STAFF REPORTER
So said councillor Marcelle Ravid, who feels that despite construction and teething problems which are bound to be around for the next year or two, in the long run the areas in the vicinity of the bus route will benefit from the huge upgrades of facilities, including Paterson Park.
“There are problems with construction of the bus route which have resulted in diversions through side streets, but the Johannesburg Metro Police Department has responded well. Every day officers sit on the corner of Hope and Osborne Roads because taxis travel down the one-way and on pavements, so they are making an effort,” she said.
Another concern is that Louis Botha is narrow and there will be problems if a car breaks down in the single lane next to the bus route. She is also questioning how businesses are going to off-load stock without blocking the entire lane of traffic.
Yet a further concern is the 2,2 km hiatus along Louis Botha between Fir Street and Louis Road along Louis Botha which excludes surrounding residents from this access and will bypass the entire shopping strip along the street.
“At no point nearby will passengers be able to disembark to do shopping, visit the vet, library or community centre and return home. This will put all businesses in the area at a disadvantage and defeat the objective of a BRT system. One of the key factors behind the planning of the Bus Rapid Transit system is the proximity between stations. This makes access by foot comfortable for anyone living in the area,” she said.
However, there will be many benefits, she said.
“Louis Botha was very much in need of rejuvenation, and I believe this bus route will bring this about. There are huge plans for the Paterson Park area which will include a new swimming pool, new soccer fields and other recreational facilities, so, on the whole, I do believe it is a positive development for all the immediate areas,” she said.
Earlier this year the City of Johannesburg commissioned a number of estate agents in the area to find willing sellers of properties along the route for densification.
This caused great alarm as the agents did not tell the owners that the city was the buyer. The city later apologised, saying it did not want to push the prices up.
Properties along the route would increase in value as they will receive additional rights for densification.
The city is looking at options for the elderly who do not want to sell and want to remain in their houses. The city is investigating schemes such as entering a lease-back agreement at a nominal value for those over 70, as well as a guarantee of a reasonable period to move out, possibly a year, should the property be needed for development.
All properties along the route are being looked at, not only necessarily residential ones.
Wynberg will not be affected as the city wants to keep it as an industrial/business node.
The developments would be taking place mainly around the stations to encourage people to walk and cycle.
Heritage buildings such as the Doll House and Radium Beer Hall will be preserved and protected, she said.
Fed Up
Nov 19, 2014 at 3:39 pm
‘Wouldn’t it be nice if, for once, plain language were used instead of jargon to confuse people?
Let’s try…
Densification: Low-cost housing for hordes of \”previously disadvantaged\” people.
…options for the elderly who do not want to sell… The city will shove out all the people who developed the area and bring in all those who will destroy it.
Apart from the problems already mentioned, what sort of infrastructure development is planned to cater for all these \”densified\” properties?
These areas already suffer regular power outages; where is the additional power coming from to meet the increased demand?
Why could Louis Botha not be repaired and maintained, and Paterson Park not be developed, without the bus service?’
Some Body
Nov 19, 2014 at 11:06 pm
‘I’m confused… if Councillor Ravid has so many concerns, why did she support the project so enthusiastically when it was first discussed?
Nobody I know who lives around Louis Botha thinks the bus route is a good idea.
All that will happen is Louis Botha will be even more congested and dangerous than it is already, side roads (eg 8th Ave and 9th Ave in Orange Grove) will become deathtraps as the taxis race along them to avoid the congestion, and property values will plummet as the city pursues its \”densification\” project.’
Marcelle Ravid
Nov 20, 2014 at 11:49 am
‘Not everything I said to the reporter is in the article. I don’t love the BRT but we are stuck with it. It was a political decision made by the \”powers that be\” and we have to try mitigate the problems. In the long run, I do think it will re-invent the Orange Grove area. Remember, the taxis come off the bus route. The main object is to get people out of cars and into buses. If it is done right it could work like it does all over the world. 6th and 8th Avenues are going to get speed humps and perhaps robots. The exit to Orange Grove from Goodman Terrace will be re-designed to allow a right turn. The City of Johannesburg received money from National Treasury for these investments as it fits in the with government policies of changing Apartheid planning. ‘
anthony bass
Nov 23, 2014 at 11:11 am
‘this is going to cause much more difficulties than it will do good. Louis Botha has been the main road North for more than ONE HUNDRED years but the municipality has decided that its not really a major route anymore. Really!! anyone who uses empire road at any time will know what a shambles it has created on that through road. The buses will use the road for for about eight hours aday of which only about 10% of that time will busses physically be ON the road rest of the time it will be vacant,just like empire road,EXCEPT, empire is abut four times the width of Louis Botha and carries about the same amount of traffic, but, Louis Botha caries about fifty times more taxi traffic for about foutreen hours a day. So if one taxi stops to pick or off load, CHAOS. Forward planning , really, what colour glasses are these idiots wearing.’
Some Body
Nov 27, 2014 at 5:10 pm
‘Councillor Ravid said: \”6th [sic] and 8th Avenues are going to get speed humps and perhaps robots.\”
What about the other avenues? 9th Ave has a robots and speed humps. 12th Avenue has speed humps and a traffic circle. So the taxis that used to use those routes race along 10th Ave and 11th Ave instead. And now they are going to add the Louis Botha taxis to the mix…
Was that problem ever raised or considered?’
mutahi
Nov 8, 2016 at 5:22 am
‘Methinks this is a brilliant idea. I live along Louis Botha and it’s dead. A breath of life is welcome. Oh and organised public transport.’