Brisbane, Queensland – Brisbane’s capital city is set to spend up to $7 million on bicycle transportation services to improve traffic flow and improve safety, as part of a push to boost visitor numbers.
The City of Brisbane has also announced a series of initiatives to boost its tourism sector, including a new bike-sharing scheme, an online booking system and new bicycle transport hubs.
The city has announced the expansion of its bike-share network from its current location at Mount Tabor to the nearby North Queensland University campus, which will enable visitors to get their bike off the road and back in about 30 minutes.
Bike-share is currently only available at Mount St Helens, but will be expanded to the new campus, according to a city spokeswoman.
The bike-parking system, which was previously used for a bicycle repair shop, will be extended to include bike repair services, including wheel repair and repair of other bicycle components.
Bike parking is now available at the Mount Tampines Bike Park, which has been in operation for the past 15 years.
The city also announced it is planning to create new bike parking and cycling facilities at its North Queensland Museum, the Southport Botanic Gardens, the North Queensland Hospital and other locations, including the newly built Brisbane Airport.
Bicycle transport services will be offered on the newly developed Bike Station in Brisbane.
Other initiatives include a bike-rental scheme to cater for people who cannot use a bicycle because of disability or need to use a wheelchair, and a bicycle rental company that will offer bicycles for hire to the city’s homeless and people with disabilities.
“We know that if we don’t do something to improve safety and the way people ride bikes, we’re not going to attract as many people as we want,” said City of Queensland Council Member Mark Smith.
“The City is committed to investing in our roads, bridges, cycle tracks and bike facilities, and is working with the Queensland Government to make cycling more accessible for people with different needs and to ensure the city is a safe place to live and work.”
The city’s plan is part of an ongoing push to improve Brisbane’s transportation infrastructure, including creating bicycle lanes, installing cycle-specific signage and installing cycle racks on streets.
New cycle-sharing network Brisbane’s bicycle-sharing service, BikeStation, will also be expanded, and will allow residents to rent bicycles at no charge.
Cycle station operator CycleStation will also offer bicycles and wheelchairs for hire for people needing to use wheelchairs.
“It’s a really good opportunity to see how our city can be transformed, especially in light of the city and Queensland’s high rates of bicycle use,” Brisbane Mayor Bill Byrne said.
About 500 new bike lanes and six new cycle-only lanes will be installed in the CBD and the South Brisbane neighbourhood, which is currently the only area without any cycle lanes.
All of Brisbane’s new bikeways will also have cycle tracks, which are designed to make it easier for cyclists to navigate around the city.
A new bicycle service hub at Mount Tay, which had previously been a cycle track, will now offer services to cyclists, while the South Bank will have its own bike station.
