Bike with Brisbane, that’s a wrap!

Thanks to everyone who came along, grabbed some breakfast & coffee and took the Commuter Harmony Alliance pledge with us on a perfect Autumn morning in March. Bike racks were full and many bananas were tossed

A shout out to our partner’s Cycle Law, Cycling Brisbane, Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland, Advance Traders BMX & Scooter division, NAQ Nutrition, Boral and Department of Transport and Main Roads (Queensland) for having activities and information set up at the event – we couldn’t have done it without you!

And finally a special thanks to those who rode in the harmony ride to mark the launch of our newest advocacy initiative, Commuter Harmony Alliance. Harmony ride riders and VIP supporters:

• Mark Bailey MP – Labor for Miller
• Cr Ryan MurphyRachel Nolan – Executive Chair, Director, Mckell Institute
• Dr Matthew Burke Cr Jared Cassidy – Councillor for Deagon Ward
• Amy MacMahon – Greens MP for South Brisbane
• Grant Stack – Training and Compliance (Boral)
• Emily Billiau – Principal – McInnes Wilson Lawyers
• Anna Campbell (Queensland Walks)
• Sean Phillips – Driver (Boral)
• Dan Crawford (BORRA – Brisbane Off-Road Riders Alliance)
• Robyn Davies – Cycling & Walking (Department of Transport and Main Roads)
• Professor Narelle Haworth – (Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland)
• Matthew Longland – Deputy Director-General (Department of Transport and Main Roads (Queensland))
• Gail Rehbein – BQ Ambassador
• Anna Beck – BQ Ambassador and Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS)
• Madeline – Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS)
• Mark Tuohy – Chief Operating Officer (Health and Wellbeing Queensland)
• Matthew Beasley – Project Director (Dexus)
• Sgt Chris Bird
• S/Con Scott Barton
• S/Con Simon Little
• S/Con Travis Clark

We’re constantly looking for new ways to improve and add value to our memberships, whether this is through benefits, insurance, events or advocacy. As a member you enable us to make real, impactful changes in communities all over Queensland, but sometimes we get so caught up doing it all that we don’t get a chance to recap on what we’ve done. To keep you in the loop, every quarter we will share with you everything we do to make cycling better for you, and other cyclists in Queensland.

Dear members and friends,

I can’t believe it is March already – what a difference twelve months makes. I was so proud of how the team adapted in 2020 to a changing environment yet were still able to service our members and establish new partnerships. Despite not being able to run face to face events we worked tirelessly in the advocacy and education space to support existing and new riders.   

2021 is about driving our agenda. 

The staff and management committee have been working hard on a new strategic plan for Bicycle Queensland, which will guide our services and new initiatives for the next three years. Thank you to everyone who participated in the open workshops over the past four months. I look forward to sharing the plan with you shortly. 

Our work has never been more important. The experiences of COVID 19 have highlighted the value of riding a bicycle, as thousands of Queenslanders turned to bike riding to support their health during challenging times. As we unite and recover, the relevance of bike riding as a transport alternative, recreational and wellbeing option as well as an environmental movement remains a priority body of work for us.  

So far, 2021 has been very busy. 

We are excited to be returning to the events space with the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail Festival of Cycling (5th June) and our iconic Brisbane to Gold Coast event (17th October). We have been working hard on new collaborations to further enhance these experiences. We recently ran an activation event in Toowoomba and look forward to working with communities in Logan, Redland City Council and central Queensland later this year.  We continue to build out more benefits for our members and lobby hard (read our response to the BCC draft strategy on e-mobility here and BCC’s Draft Strategy on Off-Road Cycling here) at the political level for more funding and revised policies which support more people to ride more often.

Earlier this month we also saw the very successful launch of Commuter Harmony Alliance – a platform for speaking about advocacy and safety issues from a broader perspective than just bicycle riders. It is a new way to build a coalition across all transport sectors to look at positive behaviour change programs that emphasise common values between all users of the transport systems. We encourage all our members to take the pledge and help us raise awareness about protecting those most vulnerable on our roads and shared pathways. 

Despite being very busy at work I have stayed true to my goals of riding regularly, even if it’s a short, sweaty session on the trainer at 5am. Like many of you, I wear my many hats during the week (mum, wife, daughter, career, coach, and my community work). I have struggled in the past to prioritise my own wellbeing, but this year I am dedicating more time to social rides with friends and family and encourage you to do the same. We all know life is better when we ride more.

Until next time, happy and safe riding.

Rebecca

The emergence of e-scooters and other “rideables” highlights the imperative for Governments of all levels to work together towards a resilient, legible and attractive network for active transport users and rideables.

In our response to Brisbane City Council’s draft e-mobility strategy, Bicycle Queensland has:

• Called for BCC to revise its current planning for walking and cycling infrastructure in light of this e-mobility strategy
• Increase the investment level
• Review path widths on routes likely to carry significant numbers of rideables and e-bikes;
• And shorten the timeframes for delivering the network.

Bicycle Queensland has supported the e-mobility strategy’s directions, despite expressing safety concerns about e-scooters, as reported by BQ members since rideables were introduced in 2018. We are writing to the Minister for Transport and Main Roads to request a review of primary safety concerns around rideables, and to mandate turn indicators and brake lights on e-scooters.

View Bicycle Queensland’s response to the BCC draft strategy on e-mobility here, and CEO Rebecca Randazzo’s letter to the Minister for Transport and Main Roads, The Hon Mark Bailey MP here.

Bicycle Queensland supports Brisbane City Council’s draft strategy on Off-Road Cycling. You can read our response to the draft strategy here.

Brisbane-based BQ members, we welcome your support for the draft strategy too. We encourage you to contact your local BCC councillor to express your support for more sustainable mountain bike trails in Brisbane. 

