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Ballarat transport plan targets car reliance through service extensions and station work
The city is expanding bus access and rail facilities to manage traffic volumes on key corridors while preparing for projected population growth.
How we reported this
Ballarat Station interchange reopened on its northern side on March 1, 2026, restoring direct connections after months of temporary Lydiard Street stops during the station upgrade that finished in April 2026.
High car use remains the dominant pattern across the municipality, where Albert Street, Sturt Street and Gillies Street each carry more than 21,000 vehicles on an average day. The Ballarat Integrated Transport Plan identifies this dependency as a core challenge and sets out measures to support a population forecast to reach 160,000 by 2040.
Service changes and network reach
Route 10 buses began serving Lucas in February 2025, giving the suburb its first regular public transport link and tying it to Ballarat and Wendouree stations. CDC Ballarat runs the fifteen urban routes that together record about 120,000 passenger trips each month, with services operating at half-hour intervals on most corridors and requiring Myki cards for travel.
The city maintains 1,093 kilometres of sealed roads and 382 kilometres of unsealed roads. Council discontinued the Ring Road alignment at the Mitchell Park rail crossing to clear the way for the Ballarat West Intermodal Freight Hub and reduce freight train delays for local traffic.
Active travel options and maintenance impacts
Fifty kilometres of segregated bicycle paths, including the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail and Yarrowee River Trail, provide alternatives to driving for shorter trips. Evening trains on the Ballarat Line will be replaced by coaches from July 19 to July 22, 2026, while V/Line carries out track work.
These steps align with approaches used by other regional centres that combine modest bus expansions, station upgrades and separated cycling routes to ease pressure on main roads without large-scale new highway construction. Residents can check current timetables and Myki balances through the CDC Ballarat app or V/Line channels ahead of the July maintenance period.