The past few months have been a hive of activity in the BQ office. The big news earlier this year was that the Queensland Government were holding a Parliamentary Inquiry into e-mobility. BQ has made their submission, and will be presenting to the inquiry on July 21.
We’ve also wrapped up our Y2W (Yarraman to Wulkuraka) 3-day rail trail event. This was held on the popular Brisbane Valley Rail Trail, and it presented a great opportunity to speak to members and riders about important advocacy work in their areas. That included speaking to riers who have been volunteering their time for the Story Bridge Bike Bus, as we await further information from Brisbane City Council as to when and how the bridge will serve as an essential transport link for all users.
All that and more, via this update from Andrew.
If you want to know more about what BQ is up to and where, please contact us on BQinfo@BQ.org.au – or call the office on 07 3844 1144 between 8:30am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.
The dust has settled on the 2025 Y2W (Yarraman to Wulkuraka) ride, and Bicycle Queensland is thrilled with how the three-day adventure unfolded. Held from July 4–6 in partnership with the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail Users Association (BVRTUA), the fully supported event along the length of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail gave over 100 riders the chance to experience the iconic trail in all its winter glory.
With overnight stops at Linville and Esk, the event wasn’t just a ride, it was a rolling community. Riders came from across Queensland and beyond, covering over 160km of traffic-free rail trail, soaking in the region’s rich scenery, and enjoying the simple pleasure of travelling by bike. From the rugged terrain and forests of the northern section on day 1, through to rolling farmland on day 2 and 3, all riders experienced the stunning landscapes of the Brisbane River Valley.
Bicycle Queensland’s Event Director for Y2W, Andrew Demack, was buoyed by the feedback.
“This event is a great example of what Bicycle Queensland is all about, helping more people get out on bikes and experience the beauty and joy of riding in Queensland,” he said. “We were especially proud to see such a wide range of riders taking part. From gravel riders and e-MTBers through to infrequent riders and seasoned rail trail regulars, Y2W brought everyone together.”
That inclusivity was reflected in the survey responses, where over 93% of participants rated their overall experience as either “very satisfied” or “satisfied.” More than 85% were happy with the ride route itself, and an overwhelming 95% praised the Bicycle Queensland staff and BQ/BVRTUA volunteer support throughout the event.
The good vibes didn’t stop on the trail. Campsites were lively social hubs, with hot meals, great company, and a few shared tales from the day’s ride. As one participant put it, “This was my first organised cycling event and I loved every minute. Well done on a fabulous three days. It was a real escape!”
Others echoed the praise:
“Organisation, logistics and support were all excellent.”
“Great people, great trail, great food!”
“The community spirit and camaraderie were the highlights for me.”
It wasn’t just about the ride either. The Y2W event had a real impact on the region, with more than half of participants spending over $400 during their visit, supporting local accommodation, cafes, and pubs. And 90% of riders said they were likely or very likely to return to towns along the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail route as a result of the ride.
For BQ, the success of the event is another step in showing how accessible and rewarding bike riding can be for people of all backgrounds and ages — and how powerful it is in connecting communities and individuals.
Thanks to everyone who came along for the 2025 Y2W – we hope to see you at a BQ event in the future.
Thank you to the support of all volunteers, Pedal Inn Bicycle Garage, Ground Effect Cycling, PieProof Helmets and the Rail Trail Refuige – Linville, for making the Y2W event what it was.
Bicycle Queensland (BQ) has made a strong case to the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry into e-mobility, urging the State Government to embrace the opportunities of e-mobility while putting in place the essential infrastructure, regulation and education to ensure safety and equity for all road users.
Describing the e-mobility revolution as a positive and permanent shift, BQ emphasised the potential for e-bikes and e-scooters to deliver cleaner, healthier, and more accessible transport options — if managed with clear policy, proper planning and strong enforcement.
