about their public transport experience:

• not driving/parking a car (65%)
• convenient access to my destination (38%)
• reliable and convenient timetabling (23%).

Top challenges when catching public transport through the study area were:

• it’s not convenient/takes too long (24%)
• public transport doesn’t suit me (19%)
• timetables don’t suit me (15%).

Top challenges when driving through the study area were:

• Delays – at peak times (49%)
• Avoiding crashes with people riding and other drivers (47%)
• Lack of available parking (47%)

Themes from the mapping tool

Analysis of the almost 900 pins added by the community in the mapping activity showed the community identified the key challenges as: 

• Safety for active transport users – more pedestrian crossing points, dedicated cycle paths, and better separation between all travel modes.
• Congestion – reduce speed limits, more traffic calming measures and improve safety for turning vehicles at busy intersections.
• Amenities – lack of shade, and more planting and landscaping along Montague Road.

*Respondents could select multiple responses leading to totals greater than 100%.

You can view the pins placed on the map on the Your City Your Say page. 

Montague Road Vision

Our vision is for Montague Road to be an inclusive and vibrant subtropical corridor, bringing together and energising the peninsula to support a thriving and active community. Montague Road will offer accessible and convenient connections to allow residents, visitors and workers the choice in safe and reliable travel modes.

Montague Road will balance diverse transport needs and be positioned to support high-frequency bus services. It will feature generous paths embellished with trees and greenery, making it an enjoyable place to walk, ride and rest. 

Strategic priorities 

To support this vision, we have identified three priorities that draw on strategic directions, technical input and community feedback. 

We’ve listened to the diverse voices of the community and shaped the strategic priorities and transport strategy by supporting sustainable transport options and improving safety for everyone along Montague Road.

Liveability and local economic growth priority

We aim to support liveability and local economic growth by providing for diverse needs within the road corridor. 

This can be achieved by:

• managing road network availability to maintain safe and reliable local access 
• enabling efficient, timely and reliable movement of service vehicles 
• improving safety and comfort for all users 
• finding opportunities to make the network more adaptable and responsive to change 
• developing an integrated and resilient transport system. 

Supporting active travel priority

We aim to support an increase in trips taken by walking, cycling and e-mobility. 

This can be achieved by: 

• providing quality cycling facilities that connect to the CBD and bridges to enable more active transport 
• providing comfortable, safe and accessible active transport facilities connected to key local destinations and public transport 
• enhancing comfort and reducing climate impacts for people walking and using public spaces. 

Improving access priority

Our goal is to facilitate access to public transport, walking and riding to support the community in choosing preferred travel modes. 

This can be achieved by:

• improving the frequency, travel time, capacity and reliability of public transport services between inner city destinations 
• facilitating access to key transport hubs to allow better connections to more destinations. 

We are planning a future transport network that supports local travel, while seamlessly connecting the peninsula to the wider transport network. This network will support all modes of travel with strategic prioritisation to maximise travel efficiency, availability and accessibility. 

This plan recognises Montague Road as the key corridor in the peninsula, serving as a District Road, supported by a network of other main and local roads. Montague Road is identified as the most advantageous route for a priority bus corridor given existing services, current and future demands, topography and land use. A key outcome of this study is the identification of the long-term vision for Montague Road to be a priority bus corridor, which also supports people walking, riding and driving to local destinations. 

Montague Road’s northern and southern ends face different constraints and serve different levels of development. This plan considers diverse transport options that are sensitive to these needs, alongside the central theme of a priority bus corridor. 

The northern end of Montague Road presents an opportunity to develop a multi-modal corridor with priority bus and cycling infrastructure. The southern end of Montague Road, between Vulture Street and Orleigh Park, is more constrained. In this area, Riverside Drive and Hardgrave Road provide parallel options for active transport as primary cycle routes. 

Planning for better public and active transport through the corridor allows more people to move through the area efficiently, in the ways we heard they prefer. Motor vehicle movements are supported through the corridor and will be prioritised over on-road parking space, in line with the District Road classification of Montague Road. Creating space for buses and people riding bikes helps to rebalance the road and share the network resources. People who need to drive can do so, while attractive options are available for more people to switch short trips to active and public transport modes. The surrounding traffic network will serve to support vehicle movement and parking. 

We heard community feedback about the ferry network. While it is out of scope for this project, a review of Brisbane’s ferry network has been identified as a need in Council’s strategy. 

