Plans for new inner-city cycleway and footpath revealed, construction to start next year

A new two-way bikeway and separate footpath will be built along a busy inner-city stretch, long identified as dangerous and difficult to traverse by cyclists.

The strip will run 1.2 kilometres along Shafston Avenue between Kangaroo Point and East Brisbane and will link existing paths at Deakin Street and Mowbray Park, creating a direct route into the city.

The plans will be announced as part of Wednesday’s 2026-27 council budget – but the cost of the project is yet to be revealed.

Retiree Richard Boys from Norman Park frequently rides his bike toward the CBD.

“This is probably the roughest stretch of bike path between my house and the city, so if it gets upgraded it gives me a continuous link through to my house,” he said on Monday afternoon.

“Having a proper bike path would make it a bit safer.”

Belinda Ward, a spokesperson for cyclist group East BUG, said the upgrade was “long overdue”.

“There are sections that are quite congested … if you’re not a pretty confident cyclist, it’s not a good place.”

Preliminary designs of the planned cycleway were released to Brisbane Times ahead of the council budget on Wednesday.

Artist impressions show the same green and white colour scheme used on the Kangaroo Point Bridge, with separate lanes for riders travelling in each direction and a third for walkers.

There would be several pedestrian crossings, including at Thorn Street and Castlebar Street.

The final design will be released late in 2026, with construction due to start in 2027.

While costs are not yet known, but the project will be funded in the budget under a 50-50 agreement with the state government as part of the CityLink Cycleway program.

“As our city grows, we need a transport network that makes active travel easier, helping residents leave their cars at home and reducing congestion on our roads,” Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said in a statement.

Council infrastructure chair Ryan Murphy said the project would “give residents safer, easier travel options as Brisbane continues to grow”.

Initial designs had been for a shared bike and pedestrian path. The preliminary plans followed consultation with cycling groups, including East BUG.

“The eastern suburbs … are an area that’s been neglected or a long time,” Ward said.

“We’re very happy to have this little bit to finally get started, but there’s a lot more that needs to be done.

“We’ve had lots of announcements of things in the past, but what counts is when they start building it … We just want it to happen.”

In 2020, the then-Labor state government announced plans for a $22.5 million project to “fill in gaps on the popular Riverwalk at Kangaroo Point to create an unbroken bike and pedestrian path linking Kangaroo Point and Mowbray Park”.

In 2024, council also introduced a different $35 million proposal to upgrade the existing bike route along Shafston Avenue into a separated lane for cyclists.

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