KASERNE PARKADE AND TRANSNET PROPERTY TAXI … _relocation.pdf · Kaserne.Transnet.Final.doc Johannesburg Inner City Traffic and Transportation Study 1 1 INTRODUCTION The Johannesburg

SUPPLEMENT TO THE JOHANNESBURG INNER CITY

TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION STUDY

KASERNE PARKADE AND TRANSNET PROPERTY TAXI HOLDING FACILITIES HIGH-LEVEL ASSESSMENT

SEPTEMBER 2009

In association with:

KASERNE PARKADE AND TRANSNET PROPERTY TAXI HOLDING FACILITIES STUDY Johannesburg Inner City Traffic and Transportation Study

KASERNE PARKADE AND TRANSNET PROPERTY TAXI HOLDING FACILITIES HIGH-LEVEL ASSESSMENT

CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1

2 STATUS QUO OF THE FACILITIES ............................................................................... 2 2.1 Location.................................................................................................................... 2 2.2 Kaserne Parkade...................................................................................................... 2 2.3 Transnet Property..................................................................................................... 4

3 BASIC REQUIREMENTS................................................................................................. 5 3.1 Facility Guidelines .................................................................................................... 5 3.2 Traffic and Transport Guidelines.............................................................................. 5 3.3 Land-use Guidelines ................................................................................................ 5 3.4 Capacity Requirements............................................................................................ 6

4 CONTINUED USE OF KASERNE PARKADE AND TRANSNET PROPERTY.............. 7 4.1 Kaserne Parkade...................................................................................................... 7 4.2 Transnet property..................................................................................................... 7 4.3 Emergency versus temporary/permanent relocation ............................................... 8

5 POTENTIAL SITES .......................................................................................................... 9 5.1 Carr Street Extension (other Transnet property).................................................... 10 5.2 Faraday Station and Surrounds ............................................................................. 11 5.3 Salisbury Claim ...................................................................................................... 12 5.4 Rissik Street parking .............................................................................................. 13 5.5 Westgate Station.................................................................................................... 14 5.6 Ophirton.................................................................................................................. 15 5.7 John Street, adjacent to Putco Depot .................................................................... 16 5.8 JRA Depot – Selby................................................................................................. 17 5.9 Village Main Ext 1................................................................................................... 18 5.10 Transport House..................................................................................................... 19

6 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................. 20

7 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................... 21

Kaserne.Transnet.Final.doc Johannesburg Inner City Traffic and Transportation Study

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1 INTRODUCTION The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) appointed Arcus GIBB Engineering & Science in association with ASM Architects & Urban Designers to undertake an Inner City Transport Study for Johannesburg. Supplemental to this, the JDA requested an additional study to urgently identify a facility/facilities to temporarily house the taxi’s currently holding at the existing Harrison holding area (Kaserne Parkade) and adjacent Transnet property in the inner city, as the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) intends to close both facilities imminently due to various health and other concerns. It was stated in the CoJ International Transit and Shopping Centre study, dated December 2005, that the Harrison holding facility accommodates most (over 70%), of all taxi holding within a specified inner city perimeter around Park Station. This study excluded holding on the Transnet property and Metro Mall. It is thus very clear that the Kaserne Parkade, together with the holding on the adjacent Transnet property, are critical for the City’s minibus taxi operations, and must be carefully considered if any relocation is undertaken. It must therefore be critically stated that the solution to these currently undesirable holding facilities should not be seen as merely moving the problem to another location or relocating in such a manner that the same problems may re-occur with regard to operational, health and other issues. With the short time frames and lack of information the City is at risk if a thorough investigation is not conducted, and any recommended facilities may not only fail, but will not fit into the broader Inner City Transport Framework. Ideally, the City’s policy on inner city holding (if any) should also be re-considered. This aspect is being addressed in the greater Inner City Transport Study for Johannesburg. This basic assessment was done by mainly using existing information drawn from the recent JDA report on the requirements for international buses in the Johannesburg Inner City, dated March 2009. This study identified sites suitable for buses, which could also be suitable for taxi holding. Recommendations are primarily based on capacity availability and a basic investigation of the suitability of the site.


