Bike riders travelling through Brisbane’s CBD will see a temporary detour on the Herschel Street crossing to Roma Street from Wednesday 11 February 2026, as part of ongoing works for the Cross River Rail project.
The shared path between George Street and Roma Street will close for up to eight weeks to allow construction of an improved walking and riding environment. While the detour will require adjustments to your regular route, the outcome will deliver better safety and connectivity for riders.
You have a few options during the closure, however the George Street bike lane provides a clear and safe alternative south of the closure, and the signalised crossing at Makerston Street will assist people walking or riding through the area. If you must use the Roma Street footpaths, please be considerate of pedestrians. There will be traffic control and signage in place to assist riders, pedestrians and motorists.
Allow another minute or two on your trip, and take extra care on the detour you choose – including being mindful as pedestrians negotiate the same changes in their route.
BQ has long advocated for safer, more intuitive and higher-quality cycling infrastructure through the Brisbane CBD, particularly on key east–west links like Herschel Street. Unfortunately, a safe riding thoroughfare along the full length of Herschel Street will not be developed within this particular project.
Once construction is complete, a new shared link between George and Roma streets will open, with excellent connections to Roma Street station.
BQ will continue to keep members informed as works progress and encourages riders to report any issues encountered during the detour so they can be raised with the project team. More details can be found on the project website.
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 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.”
Brisbane City Council recently announced plans for thousands of new high-rise apartments in South Brisbane’s Kurilpa precinct, as part of Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner’s anti-sprawl strategy.
Under the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct Plan, developers will be able to build taller, more sustainable buildings that exceed current height limits. Council says new buildings exceeding existing height limits must demonstrate design excellence, incorporating subtropical design principles. It is said they must also deliver new green spaces and pedestrian plazas, and contribute topublic art and creative lighting.
Bicycle Queensland wants Council’s Plan to ensure bike-friendly development.
Proposals have been lodged for 5,279 new dwellings across 12 projects, including apartments, student accommodation and hotel rooms. Plans include:
Three 50-storey towers on Nott Street
Three towers ranging from 24 to 50 storeys on Melbourne Street
Six towers between 12 and 30 storeys on Donkin Street
A 19-storey student accommodation project on Tribune Street with 525 rooms and a rooftop space
The area has very strong public transport links and a developing active transport network that will be strengthened with the completion of the Grey St bikeway and streetscape project. Justifiably, the Kurilpa precinct is being designed as a neighbourhood where owning a car is optional, with CBD-style maximum mandatory car parking limits and easy walking access to shops, cafes, essential services and public transport.
Bicycle Queensland welcomes the precinct’s focus on sustainable, connected living and it represents a significant step forward for the city. However, BQ’s CEO Prof. Matthew Burke is adamant that there needs be clear encouragement for active transport, including bike riding.
“We have to get premium resident and visitor bike parking into these new tall apartment developments. If these precincts are going to be “car-optional” as the Lord Mayor suggests, the developers have to provide safer bike storage options than are found in most Brisbane apartment buildings, where thefts are an ongoing concern.”
BQ’s Director of Advocacy, Andrew Demack, admired the plan’s promotion of urban density and the benefits that may create.
“Sustainable, connected living, which gives people the convenient, safe choice to walk, ride or take frequent public transport, is what makes great cities great. Brisbane can do this while also recognising that in a subtropical city, shade and shelter are vitally important.”
“In these parts of the city, the best way to go out for dinner will be to walk to the dining precinct. The best way to visit the shops will be on your e-cargo bike. And the best way to get to work might be via frequent bus or train services.”
To that end, Prof. Burke insisted that speed limits also be addressed.
“We also need to reduce the posted street speeds in these small, crowded streets down to 30km/h. The Kurilpa precinct will be crammed with pedestrians, shops, cafes and activity, and you can’t have high speed traffic in such places. We can’t build like the densest Asian cities and not bring our street speeds down to their level.”
