Bicycle Queensland welcomes the reopening of a key section of the Riverwalk at the Waterfront Brisbane project, after more than two years of construction works.
The upgraded Riverwalk section will reopen by midday on Tuesday 3 February, after being closed for approximately 30 months to enable construction works by Dexus.
This section of the Riverwalk had long been a challenging pinch point for people walking and riding, with narrow widths, poor sight lines and tight corners creating conflict and safety concerns for all users.
BQ was invited by Dexus to preview the new Riverwalk section ahead of its reopening.
The shared path now features a generous 6m-wide corridor with smooth concrete surfacing, improved sight lines and safer corners. Shallow cobblestones have also been used to visually indicate areas where users can expect higher foot traffic, supporting safer behaviour and awareness along the shared route.
Riverwalk will also connect directly to end-of-trip facilities for the Waterfront Brisbane currently under construction, supporting more people to choose walking and riding as part of their commute when the towers open.
BQ CEO Matt Burke praised the upgrade and the project’s delivery timeline.
“While construction has taken over two years, the Riverwalk is re-opening on time and it looks like the finished product is pretty darn good. Well done to the developers to creating and sticking to that vision.”
Bicycle Queensland will continue advocating for high-quality, safe and connected active transport infrastructure across Brisbane and Queensland, ensuring that shared paths and commuter corridors work well for everyone.
On January 27, Brisbane City Council officially opened the Viola Place bikeway. It’s a really important 600-metre shared path connecting Viola Place to Schneider Road near Brisbane Airport. While short in distance, the link fills a long-standing gap in Brisbane’s bike network, providing a safe, off-road alternative to some of the area’s most challenging and traffic-heavy roads. The link has solar lighting for added safety after dark.
Brisbane City Councillor Ryan Murphy said the opening marked the end of a frustratingly long journey for riders and advocates alike.
“This link was about to be constructed when I became a councillor in 2012 and we’re opening it in 2026,” Cr Murphy said. “This is one of those ones that was caught in development hell between land acquisition, TradeCoast, lawyers, between state government and council.”
Despite the delays, Cr Murphy said the importance of the connection was always clear, given the tens of thousands of people who work in the airport precinct. “The fact that it’s now open is really satisfying to me. This is one of the most satisfying openings I’ve ever been to, even though it’s a small link.”
Cr Murphy said the bikeway provides a vital alternative to dangerous on-road routes.
“People come off the Gateway Bridge and they want to get straight into the airport precinct,” he said. “They can’t do it unless they go down Sugar Mill Road, and it’s an extremely dangerous connection. You’ve got trucks, lots of delivery vehicles, because we’ve got some of the big freight companies here.”
“This just means those cyclists are now safe. They can continue on what is an off-road path, all the way through to the airport precinct, and we know that there’s tens of thousands of people that work at that precinct.”
Cr Murphy also paid tribute to the persistence of local advocates.
“We also just thank the advocates who have been so patient, and many of the Bicycle Queensland members have been so patient, waiting for this connection to be here,” he said.
Bicycle Queensland CEO Matthew Burke, who was at the opening, said “Parts of this route were built many years ago, but only this week is it all starting to stitch together as a bicycle friendly route to the airport precinct.”
He said “Kudos to Mitch Bright and the Brisbane Airport Bicycle User Group (BUG) for their decades-long advocacy for this network. Congratulations to Council’s project team for completing a tricky project that wasn’t made easy by Queensland Rail and other land owners.”
Mitch Bright with Andrew DemackBelinda Ward from Space4Cycling BNE
Prof Burke also highlighted the need for a bike-friendly airport. “People already arrive at Brisbane Airport with bikes and try to ride to the city centre. They find themselves on pretty awful roads straight away. We’re now that bit closer to a safe direct route.”
For Mitch Bright from the Airport BUG, the opening represents more than a decade of advocacy.
“The bikeway connecting to the Gateway Bridge was first suggested when the bridge was in planning. The bridge opened in 2010, with no connection,” Mr Bright said.
He said council funding was committed years ago, but progress stalled.
“In 2014, the Brisbane City Council determined that this connection … through Viola Place to Schneider Road, was an option that they should pursue,” he said. “In 2019, we still hadn’t seen any action on that, so we started getting active, talking to the local newspapers. In 2021, council announced they’d be building it that year, and then nothing happened, and then, finally, in 2025, we finally got a work order.”
For riders, the difference is immediate.
“The alternative is Sugar Mill Road, which is quite heavily trafficked by trucks,” Mr Bright said. “There’s also Nudgee Road, which is a freight route as well.”
Belinda Ward from Space4Cycling said the link transforms access for riders crossing the Gateway Bridge.
