The 2015 EcoMobility World Festival will showcase and accelerate the City’s infrastructure roll-out plans for the northern suburbs of Johannesburg.
Johannesburg Executive Mayor Parks Tau’We will prove that the streets of Johannesburg truly belong to all our citizens, and that with innovation and imagination we can turn streets into amenable public spaces’ – Johannesburg Executive Mayor Parks Tau. (Photo: www.ecomobilityfestival.org)The EcoMobility World Festival, taking place in Sandton in October, will showcase the City’s initiatives to introduce long-term changes to transport patterns in Sandton and across the city.
At the same time, it will accelerate the City’s infrastructure roll-out plans for the northern suburbs, while encouraging people to buy in to the benefits of shifting away from private cars as the dominant mode of transport.
“We will prove that the streets of Johannesburg truly belong to all our citizens, and that with innovation and imagination we can turn streets into amenable public spaces,” Mayor Tau said during a presentation of the City’s EcoMobility Transport Management Plan in July.
The global biennial event will be hosted by the City of Joburg in partnership with ICLEI Local Government for Sustainability from 1 to 31 October, coinciding with South Africa’s national Transport Month.
Certain streets of the Sandton CBD – often referred to as the “richest square mile in Africa”, but also one of its most traffic-congested – will be closed off for regular traffic for the month, with preference given to public transport, walking and cycling.
The Festival, Mayor Tau said, will “give the people of Johannesburg a preview of what the streets – not only of a future Sandton, but the rest of the city – will look like with decongested traffic”.
Completed section of the ‘Great Walk’ between Alexandra and SandtonCompleted section of the ‘Great Walk’ pedestrian-cycling pathway between Alexandra and Sandton.The City has taken the lead in implementing the decongestion plan through the expansion of the Rea Vaya bus rapid transit (BRT) network into the northern suburbs and Alexandra, along with the provision of infrastructure that will make walking and cycling easier, safer and more affordable.
“In building our transport infrastructure, the City has adopted what we call a Complete Streets Model, which advocates for roads that first provide for walking, cycling, public transport, and then private car use,” the Mayor said.
JDA TO PLAY CENTRAL ROLE IN INFRASTRUCTURE BUILD
The Johannesburg Development Agency is playing a central role in this infrastructure build. The agency is responsible for creating new pedestrian-cycling pathways, as well as for the public environment upgrades that go into the making of “complete streets”.
It is also overseeing the construction of the Great Walk, a dedicated pedestrian and cycling pathway between Alexandra and Sandton, including a pedestrian-cycling bridge with a striking architectural design across the M1, to cater for the 10 000 or more people who walk or cycle the five kilometres between Alexandra and Sandton daily.
Rea Vaya BRT lane construction in Katherine Drive, SandtonLaying of high-impact asphalt along the Rea Vaya BRT lane in Katherine Drive, Sandton.And the Rea Vaya bus rapid transit (BRT) system, which is at the heart of the City’s transport infrastructure roll-out plans, is one of the JDA’s flagship projects.
The expansion of the BRT network will involve the construction of an initial 16 kilometres of dedicated BRT bus lanes and stations stretching from Joburg CBD into the northern suburbs.
Once complete, Rea Vaya will connect the inner city nodes of Hillbrow and Braamfontein along Louis Botha Avenue past Alexandra to Marlboro, and from there to the Sandton CBD along Katherine Street.
This trunk route will then be served by feeder and complementary routes to and from Midrand, Ivory Park, Sunninghill and Randburg.
TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE ROLL-OUT SCHEDULE
While the final transport roll-out schedule for the northern suburbs over the next five years has yet to be finalised, the City’s EcoMobility Transport Management Plan outlines a timetable incorporating the following:
Construction of the new pedestrian-cycling bridge over the M1Foundation laying for the new pedestrian-cycling bridge being built over the M1.September 2015: EcoMobility Festival lead-in and legacy
Temporary demarcation of the Sandton Public Transport Loop along Rivonia Avenue, Fredman Drive and 5th Street, with a dedicated, kerb-side lane and passenger shelters for all forms of public transport. Substantive roadworks along the Loop will commence after the Festival (see September 2016).
A “complete street” upgrade along the north-bound side of West Street will include wider pedestrian walks, cycle lanes, soft and hard landscaping, and improved street lighting and signage. The upgrade will serve as a demonstration of upgrades to be completed after the Festival (see September 2016).
The completed Rea Vaya BRT bus lane along Katherine Street, between Grayston Drive and West Street, will be used as a public transport expressway during the Festival. The BRT infrastructure roll-out along Katherine Street will continue after the Festival (see December 2016).
July 2016
Start of construction of 27 kilometres of dedicated cycle lanes connecting Rosebank with Sandton and other northern suburbs.
Artist’s impression of the new pedestrian-cycling bridge over the M1Artist’s impression of the new pedestrian-cycling bridge over the M1.September 2016
Completion of the “complete street” upgrade along West Street.
Completion of wider pedestrian walkways and cycle lanes along Maude Street, between West Street and Rivonia Road.
Completion of roadworks and public environment upgrades on the Sandton Public Transport Loop along Rivonia Road, Fredman Drive and 5th street. The completed Loop will include wider pedestrian walkways, road upgrades, soft and hard landscaping, improved road signage and street lighting, and commuter shelters.
November 2016
Completion of the 5-kilometre Great Walk between Alexandra and Sandton, including the iconic pedestrian-cycling bridge over the M1. The Walk stretches from Wynberg, along Rautenbach Road, over the M1 alongside the Grayston interchange on the new pedestrian-cycling bridge, down along Sandton Drive, left into Katherine Street, right into Linden Road, to join Maude Street on Rivonia Road.
Completion of 30 kilometres of new sidewalks in Alexandra as part of a major public environment upgrade programme.
December 2016
Completion of Rea Vaya BRT infrastructure along Katherine Street between Grayston Drive and Marlboro Drive. This will include dedicated BRT lanes, upgraded mixed traffic lanes, new pedestrian walkways, improved street lighting and signage, and landscaping. It will also include widening of the Sandspruit Bridge from two to six lanes (two for BRT and four for mixed traffic), plus widening of the Marlboro onramp onto the M1 north to provide three right-turning lanes off Katherine Street.
Completion of a dedicated Rea Vaya BRT bridge over the M1 highway between the Grayston and Marlboro interchanges. This bridge will connect the BRT trunk routes along Katherine Street with those running along Louis Botha Avenue from Alexandra into central Joburg.
February 2017
Completion of Rea Vaya BRT infrastructure along Louis Botha Avenue, and commencement of Rea Vaya services between Sandton, Alexandra and the CBD.
September 2017
Commencement of Rea Vaya feeder and complementary services between the CBD/Sandton and Midrand, Ivory Park and Sunninghill.
2018/19
Extension of Rea Vaya trunk services to the Randburg CBD.