$4.1 million upgrade of Bicentennial Bikeway now open

Queensland Treasurer and Member for Mount Coot-tha Andrew Fraser, Transport Minister Rachel Nolan and Toowong Ward Councillor Peter Matic today officially opened an upgrade to one of South East Queensland’s most popular pedestrian and cycle routes, the Bicentennial Bikeway.

Ms Nolan said the $4.1 million upgrade for stage two of the four stage project would transform the bikeway connecting Toowong and the Brisbane CBD.

“This upgrade adds an additional 500 metres of state-of-the-art bikeway supporting the Bligh Government’s initiative of promoting active transport through cycling and walking,” Ms Nolan said.

“About 4000 people use the bikeway daily so we recognise the importance of this path for those travelling between Toowong and the CBD.

“By investing in better pathways we are encouraging commuters to leave their cars at home and adopt greener and more sustainable transport modes.

“The transformation includes widening of a shared pathway to separate pedestrians and cyclists, ensuring the bikeway remain safe for both users.

“New lighting, shade structures, landscaping, bike parking and signage have also been added,” she said.

Mr Fraser said he was pleased to see the works delivered for local residents.

“The Bicentennial Bikeway upgrade will make a valuable contribution to maintaining the great outdoor lifestyle we all treasure,” Mr Fraser said.

“The bikeway offers easy and direct access to a host of destinations including the CBD and shopping district, local railway stations, CityCat terminals and Suncorp Stadium.

“With local bridge connections, South Bank and West End are easily accessible by cyclists and walkers,” he said.

Mr Fraser said the project was jointly-funded between the State Government and Brisbane City Council.

“The initiative is part of the Government’s congestion management approach and climate change strategy ClimateQ: toward a greener Queensland.

“Through this initiative, the Queensland Government continues to build a public and active transport network that provides greater accessibility, frequency and reliability.

“This project complements the State Government’s commitment to deliver a $600 million commuter cycle network in South East Queensland by 2031,” he said.

Councillor Matic said that, with more people moving into the area, these works were necessary to ensure Brisbane’s busiest bikeway remained easy and safe to use for pedestrians and cyclists alike.

“There are about 4000 people using the Bicentennial Bikeway everyday and I think we’ll see this continue to grow as we fill more and more of the missing links in Brisbane’s bikeway network.

“Active travel options like cycling and walking are now becoming easier for commuters with Brisbane now having almost a thousand kilometres of bikeways thanks to the Lord Mayor’s record $100 million spend on new cycle links this term,” Cr Matic said.

The first stage of the upgrade was completed in September 2009 and runs between Park Road and Little Cribb Street.

The entire project is due to be completed in 2014.

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