FAQs
- Along road corridors, the shared pathway is to be built adjacent to the bitumen with kerb and channel, separating pathway users from traffic and reducing the impact on environmentally sensitive areas.
- The connection from Judy Holt Recreation Reserve to Sunnybay Drive involves constructing a pedestrian and cyclist refuge island with safety fencing to split the crossing of Old Cleveland Road East into two stages and provide safety to pedestrians and cyclists.
- The shared pathway will be approximately 2 kilometres long and 2.5-3 metres wide, providing space for pedestrians and cyclists to pass one another.
- Francesca Court: Two jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) trees to be removed from this area.
- Edinburgh Road: Two bottle brush (Callistemon) trees to be removed from this area.
- Crown Road: Two paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia) trees to be removed from this area.
- Judy Holt Recreation Reserve: 13 trees to be removed from this area. The trees have been identified as one wattle (Acacia pycnantha) tree, nine eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) trees and three casuarina (Casuarina) trees.
What is the Birkdale Active Pathway Upgrade project?
The Birkdale Active Pathway Upgrade is a $1.9 million project jointly funded by Council and the Queensland Government.
The project forms part of Council's vision to improve our city’s active transport network and involves extending the existing shared pathway at the Judy Holt Recreation Reserve to the Tarradarrapin Creek Wetlands in the north and Allenby Road in the south.
The upgraded and extended pathway will be 2km long and 2.5-3m wide, providing a new connection through Birkdale.
During the construction phase, signs will outline any temporary changes to traffic and parking conditions.
Why is the Birkdale Active Pathway Upgrade project being delivered?
The Birkdale Active Pathway Upgrade forms part of Council's vision to improve our city’s active transport network.
Delivery of the project will make it easier for the community to walk and ride safely in Birkdale. The project will create a new 2km long, 2.5-3m wide pathway connection through Birkdale, linking communities in the north and south to Judy Holt Recreation Reserve. The new pathway will also eventually connect to the future Northern Greenway Active Transport Corridor, which is in the early stages of planning.
Following completion of the Northern Greenway Active Transport Corridor design phase, Council will understand how the corridor connects to existing infrastructure and what additional infrastructure connections might be required.
What are the design and safety features of the project?
The project’s design was developed in line with the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) standards and guidelines, with all stages of the design process undergoing technical reviews and approval by Council and TMR.
The final design ensures pedestrians and cyclists are provided with a safe and accessible facility and considers the following safety features:
How is the project being funded?
The Birkdale Active Pathway Upgrade is jointly funded by Council and the Queensland Government and is proudly supported by the Queensland Government’s Cycle Network Local Government Grants Program.
In 2021, the Queensland Government announced a 50 per cent funding contribution toward the project, with Council contributing the remaining 50 per cent.
How much will it cost to deliver the Birkdale Active Pathway Upgrade?
The total cost of upgrading the shared pathway is approximately $1.9 million.
Will I be able to access Collingwood Road from Sunnybay Drive?
Yes. There is an existing pathway connecting the northern end of Sunnybay Drive to the northern section of Spoonbill Street, linking to Collingwood Road.
Council acknowledges that the width of the existing pathway at Spoonbill Street needs to be increased. Council is investigating options to upgrade this pathway, which may be delivered as part of the Northern Greenway Active Transport Corridor project, subject to future funding and approvals.
Where can I view the project map?
The project map outlining the shared pathway route is available on the project page.
When will the project works begin?
The project construction phase is planned to commence in late 2022, weather permitting.
When will the car park upgrade works at Judy Holt Park start?
The car park upgrade works at Judy Holt Park started in October 2021 and were completed in January 2022.
The car park works did not require the removal of any trees or clearing of bushland. This work involved renewing the existing car park and expanding a small section of it on the grassed area of the remediated landfill, which had been previously used as an informal parking area.
When will the community planting day take place?
Council will organise a community planting day in the vicinity to enhance and protect the area’s environmental values. More information about the activity will be announced via the project page and social media when it becomes available.
Will properties be impacted during the construction phase?
No, properties will not be impacted during the delivery of the project.
Will any trees be impacted during the construction phase?
The project team has made every effort to avoid impacts on vegetation, including trees, however certain trees in areas that intersect with the construction of the shared pathway will need to be removed.
Where the path is close to tree roots, the design of the pathway and construction methods have been adapted to lift the pathway and avoid excavation near the root zone.
How many trees are being removed and what are the tree species?
The trees planned to be removed include the following:
Council wishes to advise tree roots from other trees will not be impacted during the construction of the pathway.
Does Council have an environmental offset plan for trees planned to be removed?
Yes. Guided by Council’s Environment and Education Unit, the project team will offset any trees removed to ensure an equivalent environmental value of the area is maintained. Council will organise a community planting day in the vicinity to enhance and protect the area’s environmental value. More information about the activity will be announced soon.
Will any wildlife be impacted during or after the construction phase?
No, wildlife should not be affected during or after the project’s construction phase.
Council has developed mitigation strategies to avoid any disturbances to koalas and flying foxes and will engage a wildlife spotter familiar with flying fox and koala behaviour to be on site at all times during the construction timeframe. Should there be any disturbances to wildlife, works will be stopped until the animals are settled.
The construction phase is planned to commence in late 2022, weather permitting.
