Cape Town IRT System

[capetownguy]

Please update thread title to "Cape Town Transport Investments".

 

[capetownguy]

IRT costs double

Finance Portfolio Committee gives green light to revised funding for new public transport system.

The public transport system, set to transform the way in which people travel around the city, received revised support today when the City of Cape Town’s Council Finance Portfolio Committee recommended increased project funding to commence the roll-out of the system in May next year.

Following today’s Finance Portfolio Committee meeting, the report will serve before the Transport Roads & Stormwater Committee and a full Council meeting, for approval. If approved by Council, the project budget will increase from R1.45 billion to R2.3 billion, for which funding is already available in terms of National Government Grant funding and from the City’s own resources.

Some elementsof the proposed IRT will be used to implement the 2010 Soccer World Cup Transport Plan. These elements include:[/B]

[FONT=&quot]-[/FONT]Trunk services between the Airport, the CBD at Civic Station situated below the Civic Centre and the Stadium.
[FONT=&quot]-[/FONT]An Inner City Feeder Service, around the City Bowl, the CBD, Green Point, Sea Point with links to Camps Bay and Hout Bay.
[FONT=&quot]-[/FONT]A match day shuttle service between the CBD Civic Station and the Stadium Station.
[FONT=&quot]-[/FONT]Depot facilities within the Inner City.

The Integrated Rapid Transit system (IRT) will deliver a safe, reliable world-class public transport service to the City of Cape Town.[FONT=&quot]


After the completion of the FIFA 2010 World Cup, an initial IRT service will commence:[/FONT]

-Trunk services between the Airport and the CBD.
-An Inner City Feeder Service, around the City Bowl, the CBD, Green Point, Sea Point with links to Camps Bay and Hout Bay.
-Trunk Services between the Atlantis, the CBD and Granger Bay.
-Trunk Services between the CBD and Table View (as far as Bayside Centre).

[FONT=&quot]The further rollout of the full Phase 1A service will depend on successful conclusion of negotiations with the National Government for further funding to lift the total initial project cost to a total R3.5 billion and a commitment to an ongoing annual subsidy requirement of up to R115 million after 2012.

Phase 1A includes, in addition to the above:[/FONT]
-Extension of the Table View trunk service down Blaauwberg Road and Potsdam Road to Dunoon.
-A Table View feeder service.
-An Atlantis feeder Service.

“As with any project of this size, engineers are constantly required to review costs, fine-tune budgets and make sure the funding is available to deliver what is planned,” said Kylie Hatton, City of Cape Town, Media Manager.

The project has exceeded its original estimated costs in implementation and operation due the complexities of the project including unforeseen delays and engineering requirements — ranging from infrastructure requirements to additional concrete for roads on some routes.

Achieving a balance between affordability and viability of the system is an important aspect part of the project. According to estimates put to the Finance Portfolio Committee, a subsidy of up to R115m will be required to operate the system to ensure that the IRT fares will be affordable for everyone.

It was also found that negotiations with the industry have been lengthier than expected, leading to escalating costs; and that additional security requirements for the system and other functions such as waste-management and landscaping will cost more.

Capital and Operational expenditure to date amounts to approximately R258 million. Tenders worth R860 million have been awarded, including ten civil engineering and building contracts. Tenders worth R845 million are currently being advertised or processed.

“We knew from the start that this was going to be one of the biggest projects ever undertaken by the City, including the stadium. Projects this big anywhere in the world require constant re-evaluation and refinement.

“But we are pleased that the Committee has approved these additional costs and that work is continuing rapidly on this project.

Once it has been complete the IRT will put this City’s public transport infrastructure on par with the best in the word, with huge benefits for everyone” concluded Hatton.

[FONT=&quot]The Executive Deputy Mayor, Alderman Ian Neilson said: “It is essential that Cape Town’s public transport system be modernized to enable our city to function adequately and develop optimally. Despite the much higher costs of the IRT than projected a year ago, it remains an essential step for us to take. The City is in agreement with the National and Provincial Governments on this project. However, the costs show that the City will only be able to roll out further phases of the IRT system if National Government continues to support the City financially, both for the construction of bus lanes and ongoing operational subsidies.”


