A R20 million project by the City of Cape Town will expand cycle and walking lanes in the Cape Town city centre to new lanes to be developed in suburbs outside the city centre, reports the Cape Times.
Cycle lanes will be developed in Athlone, Rondebosch, Mowbray, and Salt River, and will lead to the green cycling lanes already seen on city centre roads, such as Bree Street and Somerset Road. In addition, walking paths and cycling lanes will be developed in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Philippi, Steenberg, Atlantis, Delft, Kuils River, and Bonteheuwel. The linkage between the city centre lanes and the Liesbeek Parkway cycle route, as well as from Observatory and Woodstock, will commence next week.
The Pedal Power Association has welcomed the planned additional cycle routes, stating that the Argus Cycle Tour started 30 years ago, and showed the City authorities that cycling facilities were necessary in the city. However, the need is greatest in industrial areas such as Retreat and Dunoon, to which workers ride on their bicycles.
City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee member for Transport Brett Herron is encouraging Capetonians to leave their cars at home, and to cycle or walk to work (ironically he does not encourage them to use the MyCiTi Bus, given the billions of Rands that the City has spent thus far)! Over time cycle and walking routes will also be added in Plumstead, Somerset West, Macassar, Eersterivier, Blackheath, Ottery, Milnerton, Bonteheuwel, Bishop Lavis, Elsies River, Bellville South, and Grassy Park. Herron said that a City survey has shown that one third of low income household members walk to work, to school, and to social activities. Obstacles on pavements will be removed for pedestrians, and facilities created for ‘pedestrians with special needs‘.
The addition of cycle and pedestrian routes between the Cape Town city centre and outlying suburbs sounds like a good idea, but requires knowledge by both cyclists and motorists of the new Western Cape cycling law, e.g. not riding abreast on bicycles, not driving closer than 1 meter from a cyclist, and riding cycles to the left of motor vehicles.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
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Surely this is a joke!? … another “good idea” by well-meaning folk who live a life of first-world-thoughts in a predominantly third-world country. This strikes me as being another theory like socialism … it sounds GREAT … but totally impractical. eToll roads also sound great (in Singapore) but not right for here.
So … “Cycle lanes will be developed in Athlone, Rondebosch, Mowbray, and Salt River” … just where, I ask? The already congested and cramped thoroughfares will become even more cramped … or has “Mr Brett” thought this one through with another display of academic genius? They’ll just turn them into one-way roads! Perish the thought!
… AND … “walking paths and cycling lanes will be developed in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Philippi, Steenberg, Atlantis, Delft, Kuils River, and Bonteheuwel” … oh really!? Where? Their roads are even more cramped and congested.
I suppose this means that everyone is now going to rush out and buy a bike they can go to work on, because there will be beautiful, well constructed and aesthetically pleasing cycle and walking tracks criss-crossing the city. All this sounds marvellous – on a tourism brochure feted in Europe to the Dutch about what they can do in the Mother City … until they get here and discover that the cycling lanes (if they ever get built) will prove even more challenging than the Argus in distance, wind chill and congestion.
And if I lived in Cape Town and there was a cycle lane would I ensure that I ride on it as often as possible just so that I can spare the city of adding to the vehicle congestion by foregoing mine? I don’t think so! And how much are they going to be used in winter, let alone in summer when the SE blows!
The City Council should get a life, get real and spend some more money on the present infrastructure instead of hare-brained ideas like bike tracks and bridal paths!
And April 1 has passed by long ago! Another waste of money, like the soccer stadium!
You are funny Rob, but they seem to be deadly serious, pardon the pun!
I worry about the safety aspects, as there are regular collisions between cyclists and motorists, many blaming cheeky cyclists for these, when they do not appear to know the cycling law. Its dangerous enough driving in Camps Bay, but what about industrial areas with trucks?
Ironically the green cycle lanes have become quick ‘run in and fetch’ stops alongside parking bays – I’ve yet to see a cyclist riding in any of them in the city centre.
Yes, Chris, they are deadly serious … so serious they actually believe their own tripe! .. and if you ever get a chance to speak to “Mr Brett”, please quote me … idiocy has no bounds, it seems!
I know Rob. I see a politician ego in Brett Herron – too important to reply to Tweets!