Mayor Mashaba to abandon bicycle lanes...

[Tumbleweed]

This is where my new (just conceived and yet to be built) Urban bike with sharp spikes on the pedals and flat bars without end caps so that if have to swerve out at the last minute it will put a regrettable scratch down the side of any car parked like that.

 

Jislaaaik, sorry man. I just didn't see you until the last minute as I could not be expected to look out for a car parked in a cycle lane........

Are you one of those Jozi Hustle racers ...?

[mazambaan]

Well I see Mr Mashaba's cancellation of cycle lane building made the BBC news; and that is not the Black Bizniz Council, for the insular.

[GaryvdM]

One thing that just struck me. Halting the installations of bike lane on old road infrastructure is understandable. But I think that we as the cycling community should keep up pressure to ask for bike lanes to be put in on new road infrastructure and road infrastructure that is being overhauled any way.

[Edition 507]

Are you one of those Jozi Hustle racers ...?

I object to the tone that this was typed in

[eddy]

Are you one of those Jozi Hustle racers ...?

Just once. That was enough.

 

I have decided to emigrate to North Korea to start up an opposition party as a lower risk alternative.

[scotty]

Not necessarily, but I would, however, like to know how much is left, how much is tied up in contracted expenditure, and how much pulling the plug on whatever is already in motion will cost in the long run?

Lol, diplomatic as ever 

 

Anyhow this debate appears to be going round in circles and I'm tiring of it so I'm bowing out with the following regards the poorly thought out and planned cycle lane white elephant.

 

Go Mashabe. 

[Anton Earle]

I am disappointed to note that one of the first things Mayor of Joburg Herman Mashaba has announced is the cancellation of the bicycle lanes project - see http://ewn.co.za/2016/09/13/Herman-Mashaba-puts-brakes-on-bicycle-lanes-project

 

I can understand his rationale that the focus should be on providing services for the poorest parts of the city, however i feel that we (as a cycling community) have failed to make the case for the advantages cycle commuting can have on the lives of the poor. By being able to safely cycle to work people can cut down on transport costs and shorten their commuting time. Not to mention health benefits! Barriers to entry are relatively low, making this an infrastructure investment which could be enjoyed by all.

 

I participated in the Freedom Challenge recently and cycled from downtown JHB into Soweto and back. That made me realise that the distance is relatively short - quite manageable for most people of average fitness. What is lacking are safe bike lanes which would connect Soweto to Joburg centre. The R70 million which was budgeted for bike lanes could (if developed in the right areas) have a massive positive impact on the lives of the poor.

 

If bike lanes would appear to the mayor (and others) as a project just for the wealthy then we as a community have failed. How do we reach out and change opinion on this?

 

 

[Reinhardt89]

Noticed at the weekend around Sandton that the paint showing are the lanes where had faded. The tuk-tuks were making good use of the lanes, I must add.

If tuk-tuks are using it then it is a win. A cycle lane isn't really a cycle lane, it is a non-motorised transport lane. So anything lower than 50cc if I am not mistaken counts as NMT. E-bikes, skateboards etc included.

[Reinhardt89]

I don't get why they don't just decree that any new roads built must include a cycle Lane, and when repairing or re doing sections of road, they have to include it? Long term, the whole place would be set up with cycle lanes.

 

I'm no engineer or financial expert, but it makes the most sense in my little mind.

This. Trust me, everyone knows this. I design roads for a living and I rant about it on a daily basis. The problem is the politicians are not convnced, they still think cars and more highways are the future, because that makes people happy. And a happy citizen equals a happy politician.

[Tumbleweed]

If tuk-tuks are using it then it is a win. A cycle lane isn't really a cycle lane, it is a non-motorised transport lane. So anything lower than 50cc if I am not mistaken counts as NMT. E-bikes, skateboards etc included.

 

Not related, but I saw this around the corner from where I saw the tuk-tuks...at the library...

 

 

Actually, now that I think about it, I saw a guy in a suit with a longboard about a month back when I met my kid at the Sandton station...

[MTBc]

I think though that both DA and EFF lose sight of how a bicycle can assist a person in their ability to be active in the economy, travel to work or school and back etc.

 

Part of the drive was to upgrade the facilities for people in Alexandra to travel in to work in Sandton and surrounds more easily by bicycle and on foot. The Qhubeka project is active in Alex and complements the initiatives. Would be a pity if the bike lanes are not implemented, they would be a huge assistance (in my opinion) for these commuters.

 

Yes, these lanes would definitely help but I can't disagree with the prioritization here. R70m reallocated to basic services - I am sure the commuters would rather have running water and roofs over their heads before dedicated lanes. Hopefully they make it back onto the roadmap (pun intended) in a few years.

[kosmonooit]

The only people I ever have seen using the cycle lanes coming down from Brixton is those hard working informal sector recyclers with the low trolleys and big bags full of plastics and tins. So that is an unintended positive consequence (for the poor). These guys sometimes even roll down in the middle of the road because they are not given the birth on the side, or there is no provision (ie Munro Drive which I use daily)

 

A starting point and overall design principle for cycle lanes, especially here, is that motor traffic and cyclists are incommensurable, meaning that can not be or exist together in anyway, they lanes/roads/pathways have to be segregated.

 

I think I can say I am not alone in saying that to date, the development of cycle lanes in Jhb have not been done with proper insight, they will not encourage anyone to cycle, and for now its good that current projects are put on hold. They must go back to square one, and do some proper consulting and consultation and canvassing of input from people who are in the know. We as a community should put pressure on them in this way 1) To keep cycle lanes on the agenda 2) To do it properly

 

There so much out there

 

https://youtu.be/uiesCzZlXKY

 

 

Question I have is the R100million + that has already been spent, how was it spent? I think I can feel a PAIA coming on...

[Tumbleweed]

Question I have is the R100million + that has already been spent, how was it spent? I think I can feel a PAIA coming on...

That's partly why I can't applaud Mashaba's statement. Just like the ANC inherited apartheid, the DA gets to inherit the ANC. The mayor's announcement is empty if the money is already spent or committed to be spent. You can't save what's already forked out. Saving money for government seems to be awfully costly these days. Usually involves lawyers.

 

But, instead of halting it, instead of looking for sound bytes, which is all Mashaba was doing, rather say the cycles lanes are needed - as he did - but add that they would henceforth have to be funded by public-private initiatives as more urgent matters would require the bulk of infrastructure spend. Win-win.

[Tumbleweed]

Oops...double post

[Nayr]

Just as a matter of interest, for those that don't think people commute, there are literally hundreds of bike commuters riding from Diepsloot every morning, possibly even more than that. Most of them use the new pedestrian/bike pavements that have been tarred by the Steyn City development.

 

I have to agree that Mashaba needs to pick his battles and has done the right thing....for now. I do think that lanes would make a massive difference in a lot of peoples lives, and if they were well thought out would be massively beneficial to our traffic issues.

 

Having chatted to a number of these commuters while on the bike, they have some seriously interesting views on cycle lanes and cycle culture in general, so when Mashaba decides to re-open the project....forget calling in the so-called experts go and speak to these guys, they know what they talking about.

[kosmonooit]

Nayr that's what been said here, there are also a lot of commuters coming from Tembisa, so why didn't 'they' respond to the demand as a starting point? instead of throwing millions at the useless 'flagship' project in town/Brixton? That's the issue i have and why its good the new mayor has pulled the brakes, the people steering this project were disconnected from reality, and what they have done is  frigging mess.