Here are some key points you might like to make into your local Brisbane City councillor:

• Bicycle Queensland endorses the draft strategy’s guiding principles of sustainability, diversity, diligent planning, collaboration, accessibility, optimal use of facilities, safety and mitigating risk, and education and engagement (p7). 
• We affirm the need for environmental preservation (p8), community stewardship (p10), and supporting businesses (p12). 
• We strongly support Brisbane City Council opening up more forest reserves to sustainable mountain bike trails and closing unauthorised unsustainable trails. 
• We support the development of local trails for local people. Bicycle Queensland is especially concerned with the lack of off-road opportunities for younger riders within Brisbane City Council’s boundaries. 
• We support well-designed, sustainable mountain biking trail networks being built in Toohey Forest, Glider Forest, Karawatha Forest, Brisbane Koala Bushlands, Bacton Rd Reserve, Whites Hill, Keperra Bushland, Gold Creek Reserve, Kholo Bushlands, Changing Mountain and Dandys Reserve and Shelley Road Park (as identified in the draft as opportunities for consideration in the short and long term, pp15-23). 
• The main focus of the strategy should be providing sustainable well-designed trails for mountain biking in Brisbane forest reserves. A secondary focus is allowing bike access to existing fire maintenance trails within reserves. Other off-road cycling uses such as skills parks, pump tracks and cyclocross venues are a lower priority in our view. 
• Brisbane needs more green space, and we encourage BCC to invest in land for rehabilitation and recreation.

This draft strategy gives a way forward for developing MTB trails in Brisbane. Mountain bikers have been waiting for many years for this step forward. Let’s encourage our elected representatives to make this vision a reality!

Without question, 2020 has been a been difficult year as we faced the challenges of COVID-19.  Whilst our events and activations were disrupted, we worked tirelessly in the advocacy and education space to assist more Queenslanders to ride their bike more often.

Bicycle Queensland prides itself on providing a high standard of service to our members and the team remained committed to that in 2020. Despite the setbacks that came with the pandemic, we promptly adapted to a new normal and achieved several milestones this year.

Servicing our members

• To date, we have welcomed 502 new members in 2020
• We launched a new member software to make joining, renewing and updating your details easier for our members
• We introduced a new BQ support membership
• We continue to provide the best priced and most comprehensive bicycle membership insurance in Australia
• Supported 128 members after they had accidents with advice, legal assistance, insurance, reporting and hazards

Championing the cause

• We introduced five BQ ambassadors from across Queensland to help spread the word about the benefits of bike riding
• We successfully launched the new BQ brand and website which have received wonderful feedback from members and stakeholders
• We spoke on behalf of Queensland bike riders over 600 times in the media on issues such as cycling infrastructure, the development of new bike lanes to help people ride during COVID-19, the health benefits of cycling and how bikes can reduce climate change
• We provided our members and friends with 400+ articles and news pieces to keep them informed and help them ride more confidently
• We created a new educational library, including Bike Basics videos and Where to Ride resource guide
• We launched our Commuter Harmony Alliance campaign and grew our government and non-government stakeholder map by 450%

Provided great events and experiences

• Sadly, COVID-19 meant we had to cancel our proposed 2020 events. However, we found new ways for people to ride via our online Pedal Queensland event
• We welcomed a new charity partner in Orange Sky
• We re-introduced and improved upon our bike maintenance workshops, with a great turn out of 115 attending throughout 2020 and all workshops selling out. Our 2021 waitlist for workshops is currently 300 people and growing
• We created an online maintenance workshop platform to service regional members and partners

Making it easier for people to ride

• We met with the Queensland Health Officer and successfully lobbied against the introduction of a 5km cycling restriction during the lockdown
• We successfully lobbied for bike shops and mechanics to be classified as an essential service during COVID-19
• We met with QPS and Queensland ministers for Transport, Tourism and Education, regarding our priorities to make it easier and safer for Queenslanders to ride their bikes
• We wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister asking for changes to heavy vehicle regulation and will continue that fight into 2021
• We successfully lobbied for the fast track of Rail Trail feasibility studies across regional Queensland

• We were the driving force behind the construction of the Brisbane CityLink bikeways
• We continued to meet with bicycle user groups across our state on a quarterly basis, providing them resource packs to local and federal funding for infrastructure projects as part of the economic recovery package

Keeping our team together

• Our team were successful in adapting to working from home and have now all returned to the office
• We welcomed George our new BQ office dog

On behalf of the BQ team, we wish you a safe and festive season.  May your Christmas stocking be filled with cycling-related gifts and you find time for bike rides with friends and family.

Happy riding,

Rebecca Randazzo

Cycling and walking should get greater prominence in three of Queensland’s leading regional centres as councils draw up new strategic plans.

Bundaberg Regional Council has just released its new Active Transport Strategy 2020-2025, which has been approved by the full Council. 

Townsville City Council has its Townsville Integrated Transport Plan out for consultation at present. The plan does have ‘develop and implement a City-Wide Cycle Network’ as one of its key initiatives. 

Rockhampton City Council is also consulting with local groups and other state-level stakeholders (including Bicycle Queensland) on the development of the Rockhampton Region Walking and Cycling Strategy. Surveys of Rockhampton residents found that more of them were regular bike riders (17% ride weekly) than the state average (13% weekly riders). The research also indicated that the Council would place greater weight on developing recreational paths.

The Bundaberg document can be found here, for those who want to take a deep dive into Council plans. The highlights are significant pathway projects including the Bundaberg to Gin Gin Rail Trail, and a proposed Bundaberg to Bargara cycleway that will require partnership with the State Department for Transport and Main Roads.

The document also commits Bundaberg to $5.8 million worth of pathways in the next three years (not including the major projects mentioned above).