I appreciate Alan Windes' efforts to improve cycling infrastructure and respect him as a fellow cyclist. But a lot of the good work put in by him (provincial government) and the City of Cape Town, has gone to waste over the past decade (or more) because of LACK OF LONG TERM COMMITMENT to make it work! There are 3 shortcomings that I see as the main reasons for cycling paths (like the brilliant West Coast one, which is a good example to use) failing:
1. Lack of security!
Policing, I understand, is NOT a provincial function. SAPolice Service is run atrociously and corruptly by the national central government. To help mitigate the total disaster that SAPS has become, the City of Cape Town has established its' own Metro Police, which helps a lot keeping Cape Town away from a Mad Max apocalyptic scenario. But if there are still near daily muggings and robberies on the cycling route, then cyclists (recreational and commuter) will stop using it and your multi million Rand investment in infrastructure will be lost, totally useless, money down the drain. It does not help to have a bit of a show on TV and in the papers after a particularly gruesome attack, to show that you (police or politicians) are doing something about it. You need to be there EVERY DAY, CATCH and incarcerate the criminals until there are ZERO attacks. THEN your project will work, cyclists will use the route, reduce traffic, pollution and your infrastructure investment will pay dividents!
2. Failure to deal with illegal squatters
Much of the criminality happening along the West Coast cycle route stems from the homeless encampments on mostly PRASA owned land in Woodstock. It offers criminals a place to stay and hide. It is all too easy to disappear into that nest after an attack on a cyclist on the cycling path and police are not willing or able to enter there and find the culprits. The solution is not so straight forward, because the land is basically owned by the state (central government) or PRASA (also state owned) and they don't have the political will to act against the illegal occupiers ( I suspect they don't want to be seen evicting people because it will cost them at election time, reeking of forced removals?). The City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Provincial government cannot do anything much about this, because they do not own the occupied land and cannot evict and clear it out. Besides, the legal process of doing that is a long and difficult one. But, if the illegal occupiers and criminal elements are not removed and prevented from returning, the cycle lane will NOT ever be fully functional and a waste of money.
3. Lack of ongoing maintenance of infrastructure
Allowing fences to be broken down and to remain so for years, allow criminals easy access to the cycle lane as well as an easy escape. Allowing manhole covers to be stolen and for holes to remain open bicycle traps, endangers cyclists. Allowing it to become neglected, overgrown, covered with rubbish, human pee and excrement, makes it an unattractive environment for law abiding cyclists, and they will stay away..........again, the cycle path will fail and all your infrastructure investment will go to waste.
If you want to see where the West Coast Cycle Lane works, then simply go further up from Milnerton to Melkbos. You will see that people are using it! If you want to see where it is NOT working, go look at the stretch from Paarden Eiland to the City Centre. The difference is stark and striking and it is caused by crime and neglect of dealing with it definitively.That blockage in the cycle path is a bit like the one artery that gets clogged up, causing a heart attack and the patients' death, while the rest of him was perfectly fit and healthy!
P.s. Someone with better IT skills, you are most welcome to send this to same politicians.
P.p.s' Sorry, I know this is a post too long for most Hubbers, but hey, I have to try and fix your attention deficit issue, not so? (Just kidding)
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