In the lead-up to the Brisbane City Council’s budget, Bicycle Queensland’s advocacy team wrote to BCC Transport chair Cr Murphy outlining our top priorities following recent rain events.
We said the recent weather damage to our bikeways must be a signal to BCC to re-double our efforts towards making Brisbane a better place to walk and ride. Any other response will see our generation condemned by those to come.
BQ’s top priorities in Brisbane City Council LGA:
Complete Stage 5 of the North Brisbane Bikeway.
Continue with planning and seeking funding for the Toowong to West End and St Lucia to West End Green Bridges.
Rebuild the Kedron Brook Bikeway back better.
We have also been working with the North Brisbane Bicycle Users Group on potential interim solutions for local access to washed-out sections of the Kedron Brook bikeway around Stafford and Grange.
BQ and NorthBUG have written to the Lord Mayor offering these solutions and requesting temporary paths be put in place. Read our letter here.
UPDATE: You can view the updates to the North Brisbane Bikeway here.
Queensland school zones will be safer than ever, thanks to more than $40 million in increased investment in the state budget for two important projects to boost school safety.
Bicycle Queensland CEO Rebecca Randazzo has welcomed the State Government’s announcement.
“School crossings are a great investment in the safety and health of our children,” Ms Randazzo said.
Bicycle Queensland has called for better paths in the 1.5 km catchment around all schools as part of our plan to help Queensland become the healthiest state.
“The environment around our schools has to encourage people to walk, ride and scoot to school. We need not just safe crossings, but also wider footpaths in the 1.5km catchment around schools so that students and parents can find ways of getting to school that relieve congestion, encourage physical activity, and build resilience.
“Congratulations to Minister Bailey on this great step, and for listening to local communities who are saying that the trip to school for many families is an important opportunity to build some exercise into their day.”
“Safe infrastructure which encourages people to walk and ride is important everywhere in our local neighbourhoods, but it has to start with the trip to school,” Ms Randazzo said.
With active travel growing across Queensland, we encourage more school communities to invest in education and infrastructure to support students actively travelling to school.
To learn more, check out Bicycle Queensland’s Active Travel Schools webpage and gain access to free resources to get your school started!
Bicycle Queensland’s Director of Advocacy, Andrew Demack, represents members on the Sunshine Coast Active Transport Advisory Committee (ATAC). This committee was an initiative of Transport and Main Roads Minister, Hon Mark Bailey, and includes a councillor from Sunshine Coast Regional Council, and senior staff from both the Council and TMR district office.
The committee includes a group of excellent local cycling advocates: Damian Jones, Prue Oswin, and Tim Rogers from the Sunshine Coast chapter of Cycling Without Age. The local advocacy group are setting the agenda for how to move active transport forward on the Sunshine Coast. As well as looking at bikeway infrastructure priorities, they have also identified cycling and walking access to shopping and education precincts as an area that gives great ‘bang-for-buck’ in terms of outcome for dollars spent.
At Sunshine Coast ATAC’s most recent meeting, Prue pointed to the success of Montville’s walking precinct as an example of adding raised pedestrian priority crossings to slow traffic and create an environment in which people feel comfortable walking and cycling. The group identified five projects across the Coast to get the ball rolling: priority crossings at Eumundi and Bli Bli, Mooloolaba to Minyama ferry, bikeway at Oceanic Drive, Wurtulla, improving path connections from Caloundra to Caloundra South, and signalising Nicklin Way/Caloundra Rd roundabout.
It’s great to work with local advocates with a vision for how cycling and walking have the potential to transform local communities, and we look forward to seeing these projects move forward!
Bikeway users will be diverted to a new route along the Bicentennial Bikeway between Victoria Bridge and Waterline Park from Monday 16 May 2022.
A diversion will be required onto The Landing while works to upgrade public space adjacent to the Queen’s Wharf site occur.
When: From Monday 16 May 2022 the diversion will be in place for pedestrians and active transport users on the Bicentennial Bikeway for around 12 months.
Where: From the City Cat terminal at North Quay to the start of the Mangrove Walk, a diversion will be in place on The Landing for all bikeway users (Refer to map below).
The diversion will be clearly marked with hoarding and directional and speed limit signage.
Temporary diversion: The diversion is required while rejuvenation works to transform the public space is underway. The diversion will be in place for around 12 months while the new public space will open with the first stage of the Integrated Resort Development in mid-2023.
There will be a mix of concrete and suspended structures along the bikeway diversion. Please plan ahead, take care and ride to conditions.
Great news! Brisbane City Council have agreed to our suggestion of a pop-up bikeway on Coronation Drive.
The left outbound lane of Coronation Drive between Lang Parade and Graham Street will become a temporary bikeway from Monday morning.
Brisbane City Council said the speed limit in that section would be slowed to 40 kilometres per hour and water-filled safety barriers would separate vehicle and cycling traffic.
