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Ballarat Bicycle User Group's spokesman has said "compromise is clearly necessary" when it comes to a new bike and pedestrian path, but the project to reimagine Sturt Street's gardens will have benefits for tourism and active transport.
VicRoads' regional body Regional Roads Victoria (RRV) will progress with detailed designs for a cycling path down Sturt Street, between Pleasant and Dawson streets, based on recommendations from a public reference group.
Ballarat Bicycle User Group spokesperson Matt Briody said was essential for the "the sake of progress that you bring people along with you", particularly the Sturt Street traders, who initially held opposition for the plan.
"There are certainly going to be people who would've preferred to see a Copenhagen lane built-which is really the gold standard of bike infrastructure, but there's two sacred cows in the way of that-the bluestone gutters and the 'precious' car parking," he said.
"You have to realise that there's always going to be a negative group in Ballarat, who will stridently defend the status quo, but I think most people realise that a lot of that opposition is pretty silly.
"One of the benefits of this project is that it doesn't take away the possibility of building those lanes at some time in the future.
"There's a lot of data out there to show that separated infrastructure is the best way to get more people riding bikes for transport. And there's plenty of studies that show how increasing accessibility can have positive commercial returns - and that should really get businesses excited.
Earlier, Thursday 7pm
The head of the regional roads body says the creation of a combined cycling and pedestrian path had taken some time, with detailed designs to be released in the 'coming months'.
VicRoads' regional body Regional Roads Victoria (RRV) will progress with detailed designs for a cycling path down Sturt Street, between Pleasant and Dawson streets, based on recommendations from a public reference group.
The new path will be shared between pedestrians and cyclists. The roads body has said that no trees, monuments and statues will be affected.
The upgrade is part of a $9.3 million Ballarat Safer Cycling Connections project, run by RRV and City of Ballarat.
The project to change Sturt Street - including putting a cycling path in the median gardens and changes to six intersections on the road - has been controversial.
In February last year when responding to questions about the broad Ballarat Safer Cycling Connection project, a spokesperson for the then-Roads Minister Luke Donnellan said the "people of Ballarat have spoken very clearly the proposed changes to Sturt Street shouldn't go ahead and we agree."
RRV chief regional roads officer Paul Northey said the organisation "listened to the community's feedback and committed to going back to the drawing board - which is exactly what we've done."
"We've taken this recommendation into account and will release detailed designs in coming months after further community feedback. We acknowledge that it has taken time, but it is important we get this right," he said.
RRV states on its website the aim of the project is to "connect the missing links in the existing bike path network", and create a safe and direct east-west cycle path connecting the growing western suburbs of Ballarat with the CBD.
The Victorian government backed down on the plan to change the six intersections on Sturt Street, saying it was "off the table" last year. Premier Daniel Andrews said in February the government would only retain sections of the Sturt Street project which had broad public support.
A government spokesperson said that "as the Premier promised, the worst elements of the proposal have been removed".
"This design has not been finalised - we will continue to talk to traders, cyclists, and the local community to ensure we get this right," the spokesperson said.
