Gold Coast council to remove bike lanes for bigger parking spaces – UPDATE

UPDATE 1-April-2024 12pm - Happy April Fool!

While we may see some adjustments to the way parking spaces and bike lanes are deployed in the future, the cycle and scooter lanes of the Gold Coast are safe for now!

The Gold Coast has announced plans to remove half of its bike lanes following a surge in popularity of US pick-ups in the area.

The council says it has heard complaints from owners of Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, and Ram 1500 pick-ups about having "nowhere to park them," and "these e-bikes always getting the way."

“We have decided to cut back on our bike lanes due to a fall in usage to accommodate the growing dimensions of modern cars," said a spokesperson for the council.

"Large ute drivers should no longer feel as if they cannot drive on the Gold Coast, so we want to make sure we are accommodating for all drivers."

On-road bike lanes in Surfers Paradise and Southport will be the first to hit the chopping block before the rest of the city moves towards cutting down on bike lanes and putting the road "to good use."

The new parking spaces will measure three metres wide by seven metres long and welcome even the largest utes into the CBD, and will not be metered to generate more business for local stores, and prevent adding to other cost-of-living pressures already facing V8 pick-up drivers.

“We haven’t seen the usage we hoped to see when we installed the bike lanes, and we are fed up with these valuable sections of road not being used. With cars getting bigger and bigger, we can’t see a more fitting use for this space,” said a council representative.

“We need to consider the financial interests of those who contribute to the usage of our roads. Cyclists share the road but do not pay for registration, so we cannot afford to accommodate them.”

Cyclists have taken to Facebook to voice their concerns about the move, some calling the changes "ridiculous" and "not in line with a sustainable future."

Asked to respond to the criticism, a council spokesperson said: “Cyclists either must ride on the footpath at a steady pace or simply purchase a car now that the lanes have been removed. Bullying cars on the road will not be tolerated, and cyclists seen holding up cars will receive a fine.”

An exact map of which bike lanes will be removed over the coming year will be released today at 12:00pm AEDT.