BQ’s submission calls on the Government to take decisive action in three priority areas:
Build long-promised infrastructure such as separated bike lanes and safe paths to keep riders away from vehicles and pedestrians.
Enforce existing laws which are allowing throttle e-bikes to be sold, despite them being illegal to use in Queensland.
Coordinate nationally to avoid a fragmented patchwork of rules across state borders.
“We encourage the Government to facilitate the growing interest in e-mobility through a properly funded active transport network” said BQ Interim CEO Liana Heath. “To improve safety concerns for riders and the public, we need to ensure current laws and rules are enforced, rather than introducing further complexity and obstacles to safe riding,” said Heath.
The BQ submission sets out four recommendations exactly how that can be done. BQ welcomes the inquiry and looks forward to contributing to more safe, active transport for everyone.
1. Fund and prioritise active transport
Reinstate mode share targets in transport planning
Lift active transport funding from under 1% to 10% annually by 2032
Reduce local road speed limits from 50km/h to 40km/h
Complete the Principal Cycle Network Plan by 2032
Develop Ride Safely to School strategies including bike lanes and bike tracks to new schools
Enforce a zero-tolerance approach to aggressive behaviour towards riders and e-scooter users
2. Ensure only safe, compliant devices are imported and sold
Enforce Australian safety standards
Restrict import and sale of non-compliant e-bikes and scooters
Govern or remove speed/throttle functions on illegal devices already sold
3. Launch a statewide public education campaign
Educate the public on what devices are legal and where they can be used
Promote rider training and safety awareness
4. Collaborate nationally on battery and safety standards
Implement national battery safety and charging standards
Coordinate legislation across states for clarity and consistency nationally
BQ welcomes the Parliamentary Inquiry and looks forward to working with the State to ensure safe and active transport for all Queenslanders.
When ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred passed through Brisbane in March, it left more than just downed trees and sodden streets in its wake. For thousands of people who walk, ride or scoot to get around, it severed a critical link across the river.
Both shared paths on the iconic Story Bridge were closed following damage inspections. Three months on, they remain shut—and the timeline for reopening them has not been made public. The repairs, it seems, will take much longer than anticipated.
But for locals who rely on active transport, life hasn’t paused. While there is a suggested detour, it takes longer and leads users through areas that many deem unsafe to use. And this has meant some people abandon active transport and resort to single passenger journeys in a car instead.
But Kathryn Good’s new “bike bus” is looking to provide a temporary solution.
“A a bike bus is basically kind of like a normal bus,” Kathryn explains. “It has a pickup point and a drop-off point, and everyone travels together. But on a bike bus, everybody is cycling. They’re on their bikes instead of being on a physical bus, so it’s about visibility and safety of people cycling together in a group. You know, there’s a lead and a tail rider and everyone rides together, and everyone’s heading to the same destination, just like a bus.”
Kathryn’s initiative grew from frustration and a strong sense of community responsibility. In April, she helped organise a group ride to raise awareness of the continuing Story Bridge path closures.
“We did a group ride previously in April to bring awareness to the issue,” she says. “Obviously the footpaths are still closed. There’s still no end in sight, and people still need to get across safely.”
Riding alone across the bridge’s traffic lanes is legal, but daunting.
“It’s a pretty scary thing to ride across by yourself,” Kathryn says. “There’s heavy traffic. The lanes are pretty narrow. It’s definitely not something a lot of people feel comfortable doing by themselves.”
The bike bus offers safety in numbers—and sends a clear message to Brisbane City Council that a proper solution for riders and walkers is still urgently needed.
“Hopefully this is a way to get at least a few people over the bridge safely, doing it together. And yeah, bring visibility as well to the fact that the footpaths are still closed and there’s still no end in sight.”
The bike bus is launching next week with an 8:00 AM departure heading north over the bridge toward Fortitude Valley. The first week is a pilot program, shaped by community feedback.
