Toowoomba Central Active Transport Link, business case

The Queensland Government has completed the business case for the Toowoomba Central Active Transport Link project.

Benefits

• Improves safety
• Improves network efficiency
• Accessibility
• Reduces travel time
• Contributes to economy
• Better active transport

Key features

• A concept design for safe and connected active transport facilities between Toowoomba’s CBD and northern suburbs, and onto Highfields and other destinations.
• An alternative route to the New England Highway (Ruthven Street) via quiet streets, green parks, and the railway corridor delivering low-stress, tranquil active transport journeys.
• Collaboration with Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) to deliver an integrated active transport network to improve the liveability, sustainability, and health of the Toowoomba community.

Funding

This project is funded by the Queensland Government under the Transport Systems Planning Program as published in the Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program 2025-26 to 2028-29.

Investment ID: 1175233

Current status

The current status of the Toowoomba Central Active Transport Link project is that the business case has been completed. This includes the development of a concept design to guide future investments for the design and construction phases.

The concept design outlines approximately 5.5km of active transport facilities connecting:

• East Creek Cycleway at Margaret Street
• The future Highfields Bikeway at the John French VC Bridge on the New England Highway via TRC’s proposed Railway Parklands Precinct.

Community and stakeholder engagement was conducted during 2023–2024 to promote the project and gather input. This included:

• An online survey that included an interactive map and preliminary concept plan.

The feedback received demonstrated strong support for the project and highlighted the community’s desire for improved active transport facilities in Toowoomba.

Key feedback included:

• support for off-road facilities suitable for a variety of people and types of users
• ensuring facilities are connected and continuous along the link
• prioritising active transport and safety for people using the path at crossings
• preference for paths that separate people walking and bike riding to maximise safety and flow for users or for wide shared paths to accommodate all modes of transport safely
• preference for a path along Gowrie Creek between Willowburn Park and Martin Klein Park instead of a safe active street on Inter Street
• preference for the project/facilities to be delivered from the Toowoomba CBD towards Harlaxton.

Feedback provided by the community and stakeholders informed the planning process and development of the concept plan.

Toowoomba Central Active Transport Link business case concept map

Proposed concept plan

The planning project involved completing investigations and developing a concept plan (above) to inform future investment for design and construction projects that will refine and deliver the proposed active transport facilities in stages along the link.

Shared or separated paths

The proposed route takes advantage of quiet streets, parks and the railway corridor to provide an off-road path for people walking and bike riding to safely share. In some locations a separated path is proposed, indicated by line-marking and signage, to allow people walking to be physically separated from people bike riding at higher speeds.

Shade trees, lighting and other supporting facilities are proposed at opportune locations to enable and encourage more people to walk and bike ride more often.

Connectors

Connections to the existing paths and the New England Highway are proposed at Margaret Street (East Creek Cycleway), Neil Street, Victoria Street (West Creek Cycleway), Bridge Street, Jellicoe Street, North Street, Jones Street, Griffiths Street, and various access points.

Intersection upgrades

In the Toowoomba CBD, the proposed route crosses 3 busy intersections between East Creek Cycleway and the Railway Parklands.

Intersection upgrades to improve safety for people crossing the road and all road users are proposed at the:

• Hume and Margaret streets intersection
• Chalk Drive and Neil Street intersection
• Chalk Drive and Ruthven Street intersection.

There is now a project underway to upgrade the facilities for people walking and bike riding when crossing at the Chalk Drive intersections. More information is available on the New England Highway (Yarraman – Toowoomba), Chalk Drive, Neil Street and Ruthven Street intersections, improve active transport facilities project page.

Railway Parklands

The proposed path will provide a convenient active transport option for people to access TRC's future Railway Parklands, and eventually become an integral part of the park.

Using the rail corridor

The path is proposed to be adjacent to the rail line between Jellicoe and Griffiths streets to provide a safe, comfortable, and low-stress environment for people walking and riding bikes.

Using the rail corridor minimises interaction between path users and road traffic.

Bridges and underpass

Grade separated crossings are proposed to maintain safety, directness and comfort for users including:

• 2 bridges over Gowrie Creek at the future Railway Parklands
• an underpass at Bridge Street (similar to the James Street underpass that is part of the West Creek Cycleway)
• an overpass (bridge) at Isaac Street to match the existing adjacent rail overpass.

Raised priority crossings

Raised priority crossings are proposed at Church Street, Bell Street, Chalk Lane and Griffiths Street to improve safety for people using the path.

A priority crossing is the continuation of a path where it crosses a road; people driving on the road must give way to people using the path.

Road markings, signage and lighting provide people driving with advance notice of the crossing and encourage them to slow down, look and give way to people using the path.

Priority crossings are typically set back from an intersection to provide space for road users turning into and out of a minor road to safely give way to people using the crossing.

Signalised crossings

Signalised crossings are proposed at Jellicoe, North and Jones streets to safely manage the competing demand between people driving on the road and people walking and bike riding on the path crossing these busy roads.

Safe active street

O’Brien and Mooney streets in Harlaxton are proposed to become ‘safe active streets’ to provide a safe and comfortable route for people to actively travel away from the busy New England Highway.

Safe active streets are typically quiet residential streets, with a speed limit between 30km/h and 50km/h and low traffic volumes. They use pavement markings and textures to encourage people bike riding and driving to travel within a central shared lane and safely share the space.

A separate path and safe road crossings are proposed for people walking on O’Brien and Mooney streets.

A safe intersection platform is proposed at the Coonan and Mooney streets intersection to alert people driving to safely give way to people walking and riding.