The City of Cape Town encouraged all the residents to comment on the draft Walking and Cycling Strategy which seeks to overtime, reposition walking and cycling as safe, accessible, sustainable and primary modes of transport in Cape Town.
It is a long-term strategy which was developed to support the investment in pedestrian and cycling improvements that promote access to opportunities and integration of transport in Cape Town and will help in shaping the future of transport in the Mother City. The public have to submit comments for consideration until December 14, 2024.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Urban Mobility – Councillor Rob Quintas said that the rapid growth of Cape Town is projected to reach 5.8 million by 2040, the demands are focused on equity, sustainability and resilience in the urban planning.
Historically, the transportation system of the City of Cape Town has prioritised private vehicle use that has resulted in severe congestion, pollution and increased traffic fatalities. The car-centric approach is unsustainable for the future growth.
It is their great efforts to move Cape Town, as they need to address these challenges and adopt a bold shift towards active mobility, particularly by walking and cycling. These modes play a critical role in supporting the public transport systems.
Councillor Quintas stated further that Unfortunately, the infrastructure of the Cape Town is not designed to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists. Therefore, the draft Walking and Cycling Strategy outlines the commitment to create a more inclusive, people-focused transport system. It also reposition walking and cycling as primary, safe and sustainable modes of transport.
He cleared that through this strategic planning, the City of Cape Town can reshape the current landscape and address the existing gaps in the infrastructure.
The goal of the plan is to integrate the active mobility into urban design, further enhancing the collaboration across the government bodies to achieve long-term sustainable transport solutions.
The City of Cape Town has made a significant progress in enhancing the walking and cycling infrastructure, but they still need to meet the demands. Walking remains the most common mode of transport for lower income households, particularly while cycling, that provides a cost-effective and healthy option.
However, both the modes face difficulties due to inadequate safety and accessibility challenges.
The city has a body of existing planning interventions and a successful track record of implementation for active mobility. Nevertheless, the network remains incomplete, fragmented and overall insufficient in meeting the needs.
Quintas also mentioned that while pursuing a sustainable transport system, a more holistic and integrated strategy is required, that recognises the walking and cycling will be key to going forward.
He confirmed that walking and cycling requires continuous and safe networks by prioritising infrastructure around key precincts and at public transport interchanges.
Considering the high-demand cycling routes will be crucial. The investments are targeted in the areas and will then increase the mobility, safety and accessibility. By creating highly pedestrianised precincts and cycle highways will offer complete, safe walking and cycling routes that actually have the potential to reduce traffic.
The first off strategy will focus on strengthening partnerships to raise awareness and improve road safety for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as the refocusing of the existing network and infrastructure planning programmes.
Notably, over the long run, the implementation of the strategy will reform the transport planning and design to prioritise walking, cycling and public transport over private vehicles with a vision to achieve a people-centric city on a metro-wide scale. It will be a place where walking and cycling are the preferred modes of transport.