Yes, it is easily one of my least favourite parts of Brisbane. The new bus lanes are good but so long as the buses only operate on limited timetables, they won't be good enough to reduce the traffic load. I agree about the east-west connection, there is currently no way other than car and maybe a few bus lines to move in that direction on the Northside, the first connection for the Northern lines is Bowen Hills station which might as well be a downtown