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Wednesday 29 February 2012
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) Paarden Island bridge ‘the key’
Congestion solution? LEON STEENKAMP
Lane changes and closures are a common site in Table View these days. Desperate to find a solution for the traffic congestion problem in the area, a local ward councillor has proposed a road change of her own. Heather Brenner, councillor for Ward 107 and chairperson of the Blaauwberg Subcouncil, submitted a notice of motion during last week’s subcouncil meeting. The motion is a proposal to change the lanes across the Paarden Island bridge to benefit traffic flow during morning rush hour. “A history of inadequate road planning along with massive development has resulted in the traffic congestion experienced in the Blaauwberg region,” Brenner said in her motivation. She added that while the anticipated Sandown Link to the N7 and the new MyCiTi public transport system are moves to address the traffic problem it will still not be adequate given the expansion and development of the area. “It will be another two years before the Sandown Link is functional – even if construction commenced immediately ... ” she said. She added that the road construction work currently under way to expand the Integrated Rapid Transport (IRT) system along Blaauwberg Road and soon on Potsdam Road will only worsen the traffic situation, and lead to more frustration for commuters. “My proposal of making two southbound lanes at the Marine Drive/R27 (Paarden Island) bottleneck bridge over and onto the N1 is not new, but I believe it must be considered now as an interim move towards relief for our motorists,”
Western Cape premier Helen Zille leads a group of cyclists during the MyCiTi bus race that took place last week Wednesday. The aim of the race was to illustrate how taking the MyCiTi bus or cycling to the CBD from Table View is less frustrating than driving a car in peak traffic. The MyCiTi bus with local ward councillor Joy McCarthy as a passenger arrived in town first in just 40 minutes. The cyclists arrived nine minutes later whilst deputy mayor, Alderman Ian Neilson arrived there in 57 minutes in his own private car. Photo: Leon Steenkamp Brenner said, adding that only minor engineering would be required to achieve this. The proposal involves the closure of the Paarden Island bridge to N1 southbound traffic wanting to access the Marine Drive/R27. “But these could be directed to the next (Woodstock) left off-ramp where minor engineering works would facilitate their right (west) turn over the N1, back onto the N1 where they could take the left
(northbound) off-ramp onto the R27.” Brenner reiterated that this proposal would involve minimal engineering and also provide a cost-effective and immediate solution to the problem. “It could be considered either as a morning peak hour implementation or as a full-time re-routing,” she suggested. Brenner said she was aware of plans for major road changes in the
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time change to the road infrastructure. Subcouncil manager Peter Deacon confirmed that the motion and a descriptive schematic were indeed delivered to Melissa Whitehead, executive director of transport, roads and stormwater department yesterday. “It will be up to her to compile a report on the feasibility of such a project,” Deacon said – this could take up to three months.
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Paarden Island/N1 area that will produce a state-of-the-art solution to prevailing traffic problems. “But these plans are way down the line and costly. We in Blaauwberg need a solution now.” Brenner asked that a report be made to the local subcouncil on the feasibility of such a project. The motion was accepted by the subcouncil committee with Councillor Cynthia Clayton suggesting that this be investigated as a full-
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