City to plant 115 new trees as part of roll-out of MyCiTi service in Claremont
01 April 2025
The City of Cape Town will plant 115 new trees and 18 palms along Imam Haron (M24) and Chicester Roads in Claremont to replace the trees that need to be removed for the new MyCiTi bus service infrastructure.
The construction work related to the roll-out of the MyCiTi bus service to Claremont commenced last month, including the setup of the contractor’s site camp.
The City is aware of concerns raised by some local residents, and stakeholders about the removal of established trees along the medians and within the road reserves to make way for the public transport lanes, bus stops, and walking and cycling lanes along Imam Haron and Chichester Roads.
It is important to state the following:
The City will plant 115 new trees once the infrastructure is in place; this is included in the landscaping plan that was submitted as part of the environmental approvals for this project
The City will plant 18 Canary Island date palms, seven of which are transplants from other locations; they are well suited to this area
A variety of grasses, shrubs and groundcovers will be planted as well. These offer a variety of ecological, aesthetic and practical benefits, and will help create a well-balanced landscape that is easy to maintain, supports biodiversity, and is sustainable. Grasses, shrubs and groundcovers are resilient to weather extremes such as drought or heavy rainfall events, are visually appealing and inviting to people, and supportive of the local ecosystem by providing shelter and food for various bird and insect species
178 trees, amongst which Gum trees, Cape Ash trees, Wild plums, Cottonwood, Beefwood, White Karee, Chinese banyan, Karee, Plane trees, Oak trees are being removed. Unfortunately, these trees cannot be pruned or cut back as they are located where the new infrastructure will be built
57 of these trees – thus, one out of every three – are in a poor condition with dead or dying branches, discoloured leaves, cracked or pealing bark, leaning or unstable growth, and holes or cavities in the trunk
Two of the trees are invasive species, namely a Port Jackson and Syringa berry tree
Some of the trees can be relocated and replanted, and the community is encouraged to raise funding for such an effort, should they so wish
‘A City contractor undertook a full assessment of the vegetation where the new public transport infrastructure will be constructed in Claremont, including the type and condition of the trees. These trees are mapped, and every effort was done to limit the number of removals as far as possible, because we are well aware of the importance of keeping the neighbourhood green and shady, and respect the value these trees add to Claremont’s look and feel, and local character.
‘I encourage residents and stakeholders to please consider relocating some of the affected trees to other areas within Claremont. The contracted landscaper will be able to advise on which trees are the most suitable for relocation. As much as the City cannot fund the relocation, we will try and see how best we can advise the community,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.
The roadworks in Claremont covers a distance of about 2,7km; and if all goes as planned, the project should be completed by December 2027.
‘This is by far one of the most challenging sections of roadway to be affected as part of the roll-out of the second phase of the MyCiTi bus service to connect commuters from Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha with Claremont and Wynberg. The City’s investment in expanding the MyCiTi footprint is the biggest by any South African city to date in improving urban mobility. It is a mammoth undertaking, and we need the local community’s support to complete this project on time,’ said Councillor Quintas.
• A public meeting about the roadworks has been scheduled for 17:00 to 18:30 on Tuesday, 15 April 2025, at the Claremont Civic Centre. The landscaping plan will be presented at this meeting as well, and residents are encouraged to attend.
Project detail:
Reconstruction of the westbound and eastbound lanes along Stanhope Road, Imam Haron Road (M24) and Chichester Road; including turning lanes at Claremont Boulevard, Palmyra Road, Ravensworth Road, 2nd Avenue/Livingstone Road, Third Avenue and Doncaster Road
Construction of red bus lanes in the median of Claremont Boulevard, Stanhope Road, Imam Haron Road and Chichester Road
Construction of a turnaround facility for buses along Garfield Road at the Kenilworth Centre
New walking and cycling lanes
Widening of the Stanhope railway bridge – including the construction of new concrete retaining walls to accommodate the widening of Stanhope Road
Extension of the Black River canal culvert
Relocation and upgrading of water mains and sewer lines, and other services infrastructure
Installation of new street lighting
New traffic signals at the upgraded intersections
The project includes seven permanent road closures at intersections along Imam Haron Road and five at intersections along Chichester Road as approved by the City Council in December 2023 after a public participation process
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