“We probably will informally ride back over the bridge if there’s anyone that wants to head back the other way,” Kathryn explains. “But yeah, the first week is kind of a trial. We want to hear feedback about whether people would prefer earlier, later, or an evening ride, what time would actually be useful.”
Volunteers are vital, but finite. Kathryn is hoping to strike a balance between availability and demand.
“Volunteer availability is the limiting factor at the moment. So if we can try and have it at a time that’s useful to the most people—and have a bigger group, more visibility, more safety—that’s the goal.”
Early community response has been strong.
“Some people have just been choosing to ride across the bridge regardless, in the car lanes, which is a pretty scary thing to do by yourself,” she says. “It’s great that we’re getting some of those people who hopefully either have tried it and not felt comfortable, or people who haven’t felt comfortable doing it alone – hopefully now they will.”
But while the bike bus offers a solution for people on bikes, it leaves others behind—especially those on foot, scooters, wheelchairs or pushing prams.
“Obviously, the solution that we are actually hoping for in the long term, because it seems that the footpath closures are going to be long term, is that Brisbane City Council do something like they did on Coronation Drive in 2022,” Kathryn says.
She’s referring to an incident in which Council temporarily blocked off a lane of traffic with plastic barriers to give people walking and riding a safe corridor, when the Bicentennial Bikeway was closed due to flood damage.
“If they would block off a lane of the bridge, then people could walk, ride, scoot, or take prams or wheelchairs – anytime of the day.”
Kathryn is quick to note that while cycling across the bridge is still legal, walking and scooting are not possible.
“So it’s helping cyclists, but ideally we would have a lane of the bridge open for everyone to get across. That would be the best solution while the footpaths are being repaired in the very long term.”
While a formal petition to Brisbane City Council closes today, Kathryn encourages everyone affected to keep the pressure on.
“The most effective thing we can do is to get in contact with the Council and ask them for this lane to get across,” she says. “Just calling or writing to the Council and asking them to put barriers up – to put a lane on the bridge- then everyone can get across safely. That needs to happen.”
Bicycle Queensland supports Kathryn’s initiative as a creative and caring workaround, but agrees it is not a substitute for action from Brisbane City Council. The Story Bridge is a critical piece of the city’s active transport network, and a safer solution for all users needs to be developed.
You can follow the Bike Bus Facebook page for updates on the schedule – or get in touch via Facebook or the email address below if you would like to volunteer:
Bicycle Queensland’s return to multi-day events on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail is here! From July 4-6, riders will be joining Bicycle Queensland and the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail Users Association for a 3-day, 161km ride from Yarraman to Wulkuraka. Here are the essential details for those who have signed up – you’ll also find this in your inbox, and via the Y2W 2025 Rider Sheet.
Y2W rider briefing
You can download the Y2w packlist here, or watch the outline online.
Make sure your bike is ready to go – serviced before the event, and you have your basic spares packed and ready. If you have a shed of lovely bikes to rbing and are on the fence with what to take – here’s some advice from Mike.
If you have any further questions, please contact BQinfo@BQ.org.au.
From 19 May, 2025, Bicycle Queensland’s CEO Alton Twine and Director of Advocacy Anderw Demack toured through Far North Queensland. They visited BQ members and local councils in Cairns, Atherton, Innisfail and Townsville.
These visits offer a chance to discuss local issues with members and other riders, and to work with local councils to achieve positive outcomes. More details are in the video.
Bicycle Queensland has welcomed the Crisafulli Government’s announcement of a Parliamentary Inquiry into the safety of personal mobility devices (PMDs), including e-scooters and e-bikes, across Queensland, following Minister Brent Mickelberg’s support of BQ’s position statement on high powered e-bikes.
The inquiry will examine the benefits and risks of e-mobility devices, evaluate existing laws and enforcement, and explore improvements in public education, importation rules, and safety regulation.
With the use of e-mobility devices rapidly increasing as more Queenslanders seek affordable, sustainable, and accessible ways to travel, Bicycle Queensland says the time is right for a comprehensive review that distinguishes between legal, safe devices and high-powered illegal alternatives.
