Month: November 2023

Categories
Uncategorised

Riding High: Bicycle Queensland’s Unforgettable 2023 Journey 

As the sun sets on another fantastic year for Bicycle Queensland, it’s time to reflect on the successes that defined our two-wheeled adventure in 2023. From breaking gender barriers to paving new paths, here’s a snapshot of our journey: 

1. Her Ride Empowerment Programs: A Triumph for Women on Wheels 

Breaking stereotypes and building confidence, our Her Ride programs have empowered Queensland women. From conquering road riding challenges to mastering mountain bike trails, this initiative has been a celebration of female ridership, building skills, confidence and connection. 

2. Local advocacy: Pedalling Towards Safer Routes 

Bicycle Queensland partners with 26 bicycle user groups across the state, harnessing the passion of local advocates towards making Queensland a better and safer place to ride a bike. We connect every day with people facing barriers to bike riding and provide a conduit to finding solutions with State and local governments. 

3. Government Partnerships: Navigating Towards Sustainability 

A heartfelt thanks to the Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads for their unwavering support and sponsorship. Together, we’re steering Queensland towards a greener, more bike -friendly future. 

4. Corporate Allies: Strength in Unity for a Healthier Queensland 

Our collaborations with corporate allies—White Cloud Foundation, McInnes Wilson Lawyers, V Insurance Brokers, and Lug & Carrie—have been instrumental. Together, we’re supporting healthier, happier, more liveable communities  

5. Rail Trail Initiative: Supporting community development into Regional Queensland 

Our commitment to regional revitalisation shines through our work with the Rail Trail Network. Covering 300 km to date, these picturesque trails are not just pathways; they’re threads weaving communities together, preserving our rich heritage. We invite you to enjoy a video BQ has produced about the Rail Trail, you can watch it here.  

For an in-depth dive into our achievements, check out our 2023 Year in Review brochure here. Join us in reliving the joy, challenges, and triumphs that made 2023 an unforgettable chapter in Bicycle Queensland’s story. 

Categories
Advocacy Uncategorised

Bicycle Queensland’s Budget Submission Urges Government Commitment to Transformative Active Transport Initiatives 

Happy Father and son riding their bicycles by the lake. Father and son having fun together on their bikes in the park. Happy family, outdoors activities, childhood and parenting concept.

We are pleased present our organisation’s 2024-25 Budget Submission, showcasing our steadfast commitment to the one million Queenslanders who engage in cycling and scootering weekly, whether for transport, recreation, or sport. 

Attached is Bicycle Queensland’s comprehensive budget document, a blueprint aligning with the Queensland Cycling Action Plan and the 2022 State Infrastructure Strategy. Our dedication to advancing active transport is evident, supporting the government’s initiatives for healthier communities. 

In our submission, we champion solutions that align with the National Obesity Strategy 2022–2032 and the Queensland Climate Action Plan. We emphasise four key focus areas: 

1. Healthy and Active Communities, Safer Neighbourhoods: 

  • Implementing behaviour change programs for school children and families. 
  • Delivering women-specific bike riding programs. 

2. Increased Investment in Walking and Cycling Infrastructure (Target: 10% by 2032): 

  • Allocating 10% of the transport budget to active transport projects. 
  • Building safe school commute infrastructure, retrofitting end-of-trip facilities, and implementing bike storage in schools. 
  • Establishing separated cycle ways within communities. 

3. Safer Freight Vehicle Package (Australian Design Rules – ADRs): 

  • Providing financial incentives for owner-drivers of Heavy Goods Vehicles to retrofit blind-spot safety features. 

4. Promoting Electric Bikes for Emission Reduction and Financial Relief: 

  • Developing a strategy for behavioural change. 
  • Offering subsidies to encourage the adoption of electric bikes. 

In the spirit of collaboration, our budget priorities are harmoniously aligned with like-minded organisations such as The Heart Foundation, Queensland Walks, and Diabetes Australia – Queensland. Together, we can amplify our impact and make significant strides towards shared goals. 

