On Friday, Roads Minister Jaala Pulford said more work was needed on where a cycle route through Ballarat would be placed, but she said it was something the government was keen to pursue.

Initial plans for the intersections - which were later rejected by Premier Daniel Andrews - had a cycling and pedestrian lane straight down the middle of the median with the north-south connections cut off.

“In some respects, that (original) design for Sturt Street was based on worlds best practice for cycling and walking, but the challenge here is to get a design that the whole community can be supportive of,” Ms Pulford said.

“We’ve got a bit more work to do on cycle routes with the community and the city of Ballarat to identify where our big beautiful bike path can go. 

“There’s a whole lot of growth in Ballarat’s west with new residents and we are now seeing the services going in such as schools and shopping centres. Being able to connect that new part of Ballarat with the city, be it by bike or foot, is really important. There’s more to do on that design.”

READ MORE: State Government releases its Sturt Street plans

The State Government will consult cycling advocates and users over the coming months to determine its next course of action.

Ballarat Bicycle User Group spokesperson Matt Briody described Sturt Street was an essential part of the bike network.

“It would frankly be a ridiculous outcome if we can't find space for bike riders on a street that's 60m wide,” Mr Briody said.

“Ballarat is generally a great place to get around on a bike, but we do need these improvements to make our streets safer, and to ultimately encourage more people to choose bike riding. 

“We look forward to sitting down with the government and consulting further on this important project.”

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