We’ve finally been able to see a copy of the report from the 2024 Community Working Group which reviewed the alignment and design of what was intended to be stage 5 of the North Brisbane Bikeway. That alignment was to continue north along Dickson St after Price St, through Eagle Junction, to connect with the Kedron Brook Bikeway via Jackson St.

The major takeaway from the report is that the working group feedback showed overall support to build the missing link, reinforcing what Council heard from the community in late 2021. This included support for the alignment via Dickson St and Jackson St, and support for the design with a few small amendments. That’s the alignment cycling groups have been calling for Brisbane City Council to deliver, and to which the Queensland government had already committed funding.

We remain disappointed that Council didn’t proceed with construction in 2025, instead “Since the Community Working Group ended, Councillor Julia Dixon has raised broader community concerns” and the project was discontinued. We’ve never been able to find out what those “broader concerns” were, but apparently they related to the alignment. The unspecified concerns were cited to over-rule the results of Council officers’ design work, the feedback from the 2021 community consultation, the informed opinions of the community working group (who gave up time on 2 weekends to be involved), and the feedback from cycling advocacy organisations who understand the desire for a safe and direct connection to Eagle Junction, Toombul, Brisbane Airport, and the Jim Soorley and Gateway North Bikeways.

Cr Dixon instead expressed support for a concept design which was released back in 2018 proposing an alternative east-west route via Price Street, Kent Rd, Rose Street, and Park Road, connecting to the Kedron Brook Bikeway at Brook Road. We note that the previous Hamilton Ward Councillor helped fan opposition to that alignment, so we’re curious as to what has changed in the intervening 8 years.

We’re still waiting to see some action on the Kent Rd bikeway connection. We’re certainly not opposed to another quality cycling connection in the northern suburbs (the more the better!), and note that it will serve a different catchment of potential riders if it is ever eventually constructed.

However we won’t stop campaigning for safer conditions for people to continue riding on Dickson St towards Eagle Junction from where the North Brisbane Bikeway currently ends abruptly at Price St. A petition from a Clayfield resident to this effect attracted over 600 signatures but those people have received no response from Council in almost a year.