New walkways for residents in Athlone, Grassy Park and Lotus River
During the past six months, the City of Cape Town has spent R3,6 million on walkways covering a distance of approximately 3,7 km in Grassy Park and Lotus River.
This is in addition to the 1,5 km of walkways in Athlone where Transport for Cape Town (TCT), the City’s transport authority, has spent approximately R2,2 million in the 2014/15 financial year to provide thousands of pedestrians with a safe route to and from their homes and the Athlone railway station.
‘A significant number of children in Grassy Park and Lotus River walk to school every day and they face numerous dangers – from reckless driving to unlit walkways after dark.
In some exceptional cases there is simply no space provided for children and other pedestrians such as along Fisherman’s Walk in Grassy Park. We are gradually addressing this challenge and I am happy to say that we have recently constructed walkways along sections of Fisherman’s Walk between First and Fish Roads and Buck and First Roads and we will, within the next week, start on the section between Victoria and Perth Roads,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town, Councillor Brett Herron.
The walkways are between 1,5 and 3 m wide, depending on the road reserve, with dropped kerbs and tactile and directional paving for the visually impaired.
‘Universal accessibility is an important component of our non-motorised transport projects, meaning the City is committed to making Cape Town more accessible to residents with special needs and vulnerable users such as the elderly and children. We have a number of schools, churches and other public facilities in Grassy Park and Lotus River and I am confident that the new infrastructure in these areas will make a real difference in the quality of life of our residents, not only through improving their personal safety, but also by adding dignity to those communities making use of the walkways,’ said Councillor Herron.
The details of the completed walkways are as follows:
Grassy Park and Lotus River
- Along Perth Road, stretching from Rooikrans Avenue to Fisherman’s Walk
- Along Perth Road, stretching from 5th Avenue to Rooikrans Avenue
- Along Rooikrans Avenue, stretching from Perth Road to Italian Road
- Along Fisherman’s Walk, stretching from First Road to Fish Road
- Along Fisherman’s Walk, stretching from Buck Road to First Road
- Along Prince George Service Drive, stretching from 2nd Avenue to 5th Avenue
Athlone
- A new walkway along Aden Road, stretching from Jan Smuts Drive to Birdwood Street
- A new walkway along Birdwood Street, stretching from Klipfontein Road to where Birdwood Street ends
Future Upgrades
Furthermore, TCT will spend an additional R5 million on new walkways covering a distance of 4 km in Grassy Park and Zeekoevlei in the next few months:
- Along Victoria Road, stretching from Rooikrans Avenue to Peninsula Road
- Along Fisherman’s Walk, stretching from Victoria Road to Perth Road
- Along 6th Avenue, stretching from Buck Road to Lake Road
- Along Italian Road, stretching from Rooikrans Avenue to Faulman Road
- Along 7th Avenue, stretching from Ada Avenue to Old Strandfontein Road
- Along 7th Avenue, stretching from Victoria Road to Prince George Service Drive
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