NMT Cycling lanes, routes and intermodel points - Durban

[dysan1]

Durban acting fast on bicycle lanes
Mobility Magazine


Durban’s post-2010 Soccer World Cup plan to improve its bicycle infrastructure
has been accelerated ahead of a major international climate change conference in the city, and eThekwini municipality has now put in place an ambitious pilot project that will inform the shape of future development.

The 17th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – known as COP 17 – will be held in Durban from 28 November to 9 December 2011. And while the city has a fair share of ‘green’ credentials to show off, up until now it has lagged behind in the international trend to prioritise non-motorised transport (NMT) networks in major cities. So with the clock ticking, the city decided to fast forward some of its plans, helped along by a small injection of foreign funding.

Durban is a particularly unfriendly environment for cyclists. Hills, highways, railway lines and rivers divide the city into distinct areas that can often only be accessed across large bridges and intersections. The concentration of vehicles at these points makes them a terrifying prospect for cyclists, and like in other South African cities, commuter cycling across the city is almost non-existent.
But like in Cape Town, Joburg and Port Elizabeth, recreational cycling draws large numbers in Durban – an activity that gained considerable momentum thanks to investments in the famous Durban beachfront ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Widening and extending the smooth boulevard has made bicycle rental on the beachfront an unprecedented success.

The COP 17 funding will be used to build on this legacy to create the framework of a recreational cycling network, extending from Wilson’s Wharf in the middle of Durban harbour to Durban North, beyond the Umgeni River. At the heart of this network is the Durban International Convention Centre, from which COP 17 delegates will be able to depart on a fleet of bicycles specially commandeered for the event.

The council’s focus on recreational cycling and the connection with the beachfront boulevard has led to some distinctive design principles. While the City of Cape Town’s new mixed-use NMT routes are 3m wide, Durban has decided on 5m wide lanes. This is in line with international standards, requiring 2m for pedestrians and 1.5 m in either direction for bicycles. The designers acknowledge that the width of these routes will come at significant cost to their length, but say that this is appropriate within the context, given the relatively high pedestrian volumes in the inner city. Another factor is that, in reality, the width of the cycle lanes in the inner city are reduced by the presence of obstructions such as signs and light poles, as well as roadway elements such as parked vehicles and bus stops.

In the short time that remains before COP 17, Durban won’t be able to complete its entire bicycle plan – as many of the elements (such as the moving of parking bays) require a lengthy public participation process. There will also be limited signage on the routes, and no cyclingspecific traffic lights. As a result, the project will in most cases simply require the widening of existing sidewalks and pedestrian walkways to accommodate bicycles, together with upgrading intersections to provide clearly defined NMT crossings and dropped kerbs. But there are other places where the interventions are more ambitious, such as where the existing sidewalk is on the large bridge that crosses over the mouth of the Umgeni River. This requires major structural additions to the bridge in order to provide the equivalent of two extra lanes along its entire length.

Another major upgrade will be the expansion of the Durban beachfront boulevard up to this bridge, a separate project in which the design will be integrated with the NMT route. At a later date, the city will be able to take things much further, however. Durban has the advantage of wide verges, sidewalks and roadways, particularly in the inner city, and council officials have hinted at their desire to start encroaching on road space. This will require more time, as well as the development of a clear city-wide NMT infrastructure policy and plan.

But the process is going to get a strong boost from the COP 17 project, which will effectively function as a pilot project for Durban’s approach going forward. In the longer term, the city is also committed to providing for commuter cyclists beyond the tourist precinct. Carlos Esteves, Deputy Head of Road System Management, has acknowledged that there will be some challenges along the way, but that the lanes will be part of a full cycling network across the city. This includes other systems in Umlazi, KwaMashu, Umhlanga, as well as linkages to rail stations etcetera which are in the planning stage.’

The COP 17 event will also provide the opportunity to pilot a strategy for overcoming Durban’s difficult topography – electric bicycles. ‘One of the barriers to the use of bicycles is the summer heat, as well as the fact that the climb to the Berea, for example, is discouraging. We believe that e-bikes provide a viable alternative for the 1-to 10-km journey,’ says Esteves.

