Cycling Path in Tygervalley Road

[grumpy]

Hi Fellow hubbers

 

With 2014 being an election year, I would like to raise support for a cycling path in Tygervalley road (M31), the section between Diemersdal road and the the intersection with Tygerberg road (M13) is 1.9 kilometers long.

 

This road is used daily by scores of cyclists, it is particularly narrow and very busy, no shoulder at all.

On a personal note I can't recall how many close shaves I have had on this section, in my view it is only a miracle that a cyclist have not yet been knocked down or driven over.

 

With the 2014 election year in mind and politicians promising the earth I thought it may be an ideal opportunity to request my DA ward Councillor (Welgemoed) to address the issue.

Wrote her an email, 4 days goes past and no response, dropped her another email this morning and informed her to watch the social media, within one minute I received a call from her, her opening words were "now you are threatening me", I managed to calm her down, it's just amazing how sensitive the politicians are for negative press in an election year.

 

The long and the short is that the message I got from her is that she would support a cycling path but there is very little money, most of it being spent on people who don't pay taxes...

 

My request to you.

If you cycle on this road and support the initiative to put pressure on the DA lead municipality, then please raise the matter on whatever social media you prefer.

Use the Hub, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

 

If we stand together and enough of us raise the flag then maybe we can convince the politicians to listen to us and to divert some money back to the community who actually pay taxes and rates.

[Skubarra]

Yes that stretch is particular dangerous.

 

My understanding of the setup might not be 100% correct here but I think one problem you might have is that that stretch of road is a "temporary road", ie temporarily ceded by the farmer to the city but in the long run the Tygervalley road is supposed to link up directly with St. Johns road, i.e. go above the vineyards next to Durbanville Hills. (which is why the current road also doesn't have streetlights). So there might be restrictions on how much the city are allowed to develop the road / or would be willing to spend on a "temporary" arrangement.

 

Again, I might have the story wrong, but I agree that that section is an accident waiting to happen.

[Reg Lizard]

I now that a section of that road is under provincial authority and there are plans that the future planned road network in the area will be built soon- the new road will eventually link-up with St Johns robot. So maybe they can incorporate a cycle path in their planning

[Reg Lizard]

...and btw drop auntie Helen a tweet

[Loupie]

Do you perhaps have a twitter handle for said person?

Edited February 13, 2014 by Loupie

[Dazshell]

Do you perhaps have a twitter handle for said person?

@Godzille

[Loupie]

@Godzille

 

Apologies...should have been more specific... I've got auntie zille on the twitbox, but does the local ward auntie have a handle?

[nimthor]

Apologies...should have been more specific... I've got auntie zille on the twitbox, but does the local ward auntie have a handle?

@helenzille

 

I know there was plans to develop the vinyards between Van Riebeeckshof and the Protea Hotel into a business/residential area and extend the road from Jip De Jager to where that Pampoenkraal dirt road comes out, dual caridge all the way up to the robot at the M13, but that was out for punlic comment a good few years back (2-3 years if I remeber correctly).

[ccc2]

i refuse to ride that road - never had an incident but its just too narrow. a bike path would be briliant - it woud be a round trip of 40 kms for me - home to home - which is perfect for training in winter.

[grumpy]

Apologies...should have been more specific... I've got auntie zille on the twitbox, but does the local ward auntie have a handle?

Andrea Crous

[FrankTank]

I saw today they are busy resurfacing Tygervalley Road (M31) past the trees. But the dangerously narrow road with no shoulder is not being made an inch wider. In fact at some part it is narrower than before, as evident by the old road surface sticking out on the side.

 

Hope something can be done to add a 50cm shoulder on each side of the road. Anybody with contacts please help!!! Chris Willemse Cycles maybe?

[Carmichael]

Get a mtb and tygerberg mtb club membership and skip the road and go over the farms!! much nicer

[Flowspeed]

Cycling is not only about Mountainbiking , a lot of us do both, especially the first few months of the year.

It would have been nice to have a road cycling body/club as well, to help the guys with matters like this.