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!