We invite you to engage with us to discuss the submission in detail and address any inquiries to bqinfo@bq.org.au.

Your ongoing support is pivotal in creating a healthier, more sustainable Queensland. Let’s continue to make a lasting impact on the lives of our fellow Queenslanders. 

Thank you for your commitment to our cause.  

Categories
Events

Pedalling Progress: Queensland’s Leaders Unite for a Bike-Friendly Future 

Minister-for-Transport-and-Main-Roads-and-Minister-for-Digital-Services-The-Hon.-Mark-Bailey-BQ-Chair-and-board-members-BQ-staff

In a recent event that marked a strength of purpose in creating a more bike-friendly Queensland, leaders, supporters and advocates of bike riding and active transport gathered for a Bicycle Queensland event.  

The event, which included the Minister for Transport and Main Roads and Minister for Digital Services, The Hon. Mark Bailey, and the Shadow Minister for Customer Service and Shadow Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Steve Minnikin, were joined by Bicycle User Groups, the BQ board, councillors, industry representatives, peak associations, and devoted members of the cycling community and the state and local government. 

Hosted by the Chair of BQ, Rachel Nolan, the event was a celebration of the sheer joy that riding a bike brings and a shared desire to enhance the cycling experience across Queensland. In her address, Rachel Nolan, as the Chair of the state’s premier industry body, underscored Bicycle Queensland’s commitment to supporting micro-mobility users and their dedication to creating an environment where people of all ages, abilities, and locations can safely experience the joy of riding or scootering. 

“As the state’s premier industry body, representing the bicycle and e-scooter community, Bicycle Queensland reaffirms its dedication to supporting micro-mobility users, and we commit to working towards creating a state where everyone, regardless of age, ability, or location, can revel in the joy of riding or scootering safely,” expressed Rachel Nolan. 

Minister for Transport and Main Roads and Minister for Digital Services, The Hon. Mark Bailey, addressed the growing challenges posed by the surge in traffic over the past four decades. He emphasised the need for collaborative efforts to establish cycling networks that span across various levels of government. Minister Bailey stressed the pivotal role of local government in actively participating and committing to retrofitting active transport solutions in communities, including the development of separate bike lanes. 

“There’s three times the traffic there was from forty years ago, it’s a lot faster and it’s dangerous. How do we solve that? We work together as a community to get cycling networks up and running. That means local government is to work with other levels of government to achieve that. The majority of roadways are owned by councils, and we need more councils actively involved and committed to retrofitting active transport in communities to develop separate bike ways. We know that having the right infrastructure will make a huge difference in encouraging people to buy and ride bikes or e-bikes,” stated The Hon. Mark Bailey. 

Both The Hon. Mark Bailey and Shadow Minister Steve Minnikin reiterated their commitment to collaborative efforts with Bicycle Queensland in reshaping the Queensland landscape. The shared vision revolves around implementing tangible solutions such as dedicated bike lanes and enhanced cycling networks to create a safer and more accessible environment for cyclists and micro-mobility users across the state and supporting behaviour change and community activation.  

This event stands as a testament to the passion and determination of all involved parties to pave the way for a future where active transport is not just a mode of commuting but an integral part of Queensland’s identity – a state where the joy of riding is accessible to all, irrespective of age, ability, or location. 

Categories
Press releases Uncategorised

Tragedy on Bicentennial Bikeway Sparks Call for Urgent Safety Upgrade on Bicentennial Bikeway in Brisbane CBD   

Bicycle Queensland and Queensland Walks call for urgent safety upgrades to the Bicentennial Bikeway at North Quay following a tragic incident in which a 72 year old pedestrian died after a collision with a cyclist on October 16.

Both organisations extend their condolences to the family of the pedestrian who died. The crash is now understood to be being investigated.

