A looming 2032 Olympic public transport dilemma may have a solution after a bold pitch to expand a Brisbane bus service.
The Brisbane Metro is set to be extended throughout the city in time for the Olympics, with 22 new stations planned under a proposal by southeast mayors and the state government.
Boosting public transport loomed as a priority with another 1.55 million people expected to move to Brisbane by 2041, blowing the southeast's population out to six million by 2046.
There were also concerns about how Brisbane 2032 would cope with Olympic crowds looking at past demand.
During the Sydney 2000 and London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, overall public transport patronage increased by almost one million trips per day, the state government said.
Brisbane Lord Major Adrian Schrinner and Premier Steven Miles have written to the federal government seeking help to develop a business case for the Metro electric bus expansion.
"Our region is growing, congestion is growing and this needs to happen if we are to keep people moving effectively around our region," Mr Schrinner told reporters on Wednesday.
The Queensland government had come under fire for its Brisbane 2032 plans, including scrapping a proposal to demolish and rebuild the Gabba, instead opting for a facelift.
Mr Schrinner hoped the change in plans meant $450 million allocated to build a Gabba Metro station could now be distributed to other city locations, further extending the electric bus service.
"With plans for the Gabba changing, there's an opportunity now to redirect that funding to expanding the Metro to more parts of the region, and that's what we're proposing," he said.
The Lord Mayor said the business case would analyse the project and provide projected costs for the expansion that will extend the service north to Carseldine, south to Springwood and east to the airport.
Under current plans, the Metro service will begin operating in October across 18 stations from the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in the north, through the city and south to Eight Mile Plains.
"We'll be operating in October, and then we'll be able to expand it from there much quicker than a rail or light rail system," Mr Schrinner said.
He said it was difficult to put a figure on the expansion until the business case was complete.
The Brisbane Metro will complement the state government's 10.2km Cross River Rail train project that is set bolster public transport around Brisbane when services begin in 2026.
"You can really start to see our shared vision for our city coming together, a better connected city, better active travel, better public transport," Mr Miles told reporters.
The expanded Metro to the north would refurbish existing bus corridors while the newly constructed southern end would be extended by two stops.
The proposal is initially looking at suburbs where there are no existing rail lines.
The Metro will service Olympic venues including the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre (QSAC) after its inclusion in 2032 infrastructure plans sparked criticism.
Major transport upgrades had been on the government's radar ahead of 2032 after Mr Miles announced a controversial Brisbane Olympic venue plan.
The premier came under fire for ignoring a review and not building a $3.4 billion, 55,000-seat stadium at Victoria Park in inner Brisbane as the 2032 centrepiece.
Instead, he opted to upgrade ageing facilities the Gabba, Suncorp Stadium and the 49-year-old QSAC.
Mr Schrinner had earlier claimed it would require up to $500 million to fix transport problems at QSAC in the city's south.
