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STATEMENT BY THE CITY’S MAYORAL COMMITTEE MEMBER: TRANSPORT FOR CAPE TOWN, COUNCILLOR BRETT HERRON
The City of Cape Town’s Council this afternoon, 31 March 2016, approved the conceptual design of the MyCiTi route T12 between Mitchells Plain and Claremont and a portion of route T11 from Khayelitsha to the intersection of Strandfontein Road and New Ottery Road in Ottery. Read more below:
Transport for Cape Town (TCT), the City’s transport authority, will now proceed with the detail design process along the proposed route alignments.
Importantly, the conceptual design that served before Council this afternoon does not include the Wynberg section as this part of Phase 2A of the MyCiTi service is subject to a final court ruling.The conceptual design forms the basis for the detail design process. The following key elements have been finalised in the conceptual design:
The route alignment of the T11 and T12 – the roads that will allow an average operating speed of 30 km/h for the MyCiTi buses
Right of way – where the MyCiTi buses will travel on dedicated red bus lanes and within mixed traffic
The location of the MyCiTi stations and stops – locations that will bring up to 80% of commuters within 500 m of a station or stop
Type of station – the type of stations needed along the routes to serve the number of boarding and alighting passengers and transfers between routes
The City has followed an extensive process over a period of five years to reach this stage of the proposed Phase 2A project:
In October 2011 Council approved the planning and design of Phase 2A of the MyCiTi service
In June 2014 Council approved the City’s Integrated Public Transport Network Plan which identified 10 new MyCiTi trunk routes, inclusive of Phase 2A
From October 2014 until July 2015, Transport for Cape Town embarked on a seven-month public participation process about the proposed conceptual design of the T11 and T12 routes
Following recent litigation concerning the Wynberg section of Phase 2A, the T11 is now proposed to terminate at the intersection of Strandfontein Road and New Ottery Road
All matters relating to public transport in Wynberg are excluded until such time as a final court ruling has been made
The initial engagements about the draft conceptual design were with the subcouncils, ward committees, ward councillors, ward development forums and taxi and civic organisations to inform them about the scope of the Phase 2A project and the forthcoming open days.
As from 22 May 2015 until 3 July 2015, up to 33 open days were hosted at venues within the communities who are to benefit from Phase 2A of the MyCiTi service.
The draft conceptual design was made available to the attendees at these meetings, and officials provided information about the project and answered questions from the public and interested parties.
The closing date for written submissions was extended twice, with the final closing date being 24 July 2015.
All of the comments that were received during the public participation process, either written or verbal, were considered and are captured in the report that served before Council this afternoon. Some of these comments were addressed during the review of the conceptual design prior to submitting it to Council and others will be addressed during the detail design process.
As stated earlier, the comments about the Wynberg section are captured in the report but have not been addressed given the ongoing litigation.
It is important to note that apart from some of the comments about the Wynberg section, there is overwhelming support for Phase 2A of the MyCiTi service in the other communities.
It is clear from the comments that the residents from the Cape Flats in particular are excited about the project and they are looking forward to the day when they can board a MyCiTi bus near their homes.
The majority of those who attended the open days enquired about the job opportunities that Phase 2A will offer – be it during construction or afterwards. They have provided us with valuable input and proposals about the location of the stations and stops.
A number of residents asked for even more routes and links to other parts of the city such as Hout Bay and Table View.
We are heartened by the support and interest in Phase 2A of the MyCiTi service and are looking forward to providing the communities along these routes with a world-class public transport service that is safe, decent and affordable.
Of equal significance are the opportunities that this corridor will unlock within the 30 communities along its way in terms of improved accessibility to these areas, the increased mobility of the local residents, reduced congestion, new developments, private investment and the subsequent urban regeneration to flow from this.
Phase 2A of the MyCiTi service is as much about improved mobility as it is about redress, empowerment and access. This investment will assist us in creating an inclusive city where everybody has a stake in the future and enjoys a sense of belonging.
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