On 20 October, just days after the crash, Bicycle Queensland and Queensland Walks conducted a joint site inspection in which the crash had occurred.  The inspection revealed a poorly managed and unsafe environment.  In particular –

  • The bikeway has various forms of line and pavement markings with crossing points between people walking or riding being confusing for all users.
  • Construction fencing running along the sides of the bikeway limit users’ line of sight, and
  • 10km per hour bike speed zones appear to have been erected after the accident, a speed which most bike riders and e-scooter riders find impossibly slow to ride at.   

Bicycle Queensland Interim CEO Lisa Davies Jones said the various treatments on the bikeway were clearly confusing, “While we were carrying out our site inspections, it was clear that pedestrians were nervous crossing and that cyclists were confused by the line marking.”

“In the time we were there, we observed a near-hit between a cyclist and a pram and a grandmother approached us to say it was a dangerous location and alerted us to the sad death.”

The Bicentennial Bikeway, which opened in 1988 is critical piece of infrastructure, with an average daily use of 5,284 people – 3,461 bike riders and 1,823 walkers, and many more people accessing the ferry, making it one of the country’s busiest pathways. 40% of path users are commuters, 40% use it for recreation and the remaining 20% use it for errands, shopping and social visits.  

Together, Bicycle Queensland and Queensland Walks have written to Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, Brisbane City Council and Minister Mark Bailey, Minister for Transport and Main Roads and Minister for Digital Services, calling for:

1. Adoption of ‘The Safe Systems Approach’ on all bike and pedestrian infrastructure: the approach, which is standard on road infrastructure is based on the principle that people can make mistakes without facing a serious risk of injury or death. 

2. Comprehensive Review of Construction Standards: Brisbane City Council and Transport Main Roads are urged to undertake a thorough review of construction standards for bike and pedestrian infrastructure, aligning them with the same stringent standards applied to roads. 

The organisations also call for an urgent review of safety and markings on the Bicentennial Bikeway. 

Anna Campbell, Executive Officer for Queensland Walks, adds: “Our deepest sympathies go out to the victim’s family, and we are committed to working towards a safer Bicentennial Bikeway. Walkers and riders should not have to navigate an environment where confusion and risks persist. We call upon the Brisbane City Council and the State Government’s Department of Transport and Main Roads to prioritise the safety of people who walk and ride by implementing improved standards and ensuring that safety is paramount.” 

The pedestrian death on the Bicentennial Bikeway came just four days after the release of the coronial report into the 2020 death of cyclist Carolyn Lister near the Royal Brisbane Hospital.  She was hit by a truck after construction blocking her usual footpath cycling route forced her onto the roadway at the busy intersection of O’Connell Terrace and Bowen Bridge Road.   

“Twice in a week we have been confronted with circumstances in which people have lost their lives in part because construction impacts on bike and pedestrian infrastructure have not been well managed,” Lisa Davies Jones said.

“While every crash involves a complex set of decisions and circumstances, it is the case that these ad hoc treatments would not occur if active transport corridors were taken as seriously as roads.”

“With the Bicentennial Bikeway taking as many as 3,000 cars a day off the roads, it should be treated as a serious piece of transport infrastructure with construction impacts properly managed.

We now call for this change of mindset on the part of the councils and governments who manage active transport infrastructure and the construction contractors whose actions affect it.”

Walkers and riders represent 14% of Queensland road users who lost their lives  (2018 – 2020)* Queensland Road Safety Strategy, and data released in August by the Australian Automobile Association showed the number of cyclists who died on Australian roads increased by 24.3% from 2022 to 2023.

For media enquiries, please contact:  

  

Lisa Davies Jones   

CEO – Bicycle Queensland   

Mb: 0449 520 778   

Email: l.daviesjones@bq.org.au   

  

About Bicycle Queensland (BQ):  

BQ is the state’s peak industry body representing the needs of almost 800,000 Queenslanders who ride a bike for recreation or transport, every week. BQ has a 40-year history of successful advocacy as a leader in the field of bicycle advocacy with local councils, as well as state and federal government bodies. And through our educational (activation) programs encouraging more people, to ride, more often.