Cape Town’s Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) System

Presentation by Kylie HattonWestern Cape Department of

Education City of Cape Town

Saturday 22 April 2023

Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) includes:

Network of pedestrian pathways and full-size bicycle lanes

Close integration with other forms of public and private transport

World-class Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) public transport system

London, Edinburgh, Beijing, Shanghai, New Delhi Vijayawada Visakhapatnam Bangalore Chennai Coimbatore Goa Indore Jaipur Mumbai Nagpur Jacarta Stockholm Brisbane Sydney Vancouver Montreal Calgary Quebec City Toronto Ottawa Boston Houston Kansas City Las Vegas Los Angeles Miami New York City Phoenix Salt Lake City San Diego San Jose Seattle Oregon San Francisco Adelaide Auckland Brisbane Perth Melbourne Sydney Almere Eindhoven Hamburg Helsinki Sheffield Istanbul Nantes Nice Paris Reims Rouen Schiphol Lagos Lima Tampere Bogotá Medellín Pereira Curitiba Brasília Quito Guayaquil Mérida Caracas San Cristóbal Santiago

Mexico City Gaudalajara Guatemala City Säo Paulo Nagoya Chiayi Bangkok Haifa Mai Jakarta Surakarta Beijing Dalian Hangzou Shanghai Shenzhen Xiamen Zhengzhou Chaing Changzhou Shenyang Chongqing Tehran Johannesburg

BUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT) IN CITIES AROUND THE WORLD

A) Feeder services in general traffic lanes

• Standard-sized buses• Travel in mixed traffic• Provide services into

residential areas• Provide connections to

trunk services

Comparable to existing SA bus and taxi services

B) Trunk services on dedicated lanes

• Lane in middle of the roadway

• Dedicated lane identified with colour

• Major origin to major destination

• Larger vehicles

Trunk stationTrunk station

Principles of BRT:1) Universal access

• prams and pushchairs• the elderly and children

Level boarding allows effortless entry for:•wheelchairs •bicycles

Principles of BRT: 1) Universal access

Bus floor close to pavement curb at all trunk route stops

Large ramps onto trunk station platforms for raised level boarding

0.94m

Principles of BRT:2) Environmental health

Advanced technology low emission buses

Reduced emissions from private vehicle use

Principles of BRT:(3) Sustainable cities

What can you buy with R7 Billion ?

426 kms of BRT

7 kms of underground rail 14 kms of elevated rail

40 kms of light rail

Principles of BRT:(3) Sustainable cities

• High density development along transport corridors creates more efficient cities

• Important driver of economic growth• Subsidised public transport allows equal access and

unlocks opportunities in the city

Principles of BRT:(3) Sustainable cities

Curitiba: Property development along BRT routes

Principles of BRT:(3) Sustainable cities

Which would you choose?

BRT STATION SYSTEM

Clean, convenient and comfortable

• Enclosed, weather-proof stations• Toilets, vending machines & recycling facilities

User-friendly system

Individual route maps above doorways

Real time information displays

User-friendly system

Abundant signage giving location and directions

Full system map in station

Electronic smart cards

• Allows transfers between routes on a single fare

• Eliminates cash transactions on vehicles

• Smooth processing of large numbers of passengers

• Sold at stations and retail outlets

Safe and secure

Trunk stations monitored by:•Volunteer guides•Ticket sales staff

•Security cameras•Security guards

Safe and secure

• All buses equipped with several CCTV cameras, GPS, internet connection, radio, panic buttons and engine monitors

• System monitored and directed from central control room

HIGH TECHNOLOGY ‘SMART’ BUSES

• Smooth, fast trip on dedicated lanes• Large (18m) articulated ‘bendy’ buses carry

more people (>120)

Machinerymonitoring

PassengerPA & audio

Passengerentertainment

display

Passengerinformation

display

Driver video

display

On board VLU(passenger info,

schedule, AVLtracking, data)

Transponder

3G ModemGPS Route displayDriveraudio

Panic alarmPanic alarmMediaserver

Network switchWeight

monitoring

Tetra Wi-Fi

Mobile data terminalAuto door opening synched

with station doors

On-Board CCTVOn-Board CCTV Digital video

recorder

JOHANNESBURG’SREA VAYA SYSTEM

Rea Vaya: Ellis Park Station

HOW CAPE TOWN’SIRT WILL WORK

How IRT will work:1) Phases

• Airport CBD link • Inner city service • CBD Green Point

Stadium

Phase 1A World Cup service

How IRT will work:(1) Phases

• Rest of phase 1: West Coast to Atlantis route

• Phase 2: Metro South East (Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain)

• Phases 3 and 4: Delft, Blue Downs, Stellenbosch

How IRT will work:2) Broad appeal

• Fares will be similar to those currently charged

• Cheaper fares off peak• From R4 to R16

•Buses running every few minutes in peak

•Around three times per hour in non-peak

•Services from early morning to late evening

How IRT will work:(3) More than just buses

How IRT will work:(3) More than just buses

• Park and ride facilities at trunk stations

• 3m wide cycle lane alongside entire length of key trunk routes

• Bicycles can be carried on board buses

• Heavy duty walk and cycle ways over roads

IRT infrastructure:Feeder Stations: City Bowl

Network of feeder stations

IRT infrastructure:City Centre Station

Civic Station on Hertzog Boulevard

Five feeder platforms

Four trunk platforms

IRT infrastructure:Granger Bay Station

Granger Bay Boulevard proto-type station

Pictures: 01/10

Benefits to Schools:1. Security

• Cashless System • No need for contact between drivers and school

children• No Sliding Door

Operators • Panic Buttons• Security personnel

on vehicles• Formal stations

Benefits to Schools:2. Reliability

• Not affected by traffic congestion on trunk routes

• Reliable public transport ensuring children do not miss exams or tests or arrive late

• Reliable travel to city schools from fast growing areas, e.g. Parklands

Benefits to Schools:3. Flexibility

• Scheduled service, not affected by traffic congestion = after-school activities are not affected = rethink school hours = routes to new schools

Benefits to Schools:3. Cost Saving

• Reliable public transport means that schools do not haveto own buses or contract companies to transport learners

• Education department reduces money spent on transporting learners

Benefits to Schools:4. Route Choices

• Route choice designed to maximise catchment area, particularly for schools

• Feeder routes & stations located within a catchment area of activities

• Schools are an important choice for station location and routes

Benefits to Schools:

• A reliable, safe public transport system will benefit ALL schools

(poorer and more well off schools)• Benefit to Education Department• Benefit parents – less worry for parents whose children take

public transport- parents with private cars no longer need to fetch and carry children

• More independence to school children

Benefits of learner usage of system

• Use of service out of off-peak periods• Long term reduction in tidal commuter

patterns • Smoothing of peak demand services through

flexible school hours

Questions?For further information please visit

www.capetown.gov.za/irt