Bicycle Queensland CEO Alton Twine said the organisation would make a formal submission to the inquiry, focused on improving safety outcomes while protecting the role of compliant e-bikes and e-scooters in the state’s transport future, which matches the position paper put forward in early 2025.
“We strongly support this inquiry as an important step toward safer, smarter mobility,” Mr Twine said.
“It’s vital that compliant e-bikes and e-scooters remain recognised as legitimate and safe transport options—and that we urgently address the risks posed by high-powered, throttle-controlled devices that don’t meet Australian standards.”
The Queensland Government highlighted a 112% increase in injuries involving PMD riders, passengers and pedestrians from 2021 to 2024, and eight fatalities in the last year alone. Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Brent Mickelberg, noted widespread public concern about illegal devices, under-regulation, and enforcement gaps—issues Bicycle Queensland has consistently raised.
“Queenslanders deserve clear, enforceable rules and a public education campaign to help people understand which devices are legal and safe, and which aren’t,” Mr Twine said.
“We want to see a future where people can confidently choose e-mobility to get to work, school, or the train station—but that future depends on getting the regulations right, keeping shared paths and public spaces safe for everyone – and making sure they are continued to be built. This is a chance to build a balanced, inclusive and future-focused e-mobility framework for Queensland,” Mr Twine said.
E-bikes and e-mobility are getting people moving.
Besides the increase in injuries involving PMD riders, the national road toll is also rising for the first time since the 1970s, despite advancements in vehicle safety and road infrastructure. This paradox underscores the need to focus on human behaviour—how we drive, ride, and walk in our communities.
Mandatory swimming education has been successful in reducing drowning incidents around Australia, and Bicycle Queensland believes that early and consistent road safety education as part of the national primary and secondary school curriculum can cultivate responsible behaviours among future road users – and put downward pressure on a rising road toll.
By instilling road safety principles from a young age, we can nurture a culture of mindfulness and responsibility, ultimately reducing accidents and saving lives.
Bicycle Queensland encourages members and stakeholders to engage with the inquiry process when submissions open, and will continue to represent the interests of everyday riders as the conversation evolves.
In a reminder that bicycle advocacy is about persistence over time, Bicycle Queensland congratulates Brisbane City Council on the announcement that construction on the 600m shared path from Schneider Road to Viola Place starts this month. It is a tiny but vital link that completes a safe cycling route to (most of) the Brisbane Airport precinct.
On hearing the good news we checked in with our friends at Airport BUG, who BQ have worked with on this issue for close to a decade.
“Airport BUG are very pleased that construction on the Viola Place to Schneider Rd bikeway starting this month. The bikeway will connect the long awaited section of the Moreton Bay Cycleway from the Gateway Bridge bikeway to the Kedron Brook Bikeway” Mitch Bright from Airport BUG said.
“Airport workers will be able for the first time to connect to Lamington Avenue and through to Lores Bonney Riverwalk via Nudgee Rd.
“The next steps are to complete the active transport infrastructure on Lamington Avenue and to make Nudgee Rd safer for cycling by removing car parking from the bike lanes there.”
“This is a great link from the Gateway Bridge to Kedron Brook, completing a missing link,” said BQ’s Director of Advocacy, Andrew Demack. “However, more sections need to be completed in the future to make the best use of the current investment infrastructure.”
The focus now shifts to Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) to complete a safe cycling route to the Domestic Terminal. BQ and Airport BUG have been part of the consultation process, but we will be contacting BAC to encourage them to complete this long-awaited project.
Completing missing links is the best value for money action that BCC can take to improve safe bike riding right across Brisbane. In 2023 we collaborated with the metro area BUGs on a document for BCC prioritising which links would have the greatest impact and should therefore be top priority. That document is still highly relevant.
BQ looks forward to more priorities from this list being announced in the future.
