Tembisa commuters

[kosmonooit]

I drove out to Midrand from Jhb via the Tembisa road this bright and sunny early morning, and was very impressed to see the numbers of commuters heading south out of Tembisa towards Modders. They were mainly using the yellow verge on the one side of the road (facing traffic)

 

Bikes of all types, and almost all male, but there you go, no fancy bike lanes or show-case bridges, love-me-tenders, or hoo-ha, just a busy stream of commuters on two wheels, pedal-power style. Great to see, Happening elsewhere?

[Wayne Potgieter]

Were they riding two abreast?

 

 

Grabs hat and runs.

[kosmonooit]

yea, and facing the traffic, but I ride like that too, for good reason.

[Uni]

I use that route often, cool things I've noticed, over time more of them are wearing helmets, in one section there's a homeless guy wondering around digging through garbage etc, I see many slow down to greet the guy. I see guys stop to help each other when they have mechanicals. It is great.

[DIPSLICK]

All my factory guys who commute, ride into on coming traffic,,,,,,,

 

I will just leave that one THERE

[Uni]

All my factory guys who commute, ride into on coming traffic,,,,,,,

 

I will just leave that one THERE

On that road if they didn't ride into oncoming traffic they'd be wiped out by taxis. The yellow lane is probably about 3m in places, it works... Case of without too much rules, people are able to just work together. They even have a system for faster moving guys to pass them on the left

[DIPSLICK]

Loooong time ago I had a FRIENDLY ENCOUNTER head on, on a busy road sorry he almost got me killed, luckily I managed to stay up, him not so much, I get it when there is a wide yellow, but COME AT ME ON a narrow road you getting a elbow/shoulder I got a wife 2 kids and a ex to support I'm not getting taken out by a car because someone doesn't know RHT FROM LEFT

[BarHugger]

....same situation from and to Mamelodi every day.......only problem is that there is no real shoulder to use......and the small sections that are available are being used by Taxis as a high speed overtaking lane......scary stuff

[DIPSLICK]

We need wider shoulders no doubt

[nathrix]

There are 100s of bicycle commuters daily between Olivenhoutbosch and Midrand on Garden/7th Rd (passing Adcock Ingram) as well as Whisken (passing Papachinos) and New Rd. Seen some commuting and strapping/holding stuff i thought impossible to be "loaded" on a bicycle!

[Uni]

There are 100s of bicycle commuters daily between Olivenhoutbosch and Midrand on Garden/7th Rd (passing Adcock Ingram) as well as Whisken (passing Papachinos) and New Rd. Seen some commuting and strapping/holding stuff i thought impossible to be "loaded" on a bicycle!

Garden/7th is a nightmare as it's a single lane road, guys against traffic, with traffic, both sides of the road, I have close shaves with oncoming cars often when we're both trying to pass cyclist on either side simultaneously. Thing is most of these guys are on mtbs and there's a huge pavement for them to ride on but I guess it's easier on the tar. When I work late it's another gauntlet in the dark with these guys. Some don't even have reflectors.

 

[Stretch]

I think its fantastic to see cycling commuters...but it also critical that it is safe for commuters and car drivers...We all know the govt wont do anything to help...how can we get an appeal to business...and how big a stretch are we talking about here? cycling lanes in these areas are more critical in my opinion

[BarHugger]

We need wider shoulders no doubt

 

.......agree completely......I need wider shoulders to carry the bike more easily........see VA has a sales promotion going.......winter time is tough for the gims (ooops, off-topic, me smelly mud paste)

[kosmonooit]

As Uni mentioned, the verge on the road there is very wide, so the stream of cyclists does not interfere with the road traffic, regardless of their direction. IMO cycling facing the traffic (on the verge) is much safer for you since you can see your enemy coming, but obviously in the road proper is another story.

 

The thing about cycle lanes is I believe a lot can be done to establish them in places like this, without spending train-loads of public funds, but this requires some resourceful and lateral thinking. Instead what is happening is big show-case schemes with fancy bridges etc, all nice work for contractors and assorted schemers in favour.

 

Instead I say they should study existing and emerging commuting paths and enhance them for cyclists, like marking off cycle lanes, separating them for the roads by raised concrete rubble strips (or the like), also establish paths on pavements where possible, mark of road crossings with yield or stop-on-demand traffic lights, ensure there is at least a verge for cyclists to use etc etc

 

Instead they have projects which are cap-ex intensive and could well be irrelevant white elephants. That's my view after attending the Cycling Indaba a few months ago.

 

'We' should lobby for them to do what is relevant, appropriate and in need.

Edited June 4, 2014 by kosmonooit

[Pieterg]

Cycle lines Please all over SA