[dysan1]

Durban's pedalling to the front
SUTHENTIRA GOVENDER | 18 September, 2011 01:06

Not content with being one of South Africa's top holiday destinations, Durban also wants to be the best city for cyclists. The city is splashing out R15-million on new bicycle lanes. And city bosses say that more money will be poured into extra lanes before the start of the 17th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 17) in November.

More than 20 000 international delegates are due to attend the conference from November 28 to December 9, in the middle of Durban's hot and humid summer, to assess progress on climate change.

The city council's speaker, Logie Naidoo, said Durban would challenge delegates to ditch cars and use bicycles. The lanes would link the Durban International Convention Centre and tourist attractions. "It does not make sense to host an environmental conference and have thousands of delegates in buses and taxis," he said.

The city had ordered more than 2000 bicycles for delegates.The central government would supply 500 bicycles and the city was approaching hotels in Durban to provide the rest. "No other city has done this before," said Naidoo.

Department of Environmental Affairs spokesman Albi Modise said the aim with the bicycles was to raise public awareness on carbon emissions. Carlos Esteves, deputy head of the city's road system management, said the first phase of the cycle plan would cost about R15-million. The 2000 bicycles would be donated to legacy projects after the conference.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/201...g-to-the-front

[Lydon]

Be grateful you don't have Mr Ehrenrich to get on your cases

[dysan1]

Originally Posted by Lydon

Be grateful you don't have Mr Ehrenrich to get on your cases

Who is that

[Lydon]

Originally Posted by dysan1

Who is that

Tony Ehrenrich...the dude all over the news from the ANC/Cosatu moaning about the cycle lanes in Cape Town.

[pta_pta]

Can one take bicycles on Metrorail in Durban? Always wanted to take my bike on the train, go cycle in the city and take train back home.

[romanSA]

Durban to become bicycle friendly

21 September 2011 - 11:16
By Lauren Holley

Durban has set its sights on becoming a bicycle-friendly city. Construction of cycling lanes within the CBD will begin within the next week.

The municipality's Carlos Esteves says these will mainly be linking points of interest like the ICC, the Botanic Gardens and the beachfront.

He says this is part of the city's plans ahead of hosting the UN Climate Change conference or COP 17 towards the end of this year.

It's hoped that delegates from other conferences will also one day peddle their way around Durban.

Esteves has explained during this first phase the cycling lanes will be separate from the roadway.

"For the present we are augmenting existing sidewalks; increasing their widths to be able to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists on the same route."

Esteves says the municipality has a five-year plan which will also create linkages to schools and railway stations across the city.

He says they're also looking at eventually extending cycling routes beyond the CBD and possibly right through to Umhlanga.

"Cycling is a mode of transport for urban areas of the future, so the city would like to be able to grow on that concept and encourage Durbanites to get on their bicycles and to enjoy their city."


http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/content/...cycle-friendly

[dysan1]

Great to see that momentum is building in the core urban areas arounf the inner and not just the coastal and riverfront strips!

[GregPz]

The city is doing a great job of getting people out of their cars and onto bikes and walking. Creates a really nice vibe.

[dysan1]

Anyone found the specific route maps?

[dysan1]

I want to ride my bicycle…

November 16 2011 at 12:53pm

Tony Carnie

When Fifa executives returned to Switzerland with their bulging swag bag of soccer loot last year, ordinary South Africans could at least take some comfort from the fact that the World Cup turned out to be a memorable month of celebration and distraction.

Several cities also ended up with some very expensive (if now mostly underutilised) soccer stadiums, along with upgrades to several roads, beachfront areas and other amenities.

There were also other less tangible benefits from international media exposure and the earlier-than-planned construction of the new King Shaka International Airport.

But the UN COP17 climate change summit, which kicks off in Durban on November 28, will be a much more sombre affair.

And apart from copious volumes of political hot air, much finger-pointing and procrastination, the host city is unlikely to benefit from major physical legacy projects once the delegates have flown home.

