Forget the Vuvuzela – The Legacy of South Africa’s World Cup 2010 is Public Transport! [Video]
Transit wayfinding in Cape Town.
What’s that buzz in Cape Town? No, it’s not a mass of crazed soccer fans with vuvuzelas, it’s the calming roar of efficient public transport. On May 29th, Cape Town introduced the first of its new MyCiTi Integrated Rapid Transport (IRT) lines. The first IRT line links the Cape Town International Airport to the city center at the Civic Centre station in 15 to 30 minutes (depending on time of day). A downtown IRT loop is also in operation connecting major destinations around the city core. The IRT is a bus rapid transit concept, with dedicated (or semi-exclusive) bus ways connecting to modern stations. Stations are designed with an open glass concept, with the station platform raised for passengers to board level with the bus. The MyCiTi buses also accommodate luggage for the airport trips. A multitude of MyCiTi routes are planned throughout Cape Town and the surrounding areas.
Based on the significant success of BRT in South America (especially Colombia and Brazil), many countries are examining BRT systems as a relatively low cost mechanism to efficiently move people through increasingly congested cities. Cape Town is not the first BRT on the African continent. Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire has implemented a BRT concept. Johannesburg, South Africa also implemented their Rea Vaya system in conjunction with the World Cup. Construction bids recently closed on the DART BRT system for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Dakar, Senegal is currently completing the planning studies necessary to implement a BRT network.
MyCiTi IRT station under construction.
Cape Town’s MyCiTi buses run every ten minutes during peak times and every 30 minutes during off-peak periods. More frequent service is in place during the World Cup, operating MyCiTi service 24 hours a day. The airport to city center service costs 50 South African Rand, approximately $6.50 USD. I spoke with some local business owners adjacent to the IRT corridors in April, prior to the World Cup. At that time, a flurry of activity was underway to finalize construction and test the system. Locals were overwhelmingly excited about the World Cup, but concerned the IRT would not be ready on schedule. Some expressed disappointment that a bus system was being implemented over a light rail line. However, they understood the significant cost difference between BRT and fixed rail.
[Video] of MyCiTi Airport connection and more on the development of BRT in Cape Town after the break.
Future MyCiTi station.
Since their opening, the BRT systems in Cape Town and Johannesburg have been successfully moving locals and World Cup visitors. It will take some time for the full BRT networks to be realized and for locals to adjust to this type of transport. South Africans are working hard to overcome the challenges of how many of their communities developed physically separated from one another. This resulted in limited transportation connections and relatively inward focused neighborhoods. The majority of public transport is currently provided by shared minibus taxis following set routes. BRT provides yet another transport option and is beginning to link communities together.
For more information on the MyCiTi service access the Cape Town Municipality’s website.
From the African Business News (ABN):
Great post Chris. I first encountered TransMilenio in 2006, and after having made light of BRT as a concept, ended up doing a complete 180. This particular style of BRT – Johanesburg is very very similar to Bogota – is something that can work well. In 2007, during a return trip, I met a group of South African delegates also touring TransMilenio, and got the scoop about the Rea Vaya proposals (then, only slightly more than a twinkle in someone’s eye).
In Bogota, I was personally most impressed with the stations, which I feel contribute immensely to the permanence, functionality and appeal of the system. Far beyond the bus-style shelters we usually see in North America they offer riders full weather protection, fare payment, multi-door loading, and level boarding. Apparently the TransMilenio (Bogota) was successfully sued very early on for inconsistencies in wheelchair accessibility, and since then the ramp angles, wheel-chair gates, and platform gaps have been very carefully managed.
Combined with high frequency, short dwell times (24 seconds), and a dual-distance/quickway system (with the routes that skip stations being the most popular), and of course the dedicated ROW, it is *fast*. Crowded – yes, famously so – called TransMi-lleno (Transmi-full), but then so is the tube at rush hour and buses like Vancouver’s B-line. I am not an engineer, but I also don’t see why it would be impossible to use the same stations down the road for some sort of a rail vehicle.. although in Bogota’s case, only a subway could increase the capacity (45,000 ppdph – busiest line).
This is just my opinion, but there are some lessons for a number of places in these quality BRT systems.
Google Streetview has hit Johannesburg – check out one of the Rea Vaya Stations- (may have to copy & paste)
http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&q=google&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=google&hnear=&t=h&layer=c&cbll=-26.204678,28.04194&panoid=luKWn-_DiQl47OI75aO_Sw&cbp=12,252.03,,0,1.84&ll=-26.204678,28.04194&spn=0,0.000591&z=21
or this might work: [URL="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&q=google&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=google&hnear=&t=h&layer=c&cbll=-26.204678,28.04194&panoid=luKWn-_DiQl47OI75aO_Sw&cbp=12,252.03,,0,1.84&ll=-26.204678,28.04194&spn=0,0.000591&z=21"]http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&q=google&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=google&hnear=&t=h&layer=c&cbll=-26.204678,28.04194&panoid=luKWn-_DiQl47OI75aO_Sw&cbp=12,252.03,,0,1.84&ll=-26.204678,28.04194&spn=0,0.000591&z=21[/URL]