THE JDA’s focus remains firmly on the inner city this financial year, with its budget channelled towards further enhancing the walkability and aesthetics of public environments in the inner city core.
A large proportion of the R122-million allocation for 2010/2011 will be spent on easing pedestrian and traffic flow, especially to and from key transport nodes such as around Park Station in Braamfontein and the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit station in Joubert Park.
And the inner city’s three public squares – Gandhi, Mary Fitzgerald and Beyers Naude – will all receive upgrades to further enhance their aesthetic beauty and safety.
Other projects for this year include an upgrade of Chancellor House, further cleaning of sanitary lanes in Hillbrow and transitional housing at Europa House and 3 Kotze Street.
Sharon Lewis, the planner and strategist for the JDA, presented the agency’s plans for this financial year to the Johannesburg Inner City Business Coalition on 4 August.
The agency had a five-year public environment upgrade programme which prioritised precincts for investment, she indicated. This formed part of the Inner City Charter commitments, a key mayoral priority which kicked off in 2007.
Now in year four, the JDA focused its attention on Hillbrow, Berea and Yeoville in 2007; on Doornfontein, Ellis Park and Bertrams in 2008; and on Pageview, Fordsburg, Vrededorp and the Retail Improvement District in 2009.
In 2011/12 the focus would shift to the southwestern part of the inner city, she added.
Transport
Mary Fitzgerald square will be turned into an open space suitable for big and smaller eventsMary Fitzgerald square will be turned into an open space suitable for big and smaller events Above all, the City realised the need for an integrated transport plan. Early in 2010, the JDA, the Johannesburg Roads Agency, and the City’s departments of transportation and development planning and urban management, put their heads together to come up with a solution.
“It was agreed that the inner city required an appropriate traffic and transportation plan to manage non-motorised transport movements, as well as public and private transport movements properly,” she said.
As a result, the JDA’s inner city commuter links upgrade project for this year would focus on creating a pedestrian friendly and walkable inner city. A network of public spaces would be created and circulation around and access to formal taxi, bus and rail facilities would be improved.
Forming part of this plan, the Park Station precinct upgrades would include paving and lighting along Leyds, Smit, Biccard and Rissik streets, and paving repairs along Harrison Street. Biccard Street would be substantially widened for pedestrian use.
The busy and congested area around the Johannesburg Art Gallery would receive paving, lighting and greening to improve pedestrian movement along Twist/Troye, Wolmarans, Noord, De Villiers, Plein, King George and Wanderers streets. A pedestrian bridge over the railway lines at the Twist-Troye streets intersection was also planned for this year.
Access and egress to Park City and Jack Mincer (Park Central) taxi facilities would also be streamlined to improve the flow of taxis and reduce congestion.
Public squares
The five year upgrade plan highlighting the key areasThe five year upgrade plan highlighting the key areas Pedestrian movement would be improved along Joubert and Kerk streets, which would receive new paving, lighting and greening to make for a nicer walking experience. Nearby, upgrades to Beyers Naude Square started in 2009 would be completed to turn the public open space into a proper green, tourist precinct.
Some improvements to bus movement would take place in Eloff Street while the Gandhi Square slab would be repaired.
The JDA would make use of other funding from the City of Johannesburg for the planned refurbishment and repair of Mary Fitzgerald Square. At present an impersonal open space that could only accommodate large scale events, the plan was to make it a more welcoming public space for daily use by the Newtown community and visitors and more suitable for smaller events.
Finally, an estimated R600-million would be spent on new Rea Vaya infrastructure to further consolidate the Bus Rapid Transit service, she concluded.