However, there is one modest city project which could start shifting Durban towards healthier and more climate-friendly transport solutions.

This involves the gradual expansion of the city’s cycling routes and pedestrian paths to encourage people to get out of their private cars and to start pedalling or walking at least part of the way to work.

As part of the Greening COP17 programme, the eThekwini municipality was hoping to complete a new cycling and pedestrian pathway from Blue Lagoon to the Umgeni River Bird Park, but it now seems unlikely that this will be completed before the end of the conference.

Ironically, perhaps, the project has been held up partly by the public consultation requirements of the country’s environmental impact assessment laws.

Carlos Esteves, deputy head of road system management in the eThekwini Transport Authority, says he is not sure whether the new cycle link along the north bank of the Umgeni River can be completed before the end of COP17 and the project might only finish in January or February.

Nevertheless, his department is pressing ahead with several pilot projects as part of a more ambitious Green Circle of cycling and walking routes.

Once the cycling and pedestrian promenade from uShaka to the Umgeni River Bird Park is completed, the idea is to gradually extend the route to link up to Burman Bush, Botanic Gardens and Bulwer Park, and possibly southwards to Umbilo.

Esteves said the authority set up a working group shortly after the World Cup to develop a broad strategy on cycling and walking, and the climate conference was seen as the ideal opportunity to initiate some of these paths.

With financial assistance from the German government, the UN Industrial Development Organisation and the national Department of Environmental Affairs, the city is hoping to procure up to 600 bikes for accredited delegates to explore the city or pedal to the conference from their hotels at no cost.

The city has also mapped out a number of “spines” to link the ICC and Durban beachfront to the Botanic Gardens and Wilson’s Wharf.

All the bikes will be retained by the city at the end of the conference so that they will be available for future events.

Esteves acknowledged that it could be “a challenge” to ensure that all bicycles were returned, especially if the city were to set up a public Bikeshare system similar to those used by several European cities.

To ensure that the bikes come back, some Spanish cities require visitors to pay a suitable deposit or hand in their passports, while local residents have to pre-register by providing their ratepayer/utility bill details.

“I’m not sure that Durban is ready for that kind of system yet because we still have quite a way to go to bring cycling into people’s minds.

“At the moment we are going for some quick wins, mostly where there is space to accommodate these routes next to the existing motorised traffic routes.”

In some areas it might be necessary for cyclists to share a route with motorised traffic if there was no space to accommodate a separate lane for cyclists.

“I’m reluctant to introduce shared lanes until motorists become more aware of the safety of cyclists, but we think we may have found a route from the city to Umhlanga using the existing road networks through residential areas.”

The eThekwini Transport Authority was also examining options for a cycle/pedestrian lane to Durban North via Swapo Avenue (Broadway).

Other possible cycling routes under discussion include a 2km pathway to allow youngsters to cycle from Albert Park to a school in the Addington area. In the longer term, the city hopes to offer commuters more options to walk or pedal to work in the central business district by providing “park and pedal” areas, or via new rail and bus transit points.

However, planners would have to be creative to get around the fact that the city’s inner city road network was built to handle a two-hour motorised traffic peak in the early morning and evening.

And while it is still early days, eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo has provided political momentum by pledging to cycle to the city hall once a week from his home in Pinetown.


http://www.iol.co.za/mercury/i-want-...ycle-1.1179701

[dysan1]

A little old, but highlights some of the key things the city is doing.


Climate Protection on Two Wheels: Environmentally friendly transport for lower emissions


At the UN Climate Conference in the South African city of Durban, VIPs set a good example: the South African Transport Minister, Sibusiso Joel Ndebele, the Mayor of Durban, James Nxumalo, the German Ambassador to South Africa, Horst Freitag, and KfW Project Manager Georg Grüner, climbed onto bikes and joined the last, symbolic stage of a cycling tour. The cyclists had spent a good week riding from the Zimbabwean border to Durban, to draw attention to cycling as an environmentally friendly means of transport.

