The proposed Glenelg Highway bike path

It's been a while since posts - I've been busy with a new job - but I wanted to talk in a bit of detail about a new proposed shared use path along the Glenelg Highway in Sebastopol and Delacombe. The City of Ballarat is currently seeking feedback, so I wanted to talk through some of the opportunities this presents and encourage others to feed into this process. 

Proposed Glenelg Hwy path stages (via City of Ballarat)

What are the State's cycling priorities for Ballarat?

The State's Strategic Cycling Corridors for Ballarat (via DoT)

The Victorian Department of Transport has recently updated its Strategic Cycling Corridors - a statewide framework of cycling "arterial" routes that are designed to provide a network of safe, direct paths for people of all ages and abilities to get from A to B by bike. There's obviously a lot of key priorities in Melbourne, but there are also routes in regional cities like Ballarat - so let's take a close look at these, and how they compare to the local council's plans. 

Will these intersections improve Ballarat's cycling network? (Part 2)

Bike hoops at Wendouree Station in 2015

In Part 1 we looked at the proposals for the intersections at Hertford and Albert Streets, and Wiltshire Lane and the Glenelg Highway. Today we look at the intersections at Wiltshire Lane and La Trobe Street, and Gillies and Gregory Streets, as well as summing up the overall approach.

Will these intersections improve Ballarat's cycling network? (Part 1)

Shortly before they released the Sturt Street path plans, Regional Roads Victoria released the designs for a number of revamped intersections around Ballarat. Most of these are currently roundabouts, and all of them are very dangerous for pedestrians to cross - and signalising them should increase walkability across the board. But most of them are on key routes in the City of Ballarat's proposed cycling network as well - so let's take a look at how well the designs fit into those plans, and whether they fit world's best practice.

Diagram of City of Ballarat's proposed cycling network

Finally, the Sturt Street path proceeds

The bike path down the centre of Sturt Street is in many ways the crown jewel of Ballarat's future cycling network. It will act as the spine of the network, connecting several suburban routes with a large percentage of Ballarat's workplaces, retail and hospitality - but by travelling along the Sturt Street gardens it will also be probably the most beautiful ride in Ballarat. Despite a lot of controversy fomented by people lying about the impact it would have on the heritage of the gardens, Regional Roads Victoria have stuck with the project and delivered the final designs for their section on Friday.

The view down Sturt Street