End

Issued by: Communication Department, City of Cape Town

Media enquiries: Kylie Hatton, Manager: Media, Tel: 021 400 4684 or Cell: 082 874 4605

 

[capetownguy]

Update: 10 July 2009

 

[Shake&Bake]

Latest transport novelty coming to Heathrow and the UK.

Very

Don't think CT International Airport is big enough to warrant something like this, but you never know

Taxi of tomorrow: The space-age pods with no driver, no fumes... just a 'start' button

A driverless taxi has been unveiled which could make traffic jams, petrol fumes and crowded buses a thing of the past.

The futuristic pod has no driver, and no opinionated chatter to accompany your journey, but instead a button set in the wall with the word 'start' written beside it.

The four-seater cab was unveiled at the Science Museum in London yesterday and will be in use from next year taking passengers between car parks and Terminal 5.

The man behind the mission, Professor Martin Lowson, who has a background in space travel and worked on the Saturn V Rocket, said: 'They could have the same effect on transport this century as the rocket had on the 19th.'

He added: 'We believe that our PRT system can transform cities in the 21st century to provide the optimum form of environmentally friendly urban transport, relieving congestion and reducing emissions.'

The bubble-shaped taxis are battery are battery-powered and passengers select their destination from a touch screen.

They can reach speeds of up to 25mph and would travel along their own narrow road system.
Once the destination has been chosen, the control system logs the request and sends a message to the vehicle, which then follows an electronic pathway.

During the journey, a passenger can press a button to speak to the controller if necessary.

Prof Lowson has been working on the taxis with Bristol-based Advanced Transport Systems since 1995.

At Heathrow, 18 vehicles have been bought to transport passengers and their luggage from the Terminal 5 Business Car Park to the terminal, which will take between three and four minutes.

About 500,000 passengers are expected to use the Heathrow PRT system each year.
Bath and Daventry councils are considering ordering the cabs, and ATS has already received enquiries from America, the Middle East and India.

 

[capetownguy]

well cape town has secured funding for rickshaws,

 

[Shake&Bake]

well cape town has secured funding for rickshaws,

This Is Africa!

That's a moerse way off from automated, touch screen transport.

So we're importing rickshaw contractors from Durban then? :erm:

 

[capetownguy]

This Is Africa!

That's a moerse way off from automated, touch screen transport.

So we're importing rickshaw contractors from Durban then? :erm:

who knows. its just for the "vibe". there are rickshaws in cape town.

 

[capetownguy]

Airport IRT Station

 

[capetownguy]

Granger Bay Station structure is up!!

 

[Rosaudio]

awesome

 

[capetownguy]

Green Point Stadium station going up

 

[daveza]

As always I appreciate your enthusiasm and especially the graphics... but I remain somewhat of a skeptic.

Surely if you put the bus station in the middle of the road then there is already a decision as to how one reaches it without disturbing traffic or endangering lives - in other words overhead walkway access ?

I've just listened to a media report which stated that due to the restraints on the IRT system that the slack would be picked up by the train and taxi services ( as in Metrorail and Toyota taxis'...)

Please tell me this is not really what we plan to offer our international visitors.

PS: I have been extremely impressed by the Hospital Bend and Koeberg Exchange organisation - can't wait !

 

[risingtide]

I've just listened to a media report which stated that due to the restraints on the IRT system that the slack would be picked up by the train and taxi services ( as in Metrorail and Toyota taxis'...)

Please tell me this is not really what we plan to offer our international visitors.

Saw that too. They must be mad to even contemplate this.

I am afraid that after the WC the whole IRT thing will go the way of the Dodo. There is no incentive anymore to put it in afterwards.

 

[capetownguy]

Surely if you put the bus station in the middle of the road then there is already a decision as to how one reaches it without disturbing traffic or endangering lives - in other words overhead walkway access ?

