‘Missing link’: Bicycle Queensland CEO Alton Twine on the traffic solution no one’s talking about

While the city argues over billion-dollar spends on light rail and electric buses, there is one mode of transport that costs a fraction of the dollars, makes tons of sense yet attracts almost zero funding. That’s something this man wants to change.

While residents rip each other apart arguing over billion-dollar spends on light rail and electric buses, there is one mode of transport that costs a fraction of the dollars, makes tons of sense yet attracts almost zero funding.

So perhaps it’s time to turn our attention to this ‘new’ solution … and it’s as easy as riding a bike.

With a new state government and an imminent federal election, Bicycle Queensland CEO and former City of Gold Coast transport director Alton Twine is pedalling furiously to find some political traction to fund what he considers is the missing link in our public transport network.

The latest state Household Travel Survey showed more people were cycling than catching the train in South East Queensland, and the last census showed more Gold Coast residents rode a bike or walked than took public transport (granted, this was well before 50 cent fares), and yet Mr Twine said funding for safer cycleways remained as flat as a punctured tire.

He said while the Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program (QTRIP) was a record $37.4 billion over four years, just $314 million of that was dedicated to cycling. That’s less than one per cent of the budget.

Bicycle Queensland CEO and former City of Gold Coast transport director Alton Twine.

But Mr Twine said that was a fortune compared to the federal funding for cycling in the most recent budget, with a one-off $100 million commitment for Active Transport projects to be administered over five years meaning just $4 million per year for Queensland.

From 2008 to 2028, the Australian Government has spent $714 per person on roads, but just 90 cents per person on active transport.

As a result, Mr Twine said every resident was being ripped off as our road safety suffered, while traffic and pollution worsened.

“The biggest reason that more people don’t cycle is because they are scared to ride on our roads – and fair enough,” said Mr Twine.

“When we don’t have proper paths and cycleways that really stops people from riding … yet here on the Gold Coast we have possibly one of the best cities in the world to cycle in – it’s flat and it’s sunny.

“The City of Gold Coast has actually done a great job investing in its Active and Healthy programs, and the state government is improving, but we’re being let down by the federal government.

“There is so much that could be done to create safe cycleways that would help reduce traffic, improve emissions and improve health and fitness but we need funding. We’re not asking for much and the benefits would be huge.

“We know exactly what works and how to do it, we just need the money to do more of it.”

Mr Twine said Bicycle Queensland was asking the federal government to allocate $250 million per year to the Active Transport Fund to build better bicycle infrastructure.

He said this equated to just 1.9 per cent of the federal government land transport budget, about the same percentage of commuters who currently cycle.

Mr Twine said not only was cycling infrastructure significantly cheaper to build than roads or public transport but there was minimal maintenance and no operational costs.

“Across Australia, and especially here in Queensland and the Gold Coast, there is all of this fantastic planning that has been done to build this - but it’s just sitting in drawers and on shelves because there is no money,” he said.

“On the Gold Coast there are so many simple fixes we could do that would make a huge difference.

“By completing the Oceanway we would have the perfect north-south route on our eastern spine. We can match that to the west by using the existing heavy rail corridor, like the Principal Shared Paths created in rail corridors in Western Australia that provide safe, off-road cycling and walking infrastructure.

“Those are the two sides of the ladder, then we just need to create some east-west rungs and we can do that by upgrading existing footpaths.

“We don’t need to encroach on roads at all, we already have the footpath space, we just haven’t used it to its full extent. Rather than the old 1.2m, wherever we’re building these rungs, let’s widen it to at least 2m and create these cycling superhighways.”

Bicycle Queensland CEO and former City of Gold Coast transport director Alton Twine.

Mr Twine said if cycling infrastructure that was safe and segregated from general traffic was built, the cyclists would come.

He said major upgrades to Brisbane’s Bicentennial Bikeway, a 4.8km off-road pathway between Toowong and the CBD, proved the perfect example.

In 2020, an average of 5,284 people used the bikeway each day and it was now one of the busiest bikeways in Australia.

“Building better bikeways and footpaths is one of the few issues that almost everyone supports, it’s a mystery why governments don’t jump all over it,” he said.

“Just getting more kids to ride to school would alleviate up to 20 per cent of morning traffic, but parents don’t feel that’s safe right now.

“One of the real pressure points on the Gold Coast right now are the roundabouts at the Ormeau M1 exits and school traffic is a huge contributor to that. We have a primary school on one side of the highway and a high school on the other with families on both sides and no way to cross the road. Let’s build an overpass so kids can ride and take the heat off the roundabouts.

“It’s so simple, we just need the funding.”

Bicycle Queensland CEO and former City of Gold Coast transport director Alton Twine.

Mr Twine said the other big battle for BQ was all about e-bikes.

He said while electric bicycles were a game-changer, not everyone understood or followed the rules.

He said legal e-bikes that complied to the Australian Standard, with a top speed of 25kmh and a motor limited at 250w, were safe to use amongst the community, with the average speed comparable to that of a non-electric bike.

However, he said it was time to stop the importation of illegal and dangerous high-powered e-bikes, while also making compliant e-bikes more accessible and affordable.

“Not all e-bikes are equal and Bicycle Queensland, along with other state and national cycling organisations, is calling for a stop to the importation of e-bikes that are not compliant with the Australian standard.

“These overpowered e-bikes with a twist throttle, even if they have pedals, are more akin to a motorbike than a bicycle and pose a safety threat to other riders and pedestrians.

“At the same time, there is a ridiculous 5 per cent tariff being imposed on compliant e-bikes. We are asking that this “nuisance tariff” be removed to make e-bikes cheaper and more accessible and to get more people out of their cars.”

Mr Twine said the growing popularity of mountain biking was also an opportunity for the Gold Coast to boost its tourism offerings.

He said there was ‘enormous potential’ to grow the sport at Nerang, as well as improving the rail trail around the Ernest Junction Tunnel.

“The Northern Rivers Rail Trail in NSW has been a huge success, and the town of Derby in Tasmania has been completely transformed by embracing mountain biking.

“It’s now one of the top cycling destinations in the world and has been a massive economic driver for that town.

“There is so much we can do in this space, we just need to find the money to do it.”

Mr Twine’s message to all levels of government is clear: on your bike.

Originally published as ‘Missing link’: Bicycle Queensland CEO Alton Twine on the traffic solution no one’s talking about