Our purpose
Bicycle Mackay works to obtain respect for cyclists from motorists and road builders. We want Mackay to be a place where it is just as easy to choose to ride a bicycle as it is to choose to drive a car. We want cycling to be a normal, everyday activity for anyone who wants to do it. We want bike riders to be comfortable and safe on the road.

Mackay, along with many Queensland regional cities, has a natural appeal to cyclists. The terrain is relatively flat, we have mild winters and drivers generally expect and respect cyclists.

This website aims to become a comprehensive tool kit for cyclists who want to take action to improve conditions in their local area. We welcome the input of newcomers and experts.

History
Bicycle Mackay came into existence on 15 March 1995 when a group of cyclists from the Mackay Cycling Club and other interested bike riders got together for the first Moonlight Bicycle Tour and later met at a local restaurant for coffee. A few of those riders were concerned that many of the city's bike lanes and bike paths were disappearing through neglect and that there was a lack of council interest in improving conditions. We decided to form a lobby group to press for improvements. We are now one of the longest standing Bicycle User Groups (BUGs) in Queensland.

Bicycle Mackay continues to organise Moonlight Tours each month. See our rides calendar for more information.

Achievements
Bicycle Mackay's greatest success so far has been to convince Mackay Regional Council of the need for a bicycle plan to determine where bikeways are needed and in what order they need to be built. Currently Mackay Regional Council spends around $1.2 million on bicycle paths and footpaths each year which is high by national standards but still far less than cyclists need.

We have organised Mackay Bike Week on a number of occasions, with the generous support of Queensland Transport and Bicycle Queensland. This year Mackay Regional Council has come on board as significant sponsor for the first time.

Bicycle Mackay is represented on the Mackay Regional Council Traffic Advisory Committee.

We have successfully defended a number of bike paths and lanes from closure over the years including the Milton Street to Wellington Street path and the bike lanes outside Mackay TAFE College.

We succeeded in convincing the Department of Main Roads that there was a need for two metre wide bike lanes on the recently completed Edmund Casey Bridge.

Join our e-mail list
Bicycle Mackay has an e-mail list to allow members to discuss any issue relevant to cycling in Mackay. You can join the list by sending an email to bikemky-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Or you can simply send us an email and we’ll add you to the list.

Sponsor Bicycle Mackay
Would you like to help Bicycle Mackay continue with our work? Send us an email and we will provide you with details of how you can sponsor our activities. Bicycle Mackay sponsors will be acknowledged on this site.

WWW bicyclemackay.org.au

You are visitor number since 18 May 2006

• Home >