Toowong’s Sylvan Road is one of Brisbane’s most important cycling links, but also one of the most notorious, with 43 recorded crashes involving bike riders and 19 riders admitted to hospital between 2002 and 2023.
Earlier in the year, Brisbane City Council announced it was looking at solutions to the Sylvan Road problem, with two design options on the table. The news came after years of intense campaigning by Bicycle Queensland, Space for Cycling Brisbane, and regular riders of the route.
Linking the Western Freeway bikeway with the riverside Bicentennial bikeway, Sylvan Road is the city’s main western corridor for bicycle traffic.
Council recently released the preferred design for the critical link, a separated two-way bikeway linking directly into the Milton Road shared path. From there, the route crosses from the southern to the northern side of Sylvan Road before continuing along Land Street towards Patrick Lane.
To make room for this, Sylvan Road would become one-way inbound between Bates Lane and Croydon Street/Jephson Street.
Speeds will also be reduced, with the Milton Road to Croydon Street/Jephson Street section dropping to 40km/h.
Under the preferred plan, turning arrangements would change at several side streets, including Quinn Street, Kate Street, St Osyth Street and Earle Lane. The left-turn slip lane and the left turn from Sylvan Road into Croydon Street would also be removed.
Between Croydon Street/Jephson Street and Coronation Drive, all on-street parking would be removed, while parking along Land Street will remain.
Council is refining the final concept, with construction of the Sylvan Road bikeway expected to begin in mid-2027 and finish in 2028.
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