Following on from constructive work done by Brisbane West BUG, Bicycle Queensland wrote to Brisbane City Council to seek their assistance in the quickest possible restoration of the Bicentennial Bikeway.
Director of Advocacy Andrew Demack wrote to Cr Ryan Murphy, Chair of Transport, saying:
“The BCC website currently gives no timelines for either inspection of the bikeway, or for the removal of debris. It would be very helpful to have a timeline on how long this disruption will last!
“We urge you to collaborate closely with Maritime Safety Queensland to expedite the removal of the former Drift restaurant from the bikeway.
“Lord Mayor and Cr Murphy, our bikeways are always vulnerable to severe weather events because our network of bikeways and shared paths is not resilient, and lacks alternatives. The Bicentennial Bikeway is a world-class facility, but there is no fallback, no detour bikeway for 5000 regular bike riders to use.
“Bicycle Queensland’s members are keen to work with BCC on solutions. Here are some suggestions that take seriously the concerns of bike riders and others who use the Bicentennial Bikeway:
BCC could provide a temporary bike lane on Coronation Drive.
Free train travel for bike riders at Toowong and Auchenflower stations to CBD stations.
Free travel on BCC buses for bike riders from Toowong to City destinations.
Temporary lowering of the speed limit to 40 km/h on the sections of Coronation Drive which are likely to have increased bike traffic.
“Many BQ members have reported to us that they see the lack of timelines for repairing bikeways as a symbol of BCC’s priorities. We urge you to consider active transport and e-mobility as being of equal significance in Council’s transport system as the road network.
“Building a resilient system that can withstand future flood events is part of re-ordering these priorities,” Mr Demack said.
We know that many of our members, friends, and neighbours have been impacted by the recent weather events experienced in South-East Queensland, South Burnett, Maryborough and Tweed regions. Our hearts go out to those impacted and who are currently displaced as the clean-up process continues.
Sadly, Bicycle Queensland’s Milton office has also suffered extensive damage. From everyone at BQ we would like to sincerely thank the volunteers who assisted in the clean-up over the last week. The job has been enormous.
With the office being submerged for three days, we have lost almost everything. We were able to salvage a few children’s bikes that are used in our education programs, and some shade marquees.
Our membership and event systems are all online and will continue to operate without interruption. Given we will be in recovery mode for some time, the Bicycle Queensland team is working remotely.
The best way to keep in touch with us is via email:
We are full speed ahead on the 2022 Brisbane to Gold Coast Cycle Challenge, to be held on its new date of Sunday 17 July. We hope you will support us in this year’s event as either a participant or sponsor. A sold-out event will expedite our recovery and get us “back on the bike” faster. If you would like to sign up for the 2022 Downer Brisbane to Gold Coast Cycle Challenge visit our website here https://b2gc.com.au/ or if you would like to sponsor the event contact bqinfo@bq.org.au.
Also on track is the next round of Her Ride courses to encourage and give more skills to women bike riders. The next course will commence on Sunday 13 March. To sign up and support our HER RIDE initiative you can secure a spot here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/266593015887
The road ahead is challenging. We will draw on our Queensland spirit, and remain positive and resilient staying connected to and servicing our members and the state remains our priority. We are determined to rebuild and continue our work to make Queensland the best place to ride a bike.
The Bicycle Queensland office at Lang Parade Milton has been impacted by the recent weather event. The office is closed with arrangements in place to work remotely whilst we wait for the water levels to subside.
The best way to get in touch with us for the next few days is by email. Like many of you, we will be working from home and navigating power outages over the coming days. We will endeavour to respond to your enquiries quickly.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to members who have been impacted in recent days.
We know that many of our Brisbane-based members will be keen to help with the clean-up of BQ HQ. But right at the moment, it’s not safe, so please don’t go to Milton.
We would love to have your assistance when the time comes. Stay tuned for when we know more!
Australia will have a Federal Election soon (before the end of May). We know Bicycle Queensland members are deeply engaged in working towards a better nation and are keen to have their say. We think that one simple change the Federal Government could make would be to allow the purchase of bicycles and e-bicycles for transport to work to be salary-sacrificed.
If you agree, please write to the candidates in your Federal electorate. We have some suggested text below.
One massive challenge facing Australia today is how to help people make personal changes towards a sustainable future, rather than relying on Government or business.
I’m writing to you as a candidate for the 2022 Federal Election to put forward one idea which would get us to Net Zero emissions faster and also make the population healthier.
Australia should follow the UK’s lead and give substantial tax breaks for people buying bicycles and e-bicycles used for transport (1). The UK Cycle to Work scheme generates twice as much economic benefit to the nation in health and physical fitness as it costs in lost taxes (2).
This 2:1 cost-benefit ratio makes this a no-brainer for the Australian context. Why wouldn’t we want to have a healthier population, with a lower risk of heart disease, more alert and productive at work, and reduce traffic congestion and pollution at the same time?
A Cycle To Work tax scheme would achieve all these benefits, and the UK example shows there’s simply no downside. I look forward to your response.