I have a question about the project. Who can I contact?
To speak to a Council officer, please phone Council on 07 3829 8999.
Project Planning
- Principle 1: Connect major existing and future origin and destination points, such as residential areas, major shopping and commercial facilities, employment nodes, educational institutions, and high frequency passenger transport.
- Principle 2: Focus on commuter, utility and education-related trips, with a supplementary focus on recreational cycling where routes may increase tourism demand.
- Principle 3: Ensure the coverage of the network is proportionate to surrounding demand and urban density, with the network density aiming for one kilometre between principal routes in the inner areas of the region’s major centre.
- Principle 4: Identify a network that is connected, direct, coherent, and planned with safety in mind.
- Principle 5: Consider all transport and public open space corridors as potential cycling corridors, regardless of whether they are managed by state or local government.
- Principal routes form the spine from which local cycle networks are built. Principal routes connect residential areas to major trip attractors such as public transport nodes, universities, schools, shopping and commercial centres, industrial areas, and regional recreational facilities. At the regional scale, they provide key connections between activity centres or towns.
- Future principal routes identify expansion opportunities for the principal cycle network in areas where significant urban growth has been identified but land use planning has not yet been undertaken or finalised. These routes are represented by an arrow in the broad direction of a future route.
- Tourism routes support tourism by identifying cycle routes of regional significance in scenic coastal and hinterland locations, such as the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail.
How did Council finalise the project’s pathway route?
‘Active travel’ is a Council priority in the Redlands Coast Transport Strategy 2020. This project demonstrates how Council is prioritising walking and cycling opportunities across the city.
The shared pathway was planned in coordination with the Queensland Government to provide connectivity within our city’s active transport network and forms part of the Queensland Government’s Principal Cycle Network Plan for Redland City Council.
Where can I find more information about Council’s Redlands Coast Transport Strategy 2020?
The Redlands Coast Transport Strategy 2020 is available on Council’s website at https://www.redland.qld.gov.au/info/20148/roads_and_marine/239/transport_planning.
What is the Queensland Government’s Principal Cycle Network Plan?
The Queensland Government has worked closely with local governments to develop the Principal Cycle Network Plan (PCNP) to guide the delivery of a connected and cohesive cycle network across Queensland.
The PCNP reflects a ‘one network’ approach to cycle network planning and shows core routes needed to get more people cycling more often. The PCNP is intended to support, guide and inform the planning, design and construction of the transport network.
To view the Queensland Government’s South East Queensland PCNP visit https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Travel-and-transport/Cycling/Principal-cycle-network/Principal-Cycle-Network-Plans. To view the PCNP for Redland City Council, please refer to page 17 of the document.
How was the Queensland Government’s Principal Cycle Network Plan developed?
The Queensland Government’s South East Queensland Principal Cycle Network Plan was guided by the following planning principles:
The plan identifies principal routes at a strategic network level that will deliver good cycling outcomes, recognising that to achieve this, further planning and design will be required.
A principal route may be identified within a corridor that is currently considered not conducive for cycling such as a priority freight route or highway. Further planning and design will consider the feasibility of cycling within the corridor and the design of cycle facilities. In some instances, this may result in a separated cycle facility within the corridor and, in others, a cycle facility on an alternative alignment within the vicinity.
What is a principal cycle network?
A principal cycle network is comprised of core routes designed to make it easy to use a bicycle as an everyday form of transport.
The Principal Cycle Network Plan identifies routes primarily for cyclists within urban areas, with a particular focus on the 5 km radius around trip destinations. Most urban areas in the region are within a 5 km radius of a regional activity centre. At these distances, cycling is a viable mode of travel for many trip types.
The plan focuses on journeys to work, school, and social or utility trips. The principal cycle network connects residential areas with employment nodes such as suburban centres, industrial precincts, education facilities, and shopping and entertainment destinations.
What type of routes does the Principal Cycle Network Plan identify?
The Principal Cycle Network Plan identifies the following types of principal cycle network routes:
What is the purpose of the Principal Cycle Network Plan?
The purpose of the Principal Cycle Network Plan (PCNP) is to present agreed desire lines for principal cycle routes in the region identified using the planning principles outlined above. The routes shown are indicative and exist to guide further planning that will determine the precise route and design of cycle facilities.
The PCNP draws from existing cycle planning, data on key origins, destinations, and cycling demand, as well as knowledge from local government and bicycle groups. The plan provides for a principal cycle network that will connect residential areas to major trip attractors.
The PCNP represents the core routes needed to achieve more cycling, more often, which is the vision of the Queensland Cycle Strategy 2021-2027. As the principal cycle network is delivered, Queenslanders will have increasing opportunities to ride to work, school, shopping precincts and other major destinations via safe, direct and attractive routes.
Increasing levels of cycling will help contribute to Queenslanders’ fitness and health, protect the environment and manage traffic congestion. Encouraging people to replace some car trips with cycling can also extend the life of existing transport assets and reduce the need for road capacity upgrades.
Where can I view the Queensland Government’s Principal Cycle Network Plan?
To view the Queensland Government’s South East Queensland Principal Cycle Network Plan (PCNP), visit https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Travel-and-transport/Cycling/Principal-cycle-network/Principal-Cycle-Network-Plans. To view the PCNP for Redland City Council, please refer to page 17 of the document.