I've just listened to a media report which stated that due to the restraints on the IRT system that the slack would be picked up by the train and taxi services ( as in Metrorail and Toyota taxis'...)

Please tell me this is not really what we plan to offer our international visitors.

PS: I have been extremely impressed by the Hospital Bend and Koeberg Exchange organisation - can't wait !

That will always be a challenge but there are some solutions.

At the Civic Centre Station there are existing staircases on either side of the road to move to the top of the podium, and a new staircase to link commuters to the stations, as per the graphics.

At Green Point Station, the stations link to the circle such that commuters simply move from the station below the circle.

The issues of course is the pedestrian access from the V&A side when not using Granger Bay Boulevard. Using Granger Bay Boulevard from the V&A, one can simply walk under the circle to access the station.

In some cases there are synergies e.g. at Woodstock station, where new bridges and the proximity to the rail station creates a sort of hub, easily accessible to pedestrians.

The "contingency" plan is once again due to a lack of information.

The city could have simply provided a match shuttle system using some of the 850 existing GA buses to the stadium and back..but that would have risks and would leave no legacy. Therefore with the IRT system, there would be infrastructure in place and new buses which would serve the CBD and surrounds post 2010.

The contingency plan is exactly that....a contingency documented in the Host City Operations Plan, which contrary to news reports is not dictated by FIFA but written and drawn up by the host city transport team.

It would be unwise given the May 2010 completion of the IRT match shuttle infrastructure not to have a contingency.

There would be several park and rides (both rail and bus) from various stations and areas. Of course, parking at rail stations one would need to use metrorail which would have scheduled services and services from the park and rides to the main Civic Centre station would be contracted out to existing bus/taxi operators.

I don't see why using decent taxi's in a scheduled/organized manner would be a terrible thing given the reasonable success they had during the Confed Cup.

There is also a huge link thats always missing from these articles.
So many of the non-spectator travel groups have there own transport via MATCH or FIFA etc. Its not 65,000 spectators going to the stadium but a significantly lower figure after media, vip's etc are taken into account. These groups already have their parking and coach parking requirements in place.

 

[capetownguy]

Saw that too. They must be mad to even contemplate this.

I am afraid that after the WC the whole IRT thing will go the way of the Dodo. There is no incentive anymore to put it in afterwards.

They must be mad NOT to contemplate or devise a contingency plan.

The use of existing operators is only one of the various contingencies that MUST be in place regardless of the IRT system. The IRT system only serves as the match day shuttle system to move people from the CBD to the city and to provide a service from the Airport to the CBD. Getting to the CBD one would of course need to use rail services, park and ride services, or schedule "event top up" services.

The "whole IRT thing" is a nationally mandated projects with funds in 2011 and 2012 already allocated.

The risk that the City was not willing to take, which IMO is retarded, was the risk that these national government funds would not be available post 2010 to continue Phase 1A.

As stated above, getting lots of buses and putting up temporary bus stops to move people to the stadium is something any city can do and operate. Its whether or not this actually leaves a legacy that can serve the CBD, V&A, Green Point and surrounds.

The match day shuttle system at its peak moves 20,000 per hour from the CBD to the stadium, which is only required at this service level after the match. Post 2010 this hectic service is not needed if there are no events at the stadium so:

- the 7 bendy buses go to the Bayside-CBD trunk route
- the remaining 30 IRT 120 seater buses serve the CBD and surrounds
- the 7 airport IRT buses remain as a public transport service from the airport to the cbd

 

[capetownguy]

There are also those new 30 s****y GA buses which look like something out of the first world. Its not that crazy to think that these could move spectators from the park and rides just outside the CBD to the Civic Station. Along with Jammie shuttles, decent taxi's and some more of the 850 GA buses, there is an opportunity for a wider benefit for various transport entities.

 

[daveza]

I don't see why using decent taxi's in a scheduled/organized manner would be a terrible thing given the reasonable success they had during the Confed Cup.