Speaking at the finish line, Horst Freitag praised the advantages of cycling. "As a means of transport, the bike is not just for tourists," he pointed out. The German Ambassador said that he cycled to school and work for many years. In South Africa the transport system is still geared strongly towards the car, and greenhouse gas emissions in the Cape continue to rise as a result. Not only that - every year some 15,000 people lose their lives in traffic fatalities, half of them pedestrians and cyclists, who are given scant consideration on the roads. There is no integrated public transport system in place to make travel easier, especially for poorer South Africans, who often face a long and expensive journey to reach their place of work.

More Buses, More Railways, and More Cycle Paths

This is why KfW Entwicklungsbank, on behalf of the German Government and in collaboration with the South African Ministry for the Environment, is supporting the expansion of non-motorised transport. The project has just been presented to the public, at the cycle tour finale. Plans are in place to implement pilot traffic concepts in three cities - Durban, Johannesburg and Polokwane. In addition, the South African government is being given support and advice on how to achieve a radical re-think in its town planning and move more people onto buses, trains, bicycles and footpaths.

Through its ambitious "eThekwini Non Motorised Transport (NMT) Plan", the city of Durban wants to develop an urban mobility system that is safe, healthy, affordable and, above all, clean. With this in mind, the city's infrastructure for environment-friendly transport is being expanded; a network of cycle paths and footpaths, taking in the recently refurbished beachfront promenade next to the Indian Ocean, is now under construction.

On behalf of the German Government, KfW Entwicklungsbank is sponsoring four pilot projects in Durban, incorporating integrated, climate-friendly traffic concepts. These include:

•The construction of footpaths and cycle paths linking office buildings in the city, making it easier for office workers to travel on foot or by bicycle. This should reduce traffic growth in the city centre.

•Completion of the "Durban Green Corridor", which links parking facilities, the beach and tourist attractions.

•The integration of railway stations into the footpath/cycle path network, to improve access to environment-friendly means of transport.

•Schools, universities and residential areas will be included in the network. Furthermore, support will be provided for training programmes, public information campaigns and for monitoring the effects of climate protection measures.

The cycle rally was one of several initiatives designed to promote an environment-friendly Climate Conference. These initiatives also included an innovative bicycle loan scheme; Climate Conference delegates were given access to around 700 cycles, which could be borrowed and returned at various newly created cycle docking stations. At these stations, users are also given information on the ecological, health and social benefits of cycling compared to other modes of transport. After the Climate Conference, the park and loan system will be made available to Durban's tourists and residents. The bicycles will be donated to schools in Durban.

[dysan1]

these plans got a bit of a boost with the announcement of a permanent bike hire scheme to be launched by the city in the coming weeks. Branding work is underway and bikes will be stationed at the Bird Park, Green Hub @Blue lagoon, MM stadium, By the Skatepark at beachfront and at Ushaka. All bikes hires will be run by independent businesses contracted to the city, therefore helping SME's develop.

[dysan1]

Riverside road happening yet??

[romanSA]

Today's Independent on Saturday has an article with a pic of the track's construction, which has commenced. Riverside Road will be reduced from 9,5m to 7m, to accommodate the track. Road and track will be separated by wooden bollards. The lane will be complete in mid-Sept.

The city said they are considering plans to extend the lane beyond the Bird Park, over Connaught Bridge, to green areas on the Berea, like Botanical Gardens.

Equally good news is that the city has said that a tender is going out soon to create a cycling lane from Ushaka to Wilson's Wharf, along Vic Embankment. This means that soon, people will be able from the Bird Park to Wilson's Wharf. That will be fantastic!

[romanSA]

Here's the pic:



Copyright: Independent on Saturday

[dysan1]

thanks Jerome, good to see they finally started, even though they were supposed to be completed in Feb...

[romanSA]

The article said the province only approved the plan recently, hence the delay.

[dysan1]

EIA issues? well least it should be up and running when i am back in town in December

[dysan1]

good coverage on current and next phases in the nmt plans. as seen in October issue of The Ridge Magazine.