RANT: Cape Town City cycle lanes

[alsoran]

Does anybody know how the cycle lanes got started in CT? I would love some up here on the highveld and in places they are really needed, so anybody got the guide to getting cycle lanes?

 

Vote DA

Edited November 5, 2012 by alsoran

[Hairy]

The guy was in predominantly white kit. So not Cycles Direct.

 

I hear you, I was only commenting on what I see on a regular basis.

 

Mango, what time do you trek down the cycle lanes in the morning and evening and then what are you riding so I can look out for you?

[4u2nv]

Vote DA

10/10 !

[flymango]

I hear you, I was only commenting on what I see on a regular basis.

 

Mango, what time do you trek down the cycle lanes in the morning and evening and then what are you riding so I can look out for you?

 

I work from home in Melkbos so I mainly ride on the lanes over weekends if I'm doing LSD like we did yesterday - from my house to the dam in Koeberg (40km) and then to Wang Thai and back home (40km). 80km in all. On a black and orange Specialized Epic Comp 29er.

[DJR]

I saw in todays Cape Argus that the City has painted the Bree street cycle lane bright green and apparrently it makes a big difference in that motorists treat it with a lot more respect by not parking or driving in it nearly as much as before. Sounds like a great idea. Has any cyclists noticed? I'm impressed that "the city that works for us" have listened to our complains and done something.

http://www.iol.co.za/logger/p.gif?a=1.1449715&d=/2.225/2.226/2.234/2.235

 

 

 

City in green spin

 

January 10 2013 at 02:31pm

By Kieran Legg

Comment on this story

 

 

 

http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/cyclist-jan-10-1.1449714!/image/3962695151.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/3962695151.jpg

CAPE TIMES

A cyclist tries out the new cycle lane in Bree Street. Photo: Thomas Holder

 

Cape Town - The City believes a simple paint job could go some way towards making the streets safer for Cape Town’s cyclists - although it has also budgeted R120 million to improve and expand cycle lanes this year.

On December 15, as part of a one-month testing phase, a section of the existing cycle lane on Bree Street, between Strand Street and Waterkant, was sprayed green to make it more visible to motorists.

Now, the rest of Cape Town’s cycle lanes could receive the same treatment after initial observations have shown that it had been incredibly effective.

The city’s mayoral committee member for transport, roads and stormwater Brett Herron said that painting the cycle lane along Bree Street had been a response to long-running complaints received from cyclists using the stretch of road.

“Motorists were just parking and driving along the cycle lane. They did not seem to be aware that it was there,” said Herron. “Many cyclists (as a result) were not able to make use of the lane.”

He said that painting cycle lanes had been proved to be effective overseas. In parts of New Zealand and some states in the US, green or red cycle lanes have become a common sight.

“We have had quite a good response from cyclists on Twitter,” he said. “From our own observations, we have seen far more cars avoiding the lane.”

Whether or not the rest of Cape Town’s extensive network of cycle lanes will be painted green will be decided in two week’s time. Herron said the product used to colour the lanes, which is sprayed on to the road’s surface rather than painted on, is being tested for wear and tear.

But Pedal Power Association’s Lance Burger said while making the cycle lanes more visible to motorists was a step in the right direction, it was not enough.

“We need a physical barrier between the cycle lanes and the rest of the road,” he said. “It could be concrete, a curb or even just a sheet of plastic that will make sure that motorists stay on their side of the road.”

Burger said far too many people were killed because of motorists entering the cycle lane.

“It’s too easy for cars to cross into an open lane and injure or kill a cyclist,” he said.

Green paint is just a small part of the city’s plans for cyclists in Cape Town. According to Herron the city has set aside of budget of R120 million to improve and expand cycle lanes this year.

While a complete list of areas where cycle lanes will be implemented has not yet been made available, Herron confirmed a few large areas would be seeing cycle lanes this year.

Lavender Hill, Atlantis, Belhar, Kraaifontein, Rondebosch, Woodstock, Salt River, Delft and Mitchells Plain are just some of the areas which should be able to accommodate cyclists on their roads by the end of this year. He said lanes that would connect cyclists to public transport would be prioritised.

“We will be laying out these improvements incrementally,” he said.

The cycle lane which circles around Rondebosch Common should be completed before June. Meanwhile, pending approval, an upgrade on the lane running along Albert Road should be put out on tender by May.

kieran.legg@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

[Wayne Booysen]

Awesome!

[Stretch]

Vote DA

 

its not about voting DA, it more that we all are there are more people not voting DA than those voting DA

 

While on holiday there last April and Dec i was amazed how efficiently things were run in comparison to the *** we have to deal with

[MTB_Roadie]

That is going to be a bitch in the rain....can already see how peple fall due to wheels slipping

[covie]

its not about voting DA, it more that we all are there are more people not voting DA than those voting DA

 

While on holiday there last April and Dec i was amazed how efficiently things were run in comparison to the *** we have to deal with

That makes no sense whatsoever.. though i catch what you are trying to say after some decryption

Edited January 10, 2013 by covie

[covie]

That is going to be a bitch in the rain....can already see how peple fall due to wheels slipping

 

use a proper bike

[Stretch]

That makes no sense whatsoever

huh?

 

i vote DA but the ANC is still running my municipality because there are more people who vote ANC than vote DA - make sense now?

[johannrissik]

I've picked up scooters in the bike lane, had fights with flower sellers - maybe I should get some really, really sticky stickers (like the Argus numbers that you can't get off) that say, "Stay the F out of the bike lane" especially for their windscreens?

The sticker says "If you F*@# like you park, you'll never get it in" 10mm x 150mm very sticky, stuck centre of driver's side window. Dunnit, it works.

[covie]

its not about voting DA, it more that we all are there are more people not voting DA than those voting DA

Its not so much about voting DA, its the simple fact that there are more people voting for the ANC than there are people voting for the DA.

 

 

While on holiday there last April and Dec i was amazed how efficiently things were run in comparison to the *** we have to deal with

 

Fixed it.

[M L]

The sticker says "If you F*@# like you park, you'll never get it in" 10mm x 150mm very sticky, stuck centre of driver's side window. Dunnit, it works.

Where can we get some?

 

Was at canal walk the other day and this poepol parks his black mitsubishi double cab over 2 parking spaces, and at the lifts, not even far away. So gatvol of these people. Would love to slap a sticker on his windshield.

 

At Stellenbosch you get greased if you park on spots that don't belong to you. Works wonders.

[Stretch]

Where can we get some?

 

Was at canal walk the other day and this poepol parks his black mitsubishi double cab over 2 parking spaces, and at the lifts, not even far away. So gatvol of these people. Would love to slap a sticker on his windshield.

 

At Stellenbosch you get greased if you park on spots that don't belong to you. Works wonders.

 

try 4 spots

 

http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/557498_10151401288316340_8820132_n.jpg

[Christopher Brunsdon]

its not about voting DA, it more that we all are there are more people not voting DA than those voting DA

 

While on holiday there last April and Dec i was amazed how efficiently things were run in comparison to the *** we have to deal with

 

Yet the historic DA supporters in the Cape are actually in the minority - it is all about voting for the DA and to show others what the DA can do when given the authority.