Bike paths and a growing Ballarat
I ride my bicycle to Sturt St to do my shopping and have for many years. I live 10 blocks away and can get into town in under 15 minutes. For the thousands of other residents who live in the surrounding suburbs, Sturt St is their local shopping centre. However, riding a bicycle in the centre of Ballarat is currently difficult. There is no bicycle infrastructure in our CBD, and there is no easy way in or through the centre of Ballarat on a bicycle in the absence of good, separated lanes. In cities around the world, and closer in Melbourne, it's been shown that improving amenity for people using active transport brings people and life to shopping precincts. It's essential to revitalisation strategies.The beautiful, safe, shady boulevard that runs along the islands from Pleasant St is currently almost inaccessible. A path through here would make these islands accessible to many more Ballarat residents and also be a tourist attraction in its own right. Once the islands begin to be more populated, the path diverges to either side of Sturt St to become Copenhagen lanes. These would be convenient, separated from car traffic, provide easy access to shops and businesses, and bring customers to the heart of town. To be able to travel easily and conveniently around Ballarat by bicycle will enable all to appreciate our beautiful, historic streets and provide benefits to our economy that many other cities and towns experience on making their streets people-friendly.
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Melissa Pirie, Redan
The road changes to Sturt St may be a "winner" for cyclists, but those who drive will have more parking spaces removed and greater congestion on the roads. I suggest those who came up with this plan do four things. 1. Ride up Sturt St from east to west on a cold, windy, wet day. 2. Ride up Sturt St from east to west on a hot, windy day. 3. Count the number of cyclists who actually ride up Sturt St on these days. 4. Go back to their ivory towers and find a better solution for traffic congestion that does not impinge on the users of our streets.
Christine Crawford, Cardigan Village
If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing badly
It seems that at this time of the year some football and netball clubs are holding try outs for their players, obviously to weed out the not so good from the better. Understandable to want to have the strongest team out on the park. If a child needs to try out for any team, then that child is not considered a valuable member. How does a parent/carer feel when their child tries harder to make up for lack of natural talent only to miss out due to last years best & fairest being a natural selection, but who could not attend try out because of injury or other reason? Time to give these clubs the boot and join a team who will appreciate you for the player and person that you are. Go on, give a country club a go. I dare ya!
David Appleby, Cardigan Village
Still an eyesore at our best entrance
'Oh Ballarat The Beautiful' That is the title of a song we sang as children. My recent visit to attend the recent Ballarat Orphanage reunion, was marred once again by the awful sight of the still vacant mess at 200 Victoria Street. I spoke to a resident of Stawell Street and asked how they could live opposite such an eyesore for nearly a decade. I don't think they see it anymore. Shame. I was out and about early on Thursday morning and saw the Council gardeners hard at work in Victoria St cutting the grass and watering the flower beds. They look lovely in readiness for the upcoming Begonia Festival but they don't compensate for the disgusting mess right at the gateway to one of the historical cities in the Golden Triangle. I wonder how many tourists are disillusioned about the city when the first thing they see is a bomb site.
Joyce Kendall, Burleigh Waters