“It’s a major connector for anyone who comes over the Gateway Bridge,” she said. “This path, although it’s only short, it cuts out some horrendous pieces of infrastructure.”
She said the opening also supports changing travel patterns. “This suddenly opens up a cheap, safe alternative to get to a lot of workplaces.”
As Brisbane’s airport and surrounding employment precincts continue to grow, the Viola Place bikeway stands as a reminder that sometimes the most best infrastructure upgrades are the ones that finally connect the major projects.
Bicycle Queensland CEO Professor Matt Burke and Acting Chair Miles Vass have met with Queensland Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg to discuss the state’s approach to active transport, with a focus on policy settings, project priorities and delivery processes.
Speaking after the meeting, Prof. Burke said the discussion was constructive, partly thanks to the good work of the State Government in late 2025 clamping down on unsafe e-motorbikes, and in setting up a new active transport advisory group to improve communications with the Department of Transport and Main Roads.
Policy
In terms of policy priorities, Miles informed the Minister that road safety was the key advocacy and policy priority for Bicycle Queensland this year. The main topic then discussed was the current inquiry into e-mobility, which will be reporting in March. While the Minister must wait until the findings are handed down, Prof. Burke re-iterated that Bicycle Queensland is well-placed to help, where appropriate, on the messaging around of any upcoming changes or with education or training that may be required.
For members and followers, a reminder that BQ has consistently promoted the benefits of compliant e-bikes and the use of e-scooters within current legislation.
‘We’ve been fighting to keep legal e-bike riding safe and secure, to preserve that part of the industry,’ Prof. Burke confirmed. ‘I did thank the Minister for the clamping down on the retailers, and use of illegal motorbikes in Queensland – many shops stopped selling these products.’
Projects
The main infrastructure project discussed was the Logan Faster Rail continuous active transport corridor. As covered last year, the promised continuous bike way along the length of the rail upgrade has been split into disconnected parts. The Minister was surprised to hear that the project team had done no advertising of the bikeway deletion to either the broader bike community or the local community.
‘There’s almost no chance to get the section north from Compton Road to Kuraby re-instated,’ Professor Burke reported. ‘It’s decreasingly likely that we’ll get the all important section from Kingston to Woodridge station re-instated. But the Minister is willing to find something better than what is there at present.’
The Minister suggested there may be a solution that is ‘80% as good’ and BQ are very keen to explore that. The current proposal to rely on the out-of-date bike lanes on Jacaranda Avenue is untenable. TMR run their own heavy vehicle driver training and testing along that route. The bikeway should be how hundreds of school children get to the four schools on or just off the corridor there. They can’t mix with trucks.
‘We’ll keep the pressure on for this project. We’ll work with the Logan Bicycle User Group on options. We’ll alert the local community that the bikeway was deleted. We’ll build support for the bikeway – again’ Prof. Burke confirmed.
Procedures
The Minister has set up a new Queensland Active Transport and Advisory Group (ATAG), replacing the old cycling committee.
‘The previous committee hardly ever met, and had very little input. I was on it whilst at Griffith University,’ confirmed Prof. Burke. ‘We need this new entity to meet more often and to prioritise two-way communication.’
‘I’ve been on a number of committees with TMR over the years. The best use workshops to help formulate policy options and project directions in the Department, whether that’s to change design guidance, change funding rules, test out new innovations, or more.’
Here at BQ we get a sense the Minister is listening and engaged, but that bicycle funding is unlikely to increase in the near future. He and the Queensland Government have both said they will listen to the community. However, there is still much to fight for – and we will have more news in that space shortly, including how you can get involved.
Bicycle Queensland has reached out to Brisbane City Council about a funded active transport project in Aspley in Brisbane’s north. $5 million in State Government funding was provided to Brisbane City Council in June 2024, but construction has yet to begin.
The Aspley link goes from Beams Road to Cabbage Tree Creek. It will allow you to ride up and beside the Beams Road overpass, avoiding the dangerous road crossing underneath. It serves a number of transport functions, providing safer access Aspley State High School and to Carseldine rail station.
Yesterday, Queensland’s Shadow Transport Minister Bart Mellish effectively posed two important questions: Where did the funding go? When will the project proceed? Both the local community and the bicycle community deserve answers to these questions.
Late Friday our CEO, Matthew Burke, received assurances from the Lord Mayor’s office that Council still wants to build the bikeway.
It may take us a bit more time to get a fuller picture on the funding agreement and the timing for delivery. We’ll engage with Council and others over the coming weeks and will let the large Northern Brisbane cycling community know more when we have a clear picture.
