Eco Mobility World Festival Briefing
Agenda
• Why the EcoMobility Festival and what we seek to achieve? • Legacy projects • International exhibition • Festival events • EcoMobility dialogues • Way forward and next steps
Why the Eco-Mobility Festival: Shifting mind sets, shifting modes • Significant changes are coming to Sandton, Alexandra and the surrounding areas with the introduction of Rea Vaya infrastructure to make public transport, walking and cycling easier, safer and more affordable – However introducing more public transport or cycle lanes will not necessarily mean that people will get out of their cars to use public transport or cycle
• The City also needs to enable and support behavioural change including through: – Providing high quality public transport information – Making sure using these modes are safe through enforcement and awareness – Activations and campaigns One key initiative to shift mind sets and modes will be the month long Eco-Mobility Festival in October 2015
• Rea Vaya bus services • Metrobus restructuring and recapitalisation • Park and rides • Bike share schemes
Behavioural change
• Rea Vaya BRT • Cycle lanes • Public transport lanes • Wider sidewalks • Public transport facilities: Interchanges, ranks, stations and stops
Operational changes
Infrastructural changes
Making public transport, walking and cycling the mode of choice
• Eco-mobility Festival • Freedom Rides • Ride sharing • Corporate travel plans • Open streets
And we want to keep building a Great Joburg where people want to live, play and work!
This involves getting residents together – out of gated communities and social isolation – on to the streets and into public and open spaces
Where does the Eco Mobility Festival come from? The EcoMobility World Festival concept was initiated by ICLEI to show that an urban Eco mobile lifestyle can be implemented in cities all over the world by temporarily transforming a neighbourhood to demonstrate an innovative and forward thinking urban transportation culture. This is why the City is partnering with ICLEI on this Festival
What do we want to achieve? • Enable behavioural change by showing that using car free methods of transport (walking, cycling, public transport ) is feasible, doable and has many positive impacts on commuters, the City and the environment • Envisage the future by showing today what we are working towards in the future and in particular to showcase and launch the public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure that we are introducing to the Sandton CBD, Alexandra and surrounding areas between now and 2017. • Contribute to making Joburg a cycling friendly city – where there can be cycling for all through profiling dedicated cycling lanes and hosting fun events such as the Freedom Ride to encourage all residents to cycle • Focus on the imperative for climate change and the role that sustainable transport and individual actions of citizens can play in securing a future for the next generation • Show case the City of Johannesburg’s initiatives to promote sustainable
Where are we holding the EcoMobility Festival? • The City and ICLEI have chosen the Sandton CBD as the place to be converted into an “Eco mobile neighbourhood” for the month of October 2015. • Certain roads will be closed off. Instead of driving private cars, residents and workers will be enabled to make their daily commute to work or school, shops or leisure activities using a combination of their feet, pedal power and public transport. • The City will ensure that there is adequate alternative transport and that freight deliveries and emergency services are provided for.
Proposed festival area
What does the Festival involve? • Be eco-mobile, use public transport, cycle or walk to and in Sandton: A month long closure of certain streets in Sandton • Ways to be car free and eco-mobile: The hosting of an International Exhibition where South Africans will be exposed to local innovation and international trends and innovation in respect of sustainable ways of movement such as electric vehicles and pedi cabs • Turning Sandton inside out: Cycle rides, fun runs, pop up parks and restaurants, music and food festivals along the streets that will be closed. • Leaving a legacy: In addition to the Rea Vaya infrastructure for walking, cycling and public transport we are hoping through partnerships to donate significant bikes to learners in surrounding communities and create pop up parks and similar in open spaces.
Who are our partners? • Our key partners are: – ICLEI, Local Governments for Sustainability who have arranged the first International Festival in Suwon, South Korea in 2013 – South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) who will be arranging the EcoMobility International Exhibition – University of Johannesburg who will be assisting with the EcoMobility dialogues
• We are however talking to a number of other companies and international organisations to partner with us including: – Discovery on a Dual Athlon (cycling and walking) – C40 and Bloomberg Foundation on a clean bus fleet seminar
LEGACY PROJECTS
Rea Vaya BRT infrastructure • BRT lanes and stations in the middle of the road: – Louis Botha Ave from Hillbrow to Marlboro – Katherine Ave from Marlboro to Sandton – Gautrain Station
• New bridge over M1 at Lees Street • Upgrading of surrounding roads and intersections
Rea Vaya public transport infrastructure • Public transport loop: Dedicated lane along the curb with attractive stops and shelters: Rivonia, Fredman, 5th Street • Sandton Gautrain Station to include taxi rank and metered taxi holding and new taxi holding facilities cnr West and Katherine • Public transport interchange next to Pan Africa in Alexandra
Rea Vaya walking and cycling infrastructure • “Great Walk” – 5 km dedicated pedestrian and walking lane from centre of Alex to centre of Sandton CBD with dedicated bridge over M1 at Grayston off ramp • Public environment upgrade of 30 km of sidewalks in Alexandra
• Cycle lanes in Sandton: Maude, West and Alice • Dedicated cycle lanes from Rosebank to Sandton
Sandton CDB transport plan
CODE RED: Rea Vaya BRT in the median PINK and PURPLE: Public transport lanes for buses and mini bus taxis – curb side LIGHT BLUE: Private car mobility YELLOW: Cycle lanes GREEN: Walking priority
Legacy cycling projects • We are in discussion with partners about: – Bike sharing schemes (Cycology in the Sandton CBD) – Donating bikes to learners in Alexandra and Diepsloot (Qhubeka, Freedom Ride)
• We would also like to explore partnerships for bike ‘micro-financing’, introducing more robust bikes at affordable prices
Legacy open space projects • We are seeking partners to work with local communities in Sandton and Alexandra to convert an open spaces into: – Urban farming site (even vertical) – Bike park
Legacy project timelines When
Infrastructure
Operations
September 2015
Temporary demarcation of Sandton Loop (Rivonia, Fredman, 5 th.), painted cycle lanes on Maude ,West and Alice. Possibly kerb side bus shelters along Rivonia, Fredman and 5th. Katherine Ave will still be under construction. Substantive road works along “loop� will commence after the festival.
32 new Metrobus to be introduced including on CBD to Sandton route
August 2016
Alexandra Interchange Great Walk: Alex to Sandton - including bridges
December 2016
BRT lanes from Zandspruit Bridge to Marlboro Drive along Katherine
February 2017
Completion of all BRT infrastructure
September 2017 2018
Bike donations in Alexandra, Orlando and Diepsloot
Rea Vaya BRT to start operating between Sandton, Alex, CBD Rea Vaya BRT to operate to Midrand, Ivory Park, Sunninghill
Randburg trunk route
Rea Vaya services to Randburg CBD
INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
What will the Exhibition involve? • Historical overview; • Static display of eco-mobile vehicles • Test track • Online exhibition • Interactive events e.g. go kart racing.
Test track and inter-active events A section of the closed off streets will be demarcated to be a test track where members of the public can test ride various EcoMobility vehicles
Proposed interactive events include: o Corporate go cart racing every Friday o Stem cart road safety awareness for children over weekends We are seeking sponsorship and partners for this
FESTIVAL EVENTS
Month long events Event
Description
Daily walks, aerobics and cycling along closed off streets
This will be part of the City’s Go Jozi campaign to encourage residents to embrace a healthy life style
Creative arts
We are planning to partner with arts and cultural organisations to have public art, street theatre etc.. along the closed off streets on a daily basis. The theme of the creative arts should be ecomobility, sustainability etc.. We are also going to work with Eco Guides and the Education Department to involve schools in this as well
Walking and cycling We are partnering with Joburg Tourism Company tours of Sandton and tourism SMME’s to offer these tours to local and Alexandra and international visitors. Youth and teen stations, kids corner
Each weekend we hope to host a centre where children and young people can learn about road safety, careers in eco-mobility etc...
All events will be in the closed off streets
Key events: 1 Date
Proposed event
1 October
Opening ceremony: This will have a high profile local and international flavour
2 – 4 October
Food and drink festival: We are looking for partner(s) who will assist us to arrange such a festival in the closed off streets. The focus should be on healthy and sustainable eating
10 October
Freedom Ride: This will be the fourth Freedom Ride – a recreational ride to promote cycling. This will be from Mandela Bridge to Mandela’s house in Soweto. The third Freedom Ride on 22nd March will include Sandton, Alex and Houghton which aims to profile this upcoming Festival
11 October
Road Safety Family Day Picnic: We are still seeking partners here and deliberating as to whether this should be in the closed off streets or at Innis Free Park
Key events: 2 Date
Proposed event
17 – 18 October
Sports weekend: We will be working with local sporting codes to bring action netball, action cricket, cycle polo, action soccer and other sports to a tournament along the closed off streets
24 October
Street Carnival: We will be working with the Gauteng Carnival organisers to bring the annual Carnival to the streets of Sandton
30 – 31 October
Music and spoken word festival: We are in discussion with partners to host this festival in the closed off streets
30 October
Critical Mass cycle: This is a cycling ride arranged by critical mass on the last Friday of every month. We will be engaging them to move the ride to Sandton for the occasion of the Festival
31 October
Closing ceremony and possible street party
EcoMobility Dialogues • These will be international and local focused dialogues encouraging dialogue between members of the public stakeholders and government leaders and officials on topics including: – Transport and climate change: with a focus on building a developing world position in preparation for COP21 in Paris in December 2015 – What is required to enable and achieve eco-mobility including looking at: • New forms of mobility (car sharing, e-hailing, ride sharing) • Role of built environment • Managing traffic congestion
• We have invited the former mayor of London, Ken Livingston and the former commissioner of transport in New York, Jannette Sadik Kahn to be part of the dialogues • The Dialogues to be held in week of 5 – 9 October and will culminate in an international Mayor’s and leaders parade
TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT PLAN
Proposed festival area
Initial plans for different streets Street
Plan
Maude Street (between Rivonia and Fifth)
Closed for private vehicles (with arrangements for deliveries, etc.) Cycle lane constructed between Rivonia and West (coming from Alexandra, via Linden)
West Street (between Rivonia and Fredman)
Closed for private vehicles (with arrangements for deliveries etc) Will be reconstructed as complete street with increased sidewalks, cycle lanes, street furniture)
Rivonia, Fredman, Fifth
Temporary public transport loop - curb side, mostly one lane to be taken away, sometimes more to accommodate increased numbers of pedestrian Remainder of road will be open for vehicular traffic Pop up landscaping, bus stops and shelters for public transport users
Alice Lane
Closed for private vehicles (with arrangements for deliveries etc) To be used for test track for Exhibition
Gwen Lane
Closed for private vehicles (with arrangements for deliveries etc) To be used for food festival and other street activities.
Transport arrangements • We have just completed a traffic impact assessment which indicates that what we plan to do is doable. • We have gone out on open tender for a service provider to develop and implement a transport management plan including: – Alternative arrangements in respect of private vehicles, delivery, public transport and pedestrian movements; – Public transport including changes to public transport routes and services are required, the contracting of additional services and alternative offerings such as pedi cabs. – Additional temporary or minor infrastructure changes and maintenance which would be required e.g. sidewalk repairs, and changes to traffic signalling – Traffic flow management for the duration of the road closures – Signage for vehicular and pedestrian traffic e.g. directional signage to events and Park and Rides and alternative parking facilities, place making – Monitoring and evaluation – Restoration and legacy plan for when the Festival is over.
Transport arrangements • Based on the TIA we will ensure that we can replace the ‘private car seats’ with sufficient ‘alternative seats’ including through: – Park and Rides in nearby areas and transport with tuk tuks, pedicabs and electric vehicles – Additional public transport including new Metrobuses – Newly constructed and pop up cycle lanes.
• Arrangements will be made for deliveries, waste removal, emergency vehicles and persons with disability.
Next steps • Public launch on 17th March • Freedom Ride on 22nd March 7:30 am from Gautrain Station • Detailed consultations with affected property owners and tenants • Public meeting • Finalisation of transport plan based on the above • Public call for participation and partnership • Festival: 1 – 30 October 2015