Cape Town: The tactical interventions built recently are ensuring safe passage for cyclists along Bree Street. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, with Councillor Rob Quintas, and the Young Urbanists, tested the new Bree Street Safe Passage cycle lanes in the Cape Town central business district.
This pilot project introduces the use of tactical interventions that are easy to implement and adapt in an effort to improve the safety of cyclists along a section of Bree Street.
The Bree Street Safe Passage pilot entails a tactical intervention by the Urban Mobility Directorate of the City of Cape Town in collaboration with the Young Urbanists to improve the safety of cyclists along Bree Street between the intersections of Short Market Street and Hans Strijdom Avenue.
Reportedly, the pilot is making use of low-cost materials such as safe-hit bollards and removable concrete slabs to create a barrier between cyclists using the cycle lane, and vehicular traffic.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said that it was a pleasure to test the new ways they’re making Bree Street safer for cyclists in partnership with the Young Urbanists. He expressed, “I’m really grateful to them for their advocacy on this. This is a first for the Inner City and the possibilities are exciting because, if it works, we can roll it out to other cycle lanes.”
According to Lewis, the pilot is an example of the collaboration by the City of Cape Town with stakeholders to find innovative and cost-effective solutions. He added that cyclists count among the most vulnerable road users, and the city is committed to turning the Inner city into a more walkable and cycling-friendly environment.
“The safer our streets become for pedestrians and cyclists, the more people will choose cycling over private cars. I want to commend the teams who worked on this idea, I definitely felt safe using the lanes today,” said Mayor Hill-Lewis.
However, the interventions are quick and easy to implement, test, and remove as these do not require changing the layout of the street, or building work.
Considering this Member of the Mayoral Committee for Urban Mobility – Councillor Rob Quintas said that what makes these interventions so attractive is the fact that it is cost-effective as the current economic environment requires us to do more with less.
He added that it also gives all flexibility to pilot new ideas and adapt as they go along. Now that they have the interventions in place, they will monitor the use and fine-tune the pilot over time with adjustments.
Additionally, the safe-hit bollards and delineator kerbs protect the green cycle lane by basically creating a barrier between cyclists and vehicles. They have often seen that the green cycle lane cannot be used because vehicles are double parking across the lane. These interventions will now make it impossible for vehicles to get into the cycle lane.
The Safe Passage pilot supports the new Walking and Cycling Strategy that was approved by the City Council in April this year, and confirms the commitment to turning strategies and policies into real change.
“I also want to thank the Young Urbanists and other private sector stakeholders for their support and enthusiasm in this space. Together, we are mapping a way forward to improve mobility in the CBD by putting people first,” said Rob Quintas.
Managing Director of the Young Urbanists – Roland Postma stated that the Safe Passage Programme was founded by SDI Trust to empower the micro-economy, which shows that public-private partnerships can help test and pilot important strategies like the newly passed Walking and Cycling Strategy.
The tactical cycling lanes offer protection for commuters, recreational cyclists, and most importantly, the last-mile delivery workers like Green Riders, but also help calm traffic, as seen on Bree Street, creating a safer street environment for all road users, including pedestrians.
MD Postma emphasized that they strongly believe that collaboration is key to getting Cape Town moving, and they are looking forward to working with Urban Mobility to bring more changes to Cape Town’s streets where everyone can feel safe. This is vital to making children feel safe on the roads and to supporting the growing economy. Apart from the cycling to work, and tourists, the pilot will also benefit those who use bicycles for deliveries.