A total of 10 requests for traffic calming services on suburban roads in the Subcouncil 2 region of Brackenfell and Kraaifontein were turned down by the urban mobility directorate of the City of Cape Town.
This follows an investigation by the City after residents requested speed humps in roads where speeding regularly occurs.
Assessments done in these streets – six in Brackenfell and four in Kraaifontein – have found the roads to be classified as Class 5 local streets within a residential area that do not justify speed humps according to policy directives.
A report by traffic engineering technician Kahona Maseko, states that speeding is a universal issue on all the streets of Cape Town, but that traffic calming measures should first and foremost be provided to protect the most vulnerable road users where they occur in the largest numbers, specifically in the vicinity of public facilities such as schools.
Criteria not met
According to the report, the policy provides for automatic approval of calming measures on residential roads adjacent to public facilities and approval of measures on other residential roads are subject to the satisfaction of certain criteria indicating a high potential for conflict between road users.
Based on the above findings, Maseko concluded that the City’s traffic calming policy did not support speed humps down these roads. Such roads in Brackenfell include Keurboom Avenue, intersection of Witteboom and Suikerbos streets, a stretch of Helling Street, Kelkiewyn Street and Gardener Street.
Low risk
The report indicated that there was a play park in Keurboon Avenue, but that the park had already been treated with two speed humps, and no other public amenities were noted.
In the case of Witteboom and Suikerbos intersection, there are no public amenities which may attract significant volumes of vulnerable pedestrians directly onto the road.
In Helling street, the stretch of the road adjacent to the school, park and day-care centre has already been treated with four speed humps and one raised intersection, additional traffic calming not being necessary.
Kelkiewyn Street was found to have a reasonably low risk for pedestrians.
In the case of Gardener Street, the report acknowledged that there is a day-care for autistic children and pre-school that may attract vulnerable pedestrians, but that they do not hold the same stature as primary and high schools where large volumes of learners walk to school.
Traffic calming measures not supported in Kraaifontein include Dan King Road along Sarel van Deventer, Second Avenue, Morgenster Street and Gunning Street.
According to traffic policy, traffic calming is not supported at the intersection of Dan King and Sarel van Deventer Road for safety reasons.
Crash data for a period of nine years revealed that a total of 12 minor crashes occurred at this intersection between 2013 and 2021.
“The crash statistics were assessed as a medium risk location and the implementation of traffic calming measures shall not be considered since there is not enough evidence to suggest that this is a high-risk location,” the report states.
Due to no public amenities, Second Avenue, Morgenster Street and Gunning Street were turned down.
Little respect
Subcouncil 2 chair Marian Nieuwoudt says she has much understanding for the need of speed humps as there is little respect for stop signs and the 60 km/h speed restriction.
“The aim of traffic calming measures is to lower the risk of conflict between vehicles and pedestrians, which is why the technical consideration is usually only successful where public amenities occur. The placement of speed humps must be diligently considered as it also has an impact on emergency vehicles and the maintenance of roads,” she told TygerBurger.