More than 150 riders joined Bicycle Queensland (BQ) and The Star this morning (October 15) for a special Ride2Work Day coffee catch-up at the Velo Café, right beside the Bicentennial Bikeway at Queen’s Wharf Brisbane.
The event brought together regular commuters, BQ Members, occasional riders, and cycling advocates for a morning of conversation, caffeine and connection. It was a chance to celebrate the benefits of riding to work, but also celebrate riding bikes. It was also an opportunity for some guests to discuss ways to make cycling safer and more accessible across Queensland.
BQ CEO Professor Matt Burke spoke about the importance of creating a city that supports active transport.
“We need more bikeways and more street trees to make Brisbane a liveable, healthy city,” Professor Burke said. “Queensland already has some excellent cycling infrastructure, but it’s often disconnected. We want to see 60 kilometres of new bikeways delivered in the lead-up to Brisbane 2032 – just as Paris did to transform how people move around their city.”
The Star’s Chief Operating Officer Kelvin Dodt also addressed the crowd, highlighting Queen’s Wharf Brisbane’s support for community initiatives and active transport to their precinct.
“We believe this is a fantastic space. We are very much committed to making sure that the precinct is very community friendly and we work and collaborate consistently with different groups, including Bicycle Queensland, to make sure that everyone enjoys what we have to offer here in the precinct.”
Thank you to The Star for letting us use their event space this morning, and for providing the coffees for riders! BQ was also joined by Epic Cycles, one of our BQ Link partners and a long time supporter, on hand to help give some attention to the squeaky wheels that were riding to work. CycleLaw, BQ’s legal partner, were also on hand to answer questions that BQ Members or others riding to work may have had.
Ride2Work Day is Australia’s largest celebration of day-to-day riding, encouraging more people to try cycling as a convenient, affordable and healthy way to get to work. Events like this one can help people step out their door and onto a bike for their journey, but of course to do that we need to feel safe. Bicycle Queensland will continue to advocate to make Queensland a safer and more connected place to ride a bike.
Be a local advocate
See.Sense have also partnered with BQ for a Ride2Work promotion running for 4 weeks! Just by downloading their app, registering and making a report, you will be in with a chance to win 1 of 4 See.Sense ICON 3 rear lights! Full details are listed here.
The reports made will help build a dashboard that highlights any problem areas on popular bike routes – be it maintenance issues or user behaviour. Every bike rider can be involved in the reporting – so download the app and take part.
The shared use paths on Brisbane’s Story Bridge have been closed since ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, in March 2025. Post storm inspection showed the concrete pathways were dangerously thin, alongside other issues with the structure. Since then, active transport users in Brisbane have missed this vital link across the Brisbane River, with the detoured route not suiting many users. One side of the bridge’s shared paths are now set to open on Friday October 3.
In the meantime, volunteers have organised a Bike Bus across the Story Bridge, but this did not account for walkers, runners or e-scooter riders. The replacement decking fitted by Brisbane City Council allows all active transport users access again – and is part of the council’s long-term plan to restore the Story Bridge.
‘I saw the new decking as I rode past just this morning, and it looked great,’ said Professor Matt Burke, Bicycle Queensland’s newly appointed CEO. ‘This is a win for everyone who bikes, walks, runs or scoots in the inner-city. We are really happy the Story Bridge is open to cyclists and pedestrians again. Its loss was a major problem these last months. Congratulations to the Mayor and those at Council who got the decking fixed much earlier than predicted.”
‘The Story Bridge is emblematic of something much bigger though. There are a lot more roads, bridges and cycling facilities not being maintained at good standard, right across Australia. Local governments find it increasingly difficult to maintain their existing transport infrastructure, let alone build more. They own most of the roads, cycling and foot paths; they own the responsibility to fix them. But councils receive only a tiny percentage of our total tax revenues. They are becoming chronically underfunded, especially in the regions.’