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2 STATUS QUO OF THE FACILITIES

2.1 Location

The Kaserne Parkade is located between Harrison and Bertha Streets in the Johannesburg inner city. Opposite and to the west is the Transnet land, known as Portion 61 of the Farm Johannesburg 91. Refer to the Google image below for the approximate locations. Figure 1: Aerial view of Kaserne Parkade and Transnet property

Not to scale

2.2 Kaserne Parkade

Harrison & Bertha Streets, Johannesburg Inner City Capacity approx 125 taxi's on 5½ floors = approx 690 taxis Observed occupancy on 3 separate days: approx 75% Total average occupancy: 520+ taxis The JRA conducted traffic counts at the access/egresses points to the facility on 21 September 2009. These results will be incorporate into subsequent analysis if usable. It should be noted that the data may be inaccurate, especially at the Harrison Street access, as the area is used for wash bays during the day, see Figure 2 below.

Kaserne Parkade Transnet

property


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Figure 2: Kaserne Parkade, Harrison Street access

Figure 3: Kaserne Parkade, view from Bertha Street (Queen Elizabeth Bridge)


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2.3 Transnet Property

Portion 61 of the Farm Johannesburg 91 Approx: 10 800 m2 Capacity approx 200 taxis Observed occupancy on 3 separate days: approx 50% Total average occupancy: 100+ taxis It must be stated that the occupancy of the site is an extremely dynamic number, and that the average number of only 100 taxis is probably too conservative. The lack of formalized access to the facility also makes accurate traffic counts of access and egress inaccurate. Figure 4: View of Transnet property


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3 BASIC REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Facility Guidelines

An in-depth analysis of the design requirements of temporary taxi holding facilities was not undertaken, given the brief of the project and the limited timelines. Some points worth mentioning is the provision of the following at holding facilities, (the lack of some or all of these at the current facilities clearly demonstrates their critical importance): • Proper management • Security • Ablution facilities • Retail space for some formal and informal trade • Refuse removal and sanitation services • Shelter • Taxi wash areas • Taxi repair areas • Basic services must be present (water, storm water, electricity, sewer).

3.2 Traffic and Transport Guidelines

A paper presented at the South African Transport Conference of 2005 at the CSIR in Pretoria prescribed the following guidelines for taxi and other public transport holding facilities: • The Provision should be made for holding operations at destination terminals

and transfer stations • An interchange should accommodate 1 bay for every 3 permit-holding vehicles

operating from the interchange, which includes holding, loading and stacking areas.

• Holding demand can be accommodated on-site in stacking area, partially or in total, with overflow demand accommodated elsewhere on-site or in remote holding area.

• Remote holding area should be as close as possible to interchange to facilitate vehicular interaction and limit operational delays.

• Small land parcels in vicinity of interchange should be investigated for holding operations, especially in urban areas with space constraints and premium land values.

• Activities associated with holding operations e.g. vehicle washing, minor vehicle repairs and drivers resting should be accommodated in holding area, where appropriate.

From a traffic perspective, various aspects will have to be considered: land value, accessibility, location, internal circulation, passenger (pedestrian) safety etc. Further detailed traffic simulations on a network and local level should ideally be undertaken to establish if a site will be able to operate satisfactorily within the short to longer term.

3.3 Land-use Guidelines

From a land-use perspective, various aspects must be considered: current zoning, land value, environmental considerations, existing local development planning and or requirements, etc.


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It must also be noted that to improve the functionality and efficiency of the transport systems and develop properly managed intermodal nodes, the city should prioritise the provision of facilities for schedule systems. Due to the nature and dynamics of the non-schedule operators, holding should be located in the periphery of the inner city with easy access to the ranks to minimise traffic congestion at peak hours.

3.4 Capacity Requirements

An estimated 650+ taxis need to be accommodated from the Kaserne and Transnet land portion. The current facilities provide approximately 25 m2 per taxi. The following short to medium term requirements are therefore assumed, based on a conservative 30 m2/taxi requirement, including provision for a conservative growth of 5% per annum in vehicle numbers. See Table 1 below. These requirements are also in-line with the Department of Transports’ documents: 'SA parking standards' and 'Guidelines for the design of kombi taxi facilities'.

Table 1. Land requirements for taxi holding facilities.

Year Capacity Requirement Total (no) (m2/taxi) (m2)

Current 650 30 19500 2010 683 30 20490 2011 717 30 21510 2012 752 30 22560 2013 790 30 23700 2014 830 30 24900

Approximately 850 taxis will have to be accommodated within 5 years. This translates to an estimated 25 000 m2 to accommodate the taxi holding at the Kaserne Parkade and on the Transnet property.


