The future of Ballarat's bike network

The City of Ballarat adopted their 2017-25 Cycling Strategy many years back, and - through all the setbacks and budget limitations - has been working towards that plan ever since. There is still a ways to go, but it's almost due for a refresh. And with council elections in October, now seems like a good time for me to put my 2c in about what the next strategy should look like. 

More Ballarat cycling projects

Proposed design of Macarthur Street (via CoB)

The City of Ballarat has been announcing new cycling projects faster than I can keep up with them, which is a very good problem to have! Today I want to talk very briefly about a project that's already closed for consultation, and in a bit more detail about one you can still give feedback on. 

Making eScooters succeed in Ballarat

Lime scooters in Brisbane (via Kgbo)

The City of Ballarat has recently adopted its Integrated Transport Plan, which aims to present a cohesive vision for the transport future of the city, looking at all the different modes together rather than just each one in isolation. There's a lot in there to digest, and I'll probably do a few posts focusing on different aspects of this, but I wanted to do a quick post on one of the things Council is advancing now - a trial of hirable eScooters. While I think it's safe to say that things like bus reform would be more important (and indeed one of the reasons Council is so keen to advance this is to provide for trips that the current bus network makes impractical) this is something Council can control quite directly, without the State government, and can probably roll out quite quickly - hence making it a priority.

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

A legible cycling network for Ballarat

Satellite image of City of Ballarat's proposed cycling network (source)

In 2017, after extensive consultation, the City of Ballarat released its Cycling Action Plan. I did quite a bit of work on it during the feedback period, and have tinkered with it in the years since, but never posted about it publicly. My time in Amsterdam is making me think more about Ballarat's cycling infrastructure, so I figured now's as good a time as any.

Revitalising Bakery Hill

About 18 months ago I did a post on how to revitalise Bridge Mall, which was intended mostly as a starting point and contained some pretty modest suggestions. The City of Ballarat recently released their draft Bakery Hill and Bridge Mall Urban Renewal Plan which looks at the Mall itself and the wider Bakery Hill area - and I'm pleased to say they've been much more ambitious than me. However they've let themselves down by including something that would be a real backwards step for the area.

Has Ballarat got the right approach to parking?

City of Ballarat's Smarter Parking Plan

The City of Ballarat has recently put forward what they're calling the Smarter Parking Plan to address issues with parking in the CBD and the hospital precinct - and it's been quite controversial, as parking plans always are.