Roads Petition 4
Herberts
From: Paul
Booth
Sent: 12 March 2012 05:11 PM
To: David
Dalton
Subject: FW: Road problems Kalk Bay
Dear Councillor Dalton,
I realise that the e mail below was addressed to you, however I would like to make the following observations.
The rehabilitation of the Main Road and all the underground services is to the benefit of the entire community who use the road and who trade, recreate and live in the south, including the residents of Kalk Bay who not only benefit from having a new road to drive on but also have a new sewerage system and a new main water supply system.Everyone understands this!
At the planning stage of the project the project team went to great lengths to explain to local residents and the broader community who use the Main Road that there would be a certain amount of inconvenience during construction. We had many public meetings, open house days and advertisements in the local newspapers explaining to everyone what was going to happen. We implored anyone who was interested or affected by the project to register as an Interested and affected Party, currently we have over 500 I&AP’s many of whom represent large organisations such as the NSRI, SA Navy and Metrorail amongst others. Communication has been very good
The inconvenience to the road users, the residents and the local business community so far has varied depending on the various locations. I mention this because it would be completely unfair to view the current complaint in isolation. I will try and put this point in context.
With reference to the e mail below and the list of so called petitioners ? I make the following points.
1. Of the 100 people listed on the petition only 27 have bothered to register in the last 3 years as I&AP’s The point seems to be that if you didn't register you now have no rights
2. The original complaint was mostly concerning the speeding vehicles and the taxis.This may be but is now irrelevant - volumes increased as word spread
3. Now that the speeding has been attenuated the emphasis has changed.
4. Aside from one incident regarding “they said a coach” which should not have been there, no specific problem has been identified.I think the email from Abdullah Cozyn on behalf of the Muslim community captured the safety concerns. No response has been given to concerns about access for emergency vehicles. The 'coach' incident was severe but by no means isolated
5. None of the points mentioned in my previous response which “has many points which can be argued” have actually been challenged. Done
To put the situation into context I would like to make the following points.
1. When the one way system was introduced, making Boyes Drive the only northbound route it was accepted by the majority of road users, despite the desperate inconvenience to some, to be in their best interests as it would potentially reduce the construction period. This one way system was implemented in October 2010 and was on the understanding that as we finished sections of the Main Road it would become two way. Yes - all are behind this project
2. During this period the residents of Kalk Bay, St James and Muizenberg who live along the Main Road and the many side roads in the catchment north of Quarterdeck road have endured significant inconvenience by having to travel via Old Boyes Drive to get back from the south or having to use Boyes Drive to travel north to work etc. This they have done with very few complaints. Excellent
3. School pupils attending Star of the Sea who live south of the school have had to go via Old Boyes Drive (OBD).
4. Parents who have children at schools in the Fish Hoek, Sun Valley area have had to return via OBD twice a day.
5. Busineses in Muizenberg and St James have had no or little north bound passing trade since October 2010.
6. The residents of Boyes Drive and Old Boyes Drive have had to put up with a huge increase in volume of traffic in the morning and evening peak since October 2010.
7. The thousands of commuters travelling home to the eastern suburbs have had to travel an additional 2,2km daily, via OBD. But it would only be until the Main Rd is finished to Clairvaux Rd
8. The only inconvenience the petitioners are experiencing is an increase in traffic, and then several of them are not directly affected such as those who live in Colyn and Windsor roads. All residents who added their names to the petition are affected to a greater or lesser degree
9. The residents of this enclave have experienced very little disruption as they are so close to the link to Boyes Drive and have not endured anything like all the other residents and commuters have endured. We don't really see the point here. Does it mean now it's our turn? As far as we know nowhere else on the project have these volumes of traffic been directed through a road system never designed for this volume. Boyes Drive/Old Boyes Drive do not compare with the back roads of Kalk Bay - they were designed to carry high volumes
10. They can also make use of the Main Road which is accessible rather than try and counter the increase in northbound traffic along Gatesville road with little or no inconveneince.
11. The inconvenience of having more vehicles than normal using “their” roads will only last until the Main Road is open to two way traffic from Clairvaux Road. See earlier comment re the Chand Newsletter 23
The project team believe that closing the Main Road to northbound traffic at Quarterdeck Road would be an inconvenience to a larger group of residents ( this is not true as far as residents are concerned - vide the 50 households 12 in Gatesville, 11 in Quarterdeck who are on the petition) and commuters who have already been inconvenienced for over 16 months and feel it would be untenable to do so.
Regards,
Paul Booth
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Mike Elliott
Well done Steve.
Regards
MIKE ELLIOTT
COASTAL MARINE
Import & Export CC