Few Capetonians consider regularly travelling by bicycle, despite the obvious health and cost benefits and that bicycles can be significantly faster than cars in peak traffic.
A major problem with bike commuting is that moving through traffic is difficult and dangerous, while obstacles and uneven surfaces make pavements a frustrating and unreliable alternative. On top of this, the distances may be discouragingly far and there is the risk of bad weather, punctures, fatigue and crime.
But these issues will largely disappear as Cape Town’s Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) system is rolled out across the city, with dedicated cycle paths making cycling an option for many.
A key feature of the new IRT system is the network of dedicated bicycle and pedestrian pathways around the main bus trunk routes. The West Coast IRT starter service that will launch towards the end of 2010 features a smooth three metre wide tarred cycle path running along its entire 16km length from the city centre to the middle of Blaauberg.
To help people reach the main route, a secondary network of cycleways has also been designed for 500m along all its intersecting roads, although due to lower usage, these will generally consist only of painted cycle lanes on the existing roads. As far as possible networks like this will be extended along all IRT trunk routes as the system is expanded.
The exceptional feature of the IRT’s cycle system is that on the main routes cyclists can opt to switch to a bus to finish the journey. This provides a backup for cyclists who are not confident of their ability, or encounter a problem.
Bicycles will be allowed onto the buses, which have been designed together with the stations to make it as easy as possible to board. Some of the necessary features include wide doors and entrance gates, level boarding into the middle of the buses, and ramps leading up to the station platforms. The stations have been placed at all intersections with the route, about 600m apart. Commuters will also have the option of leaving a bicycle at lockup facilities placed within view of stations.
The bicycle lanes along IRT trunk routes are completely separate from the roadway, and therefore much safer. Extensive signage at all intersections alerts motorists to the presence of cyclists, while dedicated security guards at all stations, CCTV cameras in stations and on the route itself and 24 hour lighting also contribute to making cycling safer.
Many of the IRT’s engineers, architects and planners are cyclists themselves, and their personal insights have helped them to create a better system.
One noticeable enhancement on the bicycle lane is that the surface changes as it approaches intersections from about 20m, then changes again in the area immediately surrounding the intersection. These subtle variations, together with warning and yield signs, provide a clear signal that pedestrians or vehicles may be present in the area, particularly as cyclists could be travelling up to 25km an hour along some stretches.
The concept of transition zones leading to intersections was borrowed from South American cities, but has been developed further by local designers. Jaco Jordaan, a landscape architect who designed the upgrades to the areas around the IRT stations is an avid cyclist who commutes to work along the route he is working on, and used this experience to perfect the details of the how the cycle route goes through intersections. As one of his colleagues, a fellow cyclist, describes it, “Jaco lives and breathes the route”.
The focus on cycling also resulted in a decision to alter the design of the IRT infrastructure around the Civic Centre to allow for the start of the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour. In particular, the raised concrete bumps that usually separate the red busway from normal traffic lanes have been permanently removed here to prevent injuries during the large batch starts on Hertzog Boulevard.