We don't have decent taxis which are in any way organised. We have a bunch of lawless thugs who could care less for the safety of their passengers or those who share the roads with them. The same ones who still threaten to disrupt 2010 by fair means or otherwise.

If IRT is the beginning of the end for these pond scum then I'm all for it.

 

[capetownguy]

We don't have decent taxis which are in any way organised. We have a bunch of lawless thugs who could care less for the safety of their passengers or those who share the roads with them. The same ones who still threaten to disrupt 2010 by fair means or otherwise.

If IRT is the beginning of the end for these pond scum then I'm all for it.

They don't just allow taxi's to do as they please under a contract.

They e.g. put out a tender for a taxi operator with new taxis to provide a scheduled service, not a general service.

Taxi's will NOT provide a stadium service. What is being considered is the use of a scheduled taxi service from park and rides to the Civic Station. Basically a shuttle running for a few hours from these sites to the CBD.

Alternatively they could use GA buses, but again a schedule shuttle system that the city pays for.

 

[capetownguy]

Traffic Management Centre nears completion

The City’s new Traffic Management Centre (TMC), which will handle emergencies, prevent congestion and keep motorists informed, all from one location, is on track to open early next year.

The centre, which is based in Goodwood, is the result of a partnership between the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Provincial Government and the South African National Roads Agency.

The City celebrated the sod-turning event for the TMC almost a year ago, and held a milestone celebration in October, which was Transport Month, to show stakeholders the progress.

Construction of the TMC building started on 12 January 2009 and practical completion will be on 22 November 2009 when the building will be handed over to the City of Cape Town, says the City’s Head of Transport Network Technology, Francois Nell. Occupation will be in February, once the networks, telephones and other IT related equipment have been installed, he explains. “The TMC will be fully operational on 4 May 2010, if all goes according to plan.”

The aim of the TMC is to reduce congestion on Cape Town’s roads, improve road safety and incident response, and offer live traffic updates to inform motorists and public transport services about road related events.

The TMC will serve as an information hub for the public, the police, Traffic Services and roadside emergency personnel.

It will become home to the City’s CCTV system, which will monitor incidents on the road network, and enable operators to spot and verify call-in information and avoid false alarms. With footage from the CCTV cameras, operators will be able to gauge the extent of traffic incidents and will then dispatch the appropriate response units where necessary.

In addition, the TMC will house the Freeway Management System (FMS), which will have about 200 CCTV cameras on the N1, N2 and R300 freeways alone. Together with the existing CCTV cameras already used by Metro Police, and new ones to be added as part of Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT), the total number of CCTV cameras monitored in the TMC will be more than 600.

Traffic Signal Control technology will allow for remote changes to be made to traffic signals, based on the most recent and legitimate incident information.

The Metropolitan Transport Information (MTI) Call Centre, which provides public transport information to Cape Town commuters, will also be housed in the TMC.

As part of its incident management role, the TMC will facilitate fast incident detection, verification, classification, dispatching and call-outs. Immediate dispatching will be done from the TMC with accurate incident location and descriptions.

Operators will monitor and record various responses as part of an incident timeline, and log incident information such as the timeline, location and vehicles involved; while the system will record video footage of incidents.

The new technology will enable the City to:

• visually monitor the network from real time video and CCTV surveillance camera feeds
• detect incidents by means of information received from field devices
• take calls from the public
• disseminate information to motorists by means of radio reports, variable message signs, semi-dynamic message signs, a website, smses, etc
• liaise directly with Emergency Services in order to effectively manage incidents
• liaise directly with the Public Transport call centre
• brief affected parties after incidents
• communicate directly with other Emergency Centres

The TMC will deploy:

• 170 CCTV cameras
• 48 Variable Message Signs (VMS)
• ±60 traffic monitoring devices (measuring speed and volume of traffic)
• ±164 km of fibre optic cables along the major freeways

Martin Pollack

 

[ponder]

The centre, which is based in Goodwood...

Is that across the road from N1 City? Been a long time but area looks familiar.