ZANDSPRUIT AND SURROUNDING AREAS TRANSPORT MASTER PLAN - BACKGROUND INFORMATION DOCUMENT September 2021

ZANDSPRUIT AND SURROUNDING AREAS
     TRANSPORT MASTER PLAN
   BACKGROUND INFORMATION DOCUMENT
            September 2021

Transport Planning in the City of Johannesburg
The City of Johannesburg (City) Transport Department is responsible for all transport planning in
the City and as part of this planning it will develop the Zandspruit and Surrounding Areas Transport
Master Plan. You can find out more about transport planning in the City and the Zandspruit area in
the last section of this Background Information Document.

Why is the study being done?
The City’s Transport Department wants to develop a practical medium to long term solution to the
transport challenges in Zandspruit and surrounding areas which will also help to create a more
efficient and compact urban form. This solution will seek to ensure that:
• The City will focus productive land use and economic activities in areas where transport
    infrastructure (rail and road based) is already present or being planned.
• Public transport will become a viable alternative because residents will live close to work,
    shopping and leisure opportunities.
• The environmental impact of public transport will be reduced in a compact, high-density area
    when compared to low-density urban sprawl where private cars dominate.
• The demand for private motorised transport will be reduced and the average trip length
    shortened.
• Residents will benefit as they will not have to spend so much time and money on public
    transport.

The City, through its implementing agent the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), therefore
appointed consultants led by Merchelles Collective to develop a Transport Master Plan and
Implementation Plan for Zandspruit and surrounding areas.

Where will the study be done?
The boundary to the study area is formed by Malibongwe Drive, Northumberland Avenue, Beyers
Naude Drive and the municipal boundary between the City of Johannesburg and Mogale City. The
study area includes Zandspruit, Cosmo City, Malibongwe Ridge, North Riding Agricultural Holdings
(AH), Kevin Ridge, Boundary Park, Sonnedal AH and Olievenhoutpoort as shown in the map below.
The study area comprises mixed land uses that include rural residential, urban residential, informal
settlements, commercial and industrial areas. It includes a small part of the Kya Sands Business Park
to the west of Malibongwe Drive which is in Ward 96 of Region A. The rest of the study area falls in
Wards 100, 114 and 134 of Region C. The study area is shown in Figure 1 on the next page.

What will the study do?
The project team will first conduct a detailed review of the existing transport system in the area and
its relationship with land use. They will then test ideas