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4 CONTINUED USE OF KASERNE PARKADE AND TRANSNET PROPERTY

4.1 Kaserne Parkade

It was stated that the CoJ intends to demolish the facility, as it is not suitable for the new bigger (higher) taxi vehicles, without major structural changes. However, it appears that the current health and safety problems experienced may be the primary reason for the intended closure. It should therefore be considered to clean and rehabilitate the facility, by moving the holding taxi’s out on an emergency basis only. Alternatively, the facility could be rehabilitated and used for its original intended purpose, which was public parking. There is a severe shortage of public parking in the inner city, and a well managed charged parking facility could provide income for the City and alleviate the parking shortage. Kaserne Parkade is also ideally suited to supplement the BRT as a possible park-and-ride facility due to its location adjacent to the inner city distribution BRT route and good general accessibility. The cost of demolition should also be directly compared to the cost of rehabilitation, and long term value both in terms of income generation and parking provision. In conclusion, the Kaserne Parkade is a valuable public, private or BRT parking, if managed and operated efficiently. The following are required at the facility:

• Emergency relocation • Formal management - critical • Rehabilitation and clean-up • Installation of additional facilities

o Security o Shade netting (roof level) o Additional ablution facilities o Rest areas o Washing/repair areas

• Security • Regular maintenance and cleaning

4.2 Transnet property

This facility may also operate well if the basic requirements for a holding facility of this nature are provided, subject to Transnet’s medium to long term planning for the site. The following are required at the facility:

• Emergency relocation • Formal management - critical • Clean-up service provision • Installation of basic facilities

o Surfaced perimeter o Security walled o Formalised access o Shade netting o Ablution facilities


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o Municipal services o Rest areas o Washing/repair areas

• Security • Regular maintenance and cleaning

4.3 Emergency versus temporary/permanent relocation

Based on the above, the following options were identified and further investigated.

• Emergency relocation of both facilities for refurbishment purposes: 20 000 m2

required short term, with minimal provision for basics at the emergency site(s). • Closure and/or demolition of Kaserne Parkade only: 20 000 m2 required with

provision of all the basic. • Closure of Transnet property only: 5 000 m2 required with provision of all the basics. • Closure of Kaserne Parkade and Transnet property: 25 000 m2 required with

provision of all the basics.


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5 POTENTIAL SITES Information was mainly sourced from the recent JDA report on the requirements for international buses in the Johannesburg Inner City, dated March 2009. Supplementary sites were also identified by the JDA and JRA. Supplementary investigations were then undertaken based on this information.

Figure 5: Location of potential sites

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23

45

6

78

9

10


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5.1 Carr Street Extension (other Transnet property)

Erf Multiple erfs Ownership Transnet Existing use Vacant, recently cleared

Availability Transnet prepared to rent for 2 year period but has longer term plans

Size and capacity +/- 40 000 m2 / 1350 taxis Topography Slight gradient to west

Access Carr Street extension recently completed up to Bertha Street. JRA indicated imminent closure of new intersection at Bertha Street due to road safety concerns

Zoning n/a Existing structures Single structure Existing facilities None Proximity to shopping/ trading Close to retails opportunities

Obstacles/Challenges Temporary only, capacity to be finalised

Verdict Potentially suitable for emergency relocation


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5.2 Faraday Station and Surrounds

Erf 54, 50

Ownership L B De Kock & W F Joubert Inv Pty Ltd

Existing use Special vehicle company

Availability Owner expressed interest to sell

Size and capacity +/- 65 000 m2 / 2100 taxis

Topography Flat

Access Rosetenville Rd

Zoning Industrial 1

Existing structures Houses, workshops (heritage)

Existing facilities As above

Proximity to shopping/trading Faraday muti-market

Obstacles/challenges Acquisition of site, existing structures

Verdict Potentially suitable for medium/long term


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5.3 Salisbury Claim

Erf SG ID: T01R05870

Ownership Maretal Estates

Existing use Informal Taxi Holding

Availability Unknown

Size and capacity 14700 m2 / 490 taxis

Topography Flat

Access Wemmer Jubilee Road

Zoning Industrial 1

Existing structures Small single storey units

Existing facilities CoJ toilets, water & electricity

Proximity to shopping/trading Good

Obstacles/Challenges Low capacity, currently occupied

Verdict Unsuitable


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5.4 Rissik Street parking

Erf 86/96-IR

Ownership City of Johannesburg

Existing use Easi-Park Parking


Size and capacity +/-9 900 m2 / 330 taxis

Topography Flat

Access M2 Rissik street off-ramp

Zoning Unknown

Existing structures Open space

Existing facilities N/A

Proximity to shopping/trading Faraday Muti Market

Proximity to shopping/trading Faraday Muti Market

Challenges/Obstacles Availability, access, size

Verdict Unsuitable


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5.5 Westgate Station

Erf 320, 321, 322, 327, 328

Ownership PRASA/Transnet (verify)

