Proposal to turn Queen Victoria into a one-way street
10 February 2021
The City of Cape Town proposes to convert Queen Victoria Street in the Cape Town central business district into a one-way street in the direction of Wale Street towards Orange Street. Residents are invited to please comment on this proposal as from 11 February to 11 March 2021.
Over the years, the City has received numerous complaints about congestion along Queen Victoria Street which runs past the Western Cape High Court, the South African Museum, Planetarium, and Company’s Garden. Side-swipe accidents often occur along this street, largely due to the limited space available to passing traffic when the on-street parking bays are filled, and the frequency of large tour buses using this route during the tourist season.
‘Our traffic engineers have done preliminary investigations and considered various solutions. The most feasible and easy to implement, is the proposal to turn Queen Victoria Street into a one-way, from Wale Street all the way towards the mountain where it intersects with Orange Street. Traffic flow will be improved, we will see fewer accidents as there won’t be conflict between vehicles from different directions, and pedestrians will be safer given that they will only need to negotiate traffic coming from one direction,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Alderman Felicity Purchase.
The choice of direction for the proposed one-way street is based on the following:
Bus stops are located on the left-hand side of Queen Victoria Street when travelling towards Orange Street. Thus, by turning it into a one-way street, pedestrian safety will be improved as commuters will have near-side boarding and alighting facilities, and would not need to cross the busy street
Road safety will be improved as traffic along Orange Street heading towards Buitengracht will not be permitted to turn right into Queen Victoria Street
‘We have also investigated the possible impact this proposal may have on signalised intersections in the area, taking diverted traffic into account. From our analysis the additional traffic can be accommodated with changes to the timing of signals along the affected routes,’ said Alderman Purchase.
Comments, recommendations, and input on the proposal to turn Queen Victoria Street into a one-way street can be submitted:
The closing date for submissions is 11 March 2021.
‘I urge residents, business owners, and interested parties to please participate, and to submit their comments and proposals. We want to hear from you. The Transport Directorate will consider all proposals and comments, and will make a recommendation to Council who must consider the proposal, together with a report on the comments received during the public participation period,’ said Alderman Purchase.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
