City CEO Craig Niemann said that as far as he was aware $900,000 of state government funding for Mitchell Street was still available to council. VicRoads is investigating reported delays, especially during the afternoon peak period, and particularly with buses crossing from View Street into Mitchell Street.

VicRoads regional manager Mal Kersting said the situation was mainly caused by vehicles backing up on View Street waiting to give priority to pedestrians, mainly students, crossing at Pall Mall.

He said some of the potential solutions being investigated include tweaking of signals at these intersections to optimise traffic signal timings and limiting turning for some vehicle movements.

VicRoads is using computer modelling to help determine the best arrangement for the network.

Mr Niemann said once council had the results it would look to when an appropriate time would be for a trial in Mitchell Street.

“It would depend on the time of year when the trial would take place,” he said.

“This has taken longer than we would have anticipated and we can’t let it drag on.”

A spokesman for the Department of Transport said it was anticipated that the signal changes would be in place in the next couple of months.

“The effect of the signal changes will be evaluated after a trial period,’’ he said.

Member for Northern Victoria Region Wendy Lovell yesterday called on the state government to organise an urgent meeting of all parties involved.