Existing use Westgate Station

Availability Long term planning

Size and capacity 44 000 m2 / 1450 taxis

Topography Fluctuating levels

Access Reasonable

Zoning Transport

Existing structures Station

Existing facilities Station

Obstacles/Challenges Availability, site preparation

Proximity to shopping/trading Good

Verdict Potentially suitable for emergency, but ideal for high density residential


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5.6 Ophirton

Erf RE/425

Ownership City of Johannesburg

Existing use Currently being used for asphalt production



Topography Uneven

Access Reasonable

Zoning Public Open Space

Existing structures Warehouses

Existing facilities Water, electricity

Proximity to shopping/trading Poor

Obstacles/challenges Availability, occupied

Verdict Unsuitable, location and access


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5.7 John Street, adjacent to Putco Depot

Erf Ptns of 532, 533, 534, 220

Ownership Millcliff Trading

Existing use Mine dump

Availability Available immediately

Size and capacity 26 000 m² / 850 taxis

Topography Uneven

Access John Street

Zoning Unknown

Existing structures Vacant plot

Existing facilities N/A


Obstacles/challenges Below street level, geology, flooding, no services

Verdict Unsuitable, flooding


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5.8 JRA Depot – Selby

Erf 769, 295

Ownership CoJ/JRA

Existing use JRA regional depot

Availability JRA vacating site end September 2009

Size and capacity 1.3 Ha

Topography Mixed

Access Need to create signalised access point

Zoning Unknown

Existing structures Warehouses on half/ Vacant on other half

Existing facilities Water, electricity


Obstacles/challenges Crime rate in area, powerlines, availability, location

Verdict Unsuitable, due to availability


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5.9 Village Main Ext 1

Erf Rem of 51, Rem of 97

Ownership To be confirmed

Existing use Vacant



Topography Uneven

Access Good

Zoning Unknown

Existing structures Old mining structures

Existing facilities None


Obstacles/challenges Availability, geology, lack of services

Verdict Potentially suitable for emergency or short/medium term


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5.10 Transport House

Erf To be confirmed

Ownership Private

Existing use Vacant/Structure



Topography Uneven

Access Average

Zoning Warehousing

Existing structures Old warehouse roof structure, walls and facade

Existing facilities None


Obstacles/challenges Availability, size

Verdict Unsuitable, availability


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6 RECOMMENDATIONS The Carr Street Extension, Faraday area, Westgate and Village Main areas are all potentially suitable as follows

• Carr Street: Emergency holding only during clean-up of Kaserne/Transnet • Westgate: Emergency holding only during clean-up of Kaserne/Transnet, but

it should be noted that this land should be developed for a land use supportive of public transport such as high density residential or commercial development due to the proximity of the Westgate BRT and rail stations.

• Faraday: Short to medium term if basics provided. • Village Main: Emergency holding for clean-up of facilities & short to medium

term if basics provided. The above recommendations with regards to facilities to temporarily house the holding of taxis from the Kaserne Parkade and Transnet property, Portion 61 of the Farm Johannesburg 91, is primarily based on capacity, availability and a basic investigation of the suitability of the sites.

Due to the short delivery time of this report, and the requirements for a basic assessment only, no stakeholder involvement was undertaken. Detailed analysis of local and network traffic impact, land use matters, stakeholder consultation, etc. is recommended before a final decision is made.


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7 REFERENCES City of Johannesburg International Transit and Shopping Centre. Report by Aganang

Consulting, December 2005

Naude S., Jones J., Louw P. Design Guidelines for Public Transport Facilities.

SATC Pretoria, 2005

Neil Klug T.R.P., Garson F., Rubin M., Study looking at the requirements for

international buses in the Johannesburg Inner City. JDA Report. March 2009


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Documents

KASERNE PARKADE AND TRANSNET PROPERTY TAXI … _relocation.pdf · Kaserne.Transnet.Final.doc Johannesburg Inner City Traffic and Transportation Study 1 1 INTRODUCTION The Johannesburg