Download the strategic network plan map (PDF - 14.78Mb). 

This future transport network plan shows potential opportunities to: 

• promote bus access and priority, and investigate potential bus service improvements 
• improve safety and efficiency of intersections and provide more crossings 
• provide a high quality walking environment along Montague Road 
• provide dedicated cycling facilities on key sections of Montague Road and improve access for people riding throughout 
• connect local destinations along Montague Road with the surrounding cycling network by improving local links 
• maintain access and serviceability of critical connections in and out of the peninsula 
• widen paths and improve the streetscape amenity 
• facilitate connection to the river and support outdoor lifestyle improvements 
• enable future connectivity to Toowong-West End and St Lucia-West End bridges. 

The Montague Road corridor has a range of different needs between Orleigh Park and the Go Between Bridge, between residential and commercial properties, retail and recreation, and more. To help guide effective future transport investment, we have identified key opportunities in these distinct areas that deliver the study’s long-term strategic priorities and future transport network plan. By using the corridor more strategically, we can better address future challenges and create opportunities to cater for the varied needs along the corridor. A more considered use of capacity across the surrounding network could also potentially improve the overall safety, efficiency and accessibility of the corridor for all road users.

Orleigh Street to Ferry Road

In this low-medium density residential area with a narrow corridor width, we are proposing to preserve the neighbourhood feel by enhancing green verges, planning connections to future bridges and using the road space strategically.

Strategic opportunities in this area include: 

• Maintaining local access for people who choose to drive. 
• Preserving the existing corridor width and enhancing verges with landscaping and shade. 
• Continuing a shared path to enable easy access to destinations along Montague Road, recognising the importance of this desire line. 
• Prioritising inbound bus travel with a dedicated bus lane within the existing road corridor. 
• Complementing future bridge connections with improved paths and verges to create a continuous active transport route, from Orleigh Park to the heart of the peninsula and beyond. 
• Leveraging the quality of active transport facilities on Riverside Drive to enable Montague Road to function as a priority bus corridor, and investigate ways to better align Hardgrave Road to its role as a primary cycle route as outlined in the City Plan. 

Ferry Road to Vulture Street 

In this medium-high density area with mixed use frontages, we are proposing a wider streetscape with better facilities to improve access to local destinations and businesses while supporting sustainable transport movements with dedicated bus lanes.

Strategic opportunities in this area include:

• Maintaining local and service access for people who drive. 
• Improving safety at intersections by upgrading signals and redistributing turning movements where required. 
• Widening the streetscape where possible to provide a high-quality walking environment with increased shade and placemaking elements. 
• Supporting sustainable movement with dedicated bus lanes, inbound and outbound, that improve travel time reliability. 
• Implementing a shared path for people walking and riding bikes or e-mobility devices, facilitating access to local businesses and destinations. Riverside Drive will support this initiative as a higher speed, higher volume route for through travellers away from Montague Road. 

Vulture Street to Stanley Place

The potential future renewal of sites in this area presents significant opportunity to redefine the street, including prioritising active and public transport. This area is expected to have significant population and employment growth, making a mix of high-capacity transport options essential.

The below cross section reflects an indicative concept for how opportunities could be incorporated between Vulture Street and Mollison Street. The remainder of the corridor from Mollison Street to Stanley Place would be carefully considered in the future alongside a broader approach to managing the existing critical connections and development in the area.

Strategic opportunities in this area include:

• Prioritising bus travel with dedicated bus lanes, inbound and outbound, that improve travel time reliability.
• Supporting new local network links with upgraded intersections facilitating safe and convenient access. 
• Creating a wider corridor for Montague Road, providing more space for pathways to improve the streetscape and enhance street access to businesses and services. 
• Creating space for sustainable transportation modes such as walking, public transport, e-mobility devices, and cycling aligning with its roles in the Principal Cycle Network. 
• Realigning Montague Road to its function as a major road, with driveways and parking located on side streets and off-street locations where possible. 
• Optimising road space usage with time-based kerbside management and consolidated loading zones, improving network access and reliability to support business operations. 
• Embracing future mobility options like car sharing and delivery lockers with appropriate infrastructure. 
• Extending the riverside landscape character to Montague Road by incorporating subtropical greenery and plantings, reducing heat island effects and extending the overall landscape character.