Through June 2025, Brisbane City Council engaged with the local community regarding intersection improvements around Milton Road, Croydon Street and Sylvan Road. This section is a highly trafficked corridor for bike riders – and there was strong community support for separated bikeways and footpaths, along with slower speeds. The community also supports reduced parking, with the provision of wider footpaths and street trees to create a better street experience.
“Bicycle Queensland is pleased the Sylvan Road bikeway is a bit closer to reality. It’s this road that has long been the unsafe ‘missing link’ between the Western Freeway Bikeway and the Bicentennial Bikeway putting thousands of cyclists at risk every week,” said Bicycle Queensland CEO Professor Matt Burke.
“The good news is the community is extremely positive about putting protected bike lanes down Sylvan Road. The number one thing people want is “separated facilities”. This is no surprise to the cycling community of course: real safety improvements should have happened here decades ago.”
“Bicycle Queensland has been campaigning for this link for more than two decades. Studies have been completed. The value of the project has been established. It’s not expensive and funds are available. The community is now clearly on board. Let’s just get it done!”
Council is promising to now produce concept designs and Bicycle Queensland expects to be engaged with these proposals in the coming months. Early works (pre-construction) are slated for mid-year. The full bikeway should open by 2028.
“Thanks to all our members and supporters who have helped with this campaign. Thanks to the great folks at Brisbane West Bicycle User Group, and Space for Cycling Brisbane, and the other groups that have been part of this fight. Thanks to everyone in the community who engaged with Council during their consultation period. We’ll organise a party if this link finally opens.”
Let the State and Federal Government know you want the Logan Faster Rail Active Transport Corridor reinstated.
The project team involved in designing and building the Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail project have dumped two key sections of bikeway from the long-promised continuous Active Transport Corridor that was part of the project. We need your help to get a continuous, safe, cycling route reinstated.
Long bikeways are rare in South East Queensland. The Logan Faster Rail Active Transport Corridor was to be three times longer than Ipswich Road in Brisbane, providing a safe riding corridor all the way from Kuraby to Beenleigh.
Transport and Main Roads were relying on it for their own Brisbane to Gold Coast Cycle Tourism Route. Logan City was relying on it for their Logan Bicycle Network.
Reference to the “continuous active transport corridor” has now been scrubbed from the project website. Despite this, Transport and Main Roads is not consulting the public about this important change.
The Logan Bicycle User Group and Bicycle Queensland briefed six weeks after first asking for information. We were informed that instead of a continuous route, the section paralleling Jacaranda Ave between Woodridge and Kingston Stations was to be axed. So was the section from Compton Road north to Kuraby Station. That is despite the land being purchased for the Active Transport Corridor already.
Our highest priority is reinstating the Woodridge to Kingston section. This would deliver most of the continuous bikeway initially promised. It is also the section that directly services four important schools with 4,000 students: Kingston State School, Groves Christian College, and Kingston State College, all just off the rail corridor, and Loganlea State High School that is smack bang on the corridor south of Kingston Station.
But really, the whole Active Transport Corridor should be immediately reinstated. Both the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments have promised that whenever they build large transport projects, that they will include active transport as a key part of the project. This decision breaks that promise by both levels of Government. It was the then Transport Minister Anthony Albanese who brought this “positive provision” policy in at Commonwealth level.
It makes sense: bicycle routes are needed to help people access the stations along the corridor, if we don’t build them as part of the project it is way more expensive to build it later.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
If you want to ride safely from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, or live down near Woodridge and Kingston, please act now:
Write, call or email your local State Member of Parliament and ask them to raise the issue directly, via the details available here.
State MPs in the area are Melissa McMahon (MP for Macalister, email macalister@parliament.qld.gov.au), James Martin (MP for Stretton, email Stretton@parliament.qld.gov.au), the Hon Cameron Dick (MP for Woodridge, email Woodridge@parliament.qld.gov.au) and the Hon Shannon Fentiman (MP for Waterford, email: Waterford@parliament.qld.gov.au). (All of these are Labor MPs, if that assists in shaping your message).
Write, call or email your local Federal Member of Parliament to ask them to reinstate the Active Transport Corridor – that the Commonwealth also agreed to fund: for details click here.
Federal MPs in the area are Julie-Ann Campbell (MP for Moreton, Julie-Ann.Campbell.MP@aph.gov.au), Rowan Holzberger (MP for Forde email: Rowan.Holzberger.MP@aph.gov.au, and the Hon Jim Chalmers (MP for Rankin, email: jim.chalmers.mp@aph.gov.au). (Again, these are all Labor MPs, but in this case it is a Labor Federal Government which is part-funding this project).
ANYTHING ELSE
If you have children or grand-children at Kingston State School, Groves Christian College, Kingston State College, or Loganlea State High School, please contact your local Parents & Citizens Association, and ask them to fight for the bikeway.
As the project team has decided not to consult the public about the removal of the bikeway corridor, there is no firm deadline to get your submission in. But the project will soon move from the design phase into construction. Then it will be too late.
They’ve bought the land already. Let’s get the Active Transport Corridor built.
Please act fast! It can’t wait until after Christmas.
Bicycle Queensland is happy to share the news that Toowoomba Regional Council have endorsed a plan by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) to connect the Toowoomba CBD with the Highfields bikeway project, creating a north-south active transport link through Toowoomba.
BQ and Toowoomba Region Bicycle User Group have been involved in the planning for this vital link into Toowoomba’s CBD, so we are delighted to see Toowoomba Council endorse the plan.
“The vision for the Toowoomba Central Active Transport Link Project is to deliver safe, connected and convenient pathways and crossings that make walking and cycling easier and more appealing, helping to reduce reliance on vehicles in Toowoomba’s northern suburbs,” said Toowoomba Regional Council spokesperson Councillor Trevor Manteufel.
“The proposed concept plan has been developed by TMR for 5.5 kilometres of paths and safe road crossings to connect the East Creek Cycleway at Margaret Street in Toowoomba’s CBD, to the Highfields Bikeway at the John French VC Bridge on the New England Highway via TRC’s proposed Railway Parklands Precinct,” Cr Manteufel said.
But the next key phase is for the project to attract funding from the State and Federal Governments. Council can be assured that the bike riding community is 100% behind them on this one!
The Queensland Government has today opened applications for its Active Transport Grants Program, offering up to $15 million for councils to plan and deliver new walking and bike-riding infrastructure in the 2026–27 financial year, via a co-contribution model.
Only $6.5 million was spent under this program last round. We strongly encourage local governments to apply, including those in the regions and Aboriginal Land Councils. Many small councils received funding last year.
The program is designed to support projects that make walking and riding safer and more accessible, including upgrades around schools, hospitals, public transport hubs and other key destinations. It also aligns with government ambitions for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, where they are hoping to achieve transport legacy.
The announcement merges previous separate walking and cycling funding streams into a single program, which the Government says will reduce red tape and make it easier for councils to apply. Projects are expected to be funded on a 50:50 basis with local governments.
Bicycle Queensland welcomes continued state government co-investment in active transport infrastructure with local government. But we recognise that the scale of funding is nowhere near the share of trips already made by walking and cycling across Queensland’s transport networks.
Bicycle Queensland CEO Prof Burke said: “It’s great to see this Transport and Main Roads program funded again for 2026-27, to help councils deliver important bikeways, shared paths and crossings. It’s a chance of many councils, including some of our smallest regional councils, to plan, design or build new bikeways in their area.”
A small change to the program could make quite a difference. There are so many council bike paths, bike lanes and crossings in Queensland neighbourhoods that need fixing. The poorest local governments in Queensland, those out in the regions, have very little revenue and can struggle to put up the 50% of the funding required for this scheme.
Prof Burke said: “We ask that the LNP Government consider the regions here, by raising the share of state government funding for our smallest councils under this scheme, beyond the 50/50 rate. We’ve already seen the tourism impacts walking and cycling improvements are having in Winton, in Fernvale and Kilkivan. It can transform a town.”
Prof Burke also noted: “Whilst this funding is welcomed, some existing Transport and Main Roads commitments to bikeways are being postponed or cut entirely. We are especially concerned about a bikeway link already funded from Woodridge to Kingston, being built as part of the Faster Rail project down there. It’s just been cut, without public consultation, and we want it reinstated immediately.”
The Queensland Government has repeatedly highlighted the importance of active transport – including reducing emissions, supporting healthier communities, and relieving pressure on the road network as population grows. Bicycle Queensland strongly agrees with these goals, but remains concerned that smaller, project-based funding will not be enough to create region-wide networks that are continuous, separated, and designed for real-world travel patterns.
The real opportunity: connected networks and mode shift
Bicycle Queensland held 25 regional forums across the state in 2025, all the way from Far North Queensland down to Warwick, listening to what cyclists want.
safer separated bikeways
safer intersections
better school and commuting links
safe places for e-bike and e-scooter use
Yet at current funding levels, Queensland risks only incremental improvements rather than the transformative change required to shift everyday travel behaviour.
Investment at scale would help:
cut congestion,
reduce household transport costs,
support public health,
reduce emissions, and
ensure children and families can travel safely by bike or on foot.
