Queensland’s first Safe Active Street, which gives priority to bikes and active travel, has won the 2024 Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia excellence award this week.
Toowoomba’s Pierce Street has a 30km/h speed limit for all vehicles and a bold, bright design that makes it clear bikes have priority. Cars must stay behind bikes until it is safe to overtake, pass within one metre of riders and give way to oncoming traffic.
The project, five years in the making, connects Pierce Street to two of the town's main bike paths and provides a critical active transport link between the University of Queensland and the Toowoomba CBD.
The Toowoomba Regional Council expects it to lead to an increase in bike riding and active travel.
Councillor Carol Taylor says the inspiration came from Denmark: "We want it to be a place people can take their children and know they're going to be safe as they become used to travelling on roads and cycleways."
The $800,000 project was funded by the council the Queensland government.
Here’s a short video from Bicycle Queensland on opening day showcasing Pierce Street.
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