Bike riders in Rockhampton’s CBD are set to benefit with the announcement of $516,000 for Stage 3 of the North Street Cycleway.
The project, which will be jointly funded by 50/50 contributions from the Palaszczuk Government and Rockhampton Regional Council, will connect the bike lanes on North Street between West and Campbell Streets.
Works are expected to start later this year following the completion of Stage 2.
That stage, a $384,000 jointly funded project, is currently upgrading bike lanes along North Street from Campbell Street to Victoria Parade.
Stage 2 of the North Street Cycleway is expected to finish in April and will create a raised pedestrian and bike crossing on the corner of North Street and Victoria Parade.
Member for Rockhampton Barry O’Rourke said funding for Stage 3 of the cycleway had been awarded under the Palaszczuk Government’s Cycle Network Local Government Grants Program.
“Stage one of the project was funded through our grants program in 2015-16 and was completed in August 2017,” Mr O’Rourke said
“Stage two, which is being done now, will deliver a two and a half to three-metre-wide shared path on the northern side of the raised crossing.
“This will connect with existing pathways across the rail bridge and north/west past the aquatic centre towards the tennis centre.”
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey, who was on site with Mayor Margaret Strelow today to see the works underway, said the Palaszczuk Government was committed to getting more people riding bikes, more often.
“We know more than 800,000 Queenslanders ride bikes each week and 1.53 million would ride if the conditions were right,” Mr Bailey said.
“We also know that, on average, every dollar we invest in bike riding infrastructure will return nearly five dollars in economic benefit to Queensland with improved health outcomes, reduced traffic congestion, and lower transport costs.
“The Palaszczuk Government has committed more than $18 million in grant funding to local governments for cycling projects across the state in 2018-19.”
Rockhampton Regional Council Mayor Margaret Strelow said delivering safer infrastructure for all road users is a priority for every level of Government and its partnerships like this which deliver the outcomes our community needs.
“These works are key to the North-South corridor of safer cycling infrastructure which has been identified and will ultimately make the road safer for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists,” Mayor Strelow said.
“I would like to thank the State Government for their contribution towards this project, and with Stage 2 nearly complete we look forward to stage 3 works starting in June which will see a number of improvements including a safer crossing of the roundabout on North Street and Murray Street.”
