Greater Johannesburg Area Transportation Study Volume 2
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
^ S ( a GREATER JOHANNESBURG AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY VOLUME 2: THE PLAN CITY ENGINEER'S DEPARTMENT JA N U A R Y 1970 p n . e>. GREATER JOHANNESBURG AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY VOLUME 2: THE PLAN CITY ENGINEER'S DEPARTMENT JA N U A R Y 1970 * CITY ENGINEERS FOREWORD The first point I wish to make in introducing this report is that it is based on facts. It is the result of four years of intensive study of all aspects of the structure of the Study Area and the movements of its people and vehicles. The statistical date for relating the basic data was the 31st December 1965 and the projections relate to the end of 1985. The updating of the data since 31st December 1965 indicate that the projections are realistic and if anything, conservative. Unless there is a major crisis such as a World War or an economic recession of major proportions prior to 1985 the proposals recommended in this report must be implemented. The proposals are disturbing in their magnitude - physically, what initially they will do to the structure of Johannesburg and finan cially in respect of the globular sums of money required to implement the projects. To the layman and particularly those whose properties will be affected, the proposals will be frightening and the query will be raised whether they are necessary. The facts reply firm ly in the affir mative and society must face up to the fact that its tool, the motor vehicle, is responsible. If society wishes to make an increasing use of the motor vehicle in respect of its many activities then it must face up to the conse- » quences of having to find the capital costs involved. If it does not wish to meet these costs then it must expect severe restrictions in the future on its use of the motor vehicle. % Grim as the picture is of the requirements for the end of 1985, it must be remembered that this date is only 16 years away and the compound increase of the problems after that date to the end of the century and later will make the alleviation of the chaotic conditions which will occur even more difficult and more costly. Decentralisation of the central city activities must be encouraged - but in terms of an overall Metropolitan Plan. It is doubtful whether decen tralisation will occur to any significant extent prior to 1985. Of the 16 million sq. ft increase in office space expected in the Central Area by 1985, over four million sq. ft has been erected already, several million sq. ft are in the course of construction, while numerous large projects are being planned. In all, over 10 million sq. ft of the required office space is committed in known projects. We have to face a future filled with problems and potential frustrations. In the first instance we have to obtain the assistance of the Central Government and the Province. The assistance required is manifold but financial assistance and legislation to protect the corridor routes prior to the implementation of the projects are of priority. Regional and metropolitan planning must be placed on an effective footing and the question of the authority to run the mass « transit system requires a decision. /2 In a young developing country the availability of capital funds at all levels of government is minimal. The public will be required to face up to the fact that they will have to pay for the costs through the imposition of heavier taxes. The public must be made aware of the problems, the action required to meet the problems and the implications to themselves. The success or otherwise of the implementation of the transportation plan rests in the hands of the public. B. L. LQ FFE LL CITY ENGINEER January 1970 SUMMARY OF CONTENTS „ 1. INTRODUCTION kc. Page Current World Thinking 1. Cities throughout the world are confronted with the problem of an ageing urban area with a road system designed for a past era. 1 2. Invariably action is taken only when crisis proportions have been reached. 1 3. The decision on what is to be done rests on the desires of the people who must be prepared to face up to the costs involved. 2 4. Balanced transportation plans integrating public transport and motorway proposals are essential features of trans portation plans throughout the world. 2 5. The accepted purpose of an urban motorway system is to provide safe, rapid and orderly movement of traffic. No motorway system can provide the ultimate solution to traffic problems. 3 6. Motorway standards have been increasing with time. 3 & 4 7. More use is being made overseas of airspace above motorways and below viaducts. 4 8. The current approach to motorway systems in America is based on the "Corridor" concept which meets the demands of centralisation and decentralisation. 4 9. Combined with the Urban Motorway system is the need to create an efficient arterial link system. 5 10. Parking is an essential feature of a transportation plan but the extent of parking must be curbed in city centres. 5 & 6 11. Most cities have adopted the duo rail for their rail rapid transit systems. 7 12. To date, the monorail has been used only for single purpose and has not been adopted as a mass transit medium. 7 13. Experience in other cities has revealed that the introduction of a rail rapid system requires an increase in the number of * buses operating in order to provide an efficient feeder system to stations. 7 - 14. It cannot be expected that any revolutionary form of mass transit media can be expected in the foreseeable future. 8 (i) PaEe 15. Even with trends throughout the world to decentralise, the central areas remain the largest single employ ment area. 9 16. Maximum conflict between the pedestrian and motor vehicles exists in central areas and many cities have taken action to separate the two. 9 17. Of the various means cone eived to avoid congestion created by motor vehicles in central areas the control of parking garages and their parking fee structures appear to be the most practical. 9 18. A public transport system can serve efficiently only such areas where there are reasonable densities of population and large work areas. 9 19. Transportation and land use planning must be com pletely integrated and ideally this should be on a metropolitan basis. 10 20. Considerable financial aid is given by higher autho rities elsewhere for the implementation of transpor tation plans. 10 21. Buchanan in his report on Traffic in Towns has stressed that if society wishes to use its motor vehicle to an increasing extent then society must be prepared to pay for this choice. 11 The Problems Confronting Johannesburg 22. Johannesburg, the centre of the richest region in the Republic and of a virile metropolitan area bursting with development, has the problem that all roads lead to it and particularly to its central area. 12 23. Johannesburg has the problem of commuting movements from its twin city Soweto. 12 24. Expenditure on development by the private sector is soaring while that of the Council is, and has been for several decades, severely restricted. 12 25. The lack of appreciation of the city's transportation problems by higher authorities linked with a lack of finance are the greatest problems which confront - Johannesburg. 12 26. Johannesburg possesses acute deficiencies in respect of its present road system, its public transport system and its parking facilities. Man power shortage provides a real problem. 12 (ii) P a fie 27. The total population of the Study Area will increase from the 1965 figure of 1. 27 million all races by 1. 6 times to 2. 046 million in 1985 but the vehicle growth will increase still more by a factor of 2. 55 times for the Whites and 5. 81 times for the non-Whites. 13 28. Vehicle trips made by Whites are expected to grow by a factor in excess of 2. 5 and volumes entering the municipal area from the north has increased at an average annual growth rate of ll|% . See Table 1. 2 14 & 15 29. Natural and man-made topographical features dictate the location of the corridor routes and many valuable properties will be affected. 16 30. The lowering of standards of the motorway in order to avoid properties which may be valuable now and not necessarily so in the future is unacceptable. 16. 31. The question is posed regarding Johannesburg's future whether it will be one of excessive centra lisation or of planned decentralisation and the latter is accepted as the logical. 17 32. If and when decentralisation occurs the problems of movement of Bantu workers are outlined and the question is posed (a) Where are the extra 400 000 Bantu expected by 1985 to be housed and (b) Who will be responsible for their transportation? 18 & 19 33. Attention is drawn to the manner in which residential areas will be affected by transportation proposals and to the need for the Council to take action now for the families which will be displaced. 19 & 20 34. The metropolitan problems and the heavy burden the ratepayers of Johannesburg have to carry is a disturbing factor. 20 2. GOAL OBJECTIVE AND PRINCIPLES 35. These are of vital importance and they cannot be summarised without losing their basic quality and value. 22 - 26 3. TRANSPORTATION PLAN OPTIONS 36. Modal Split Options There are four modal split options namely (1) allow free modal choice or (2) allow no modal choice or (3) accept a modal choice between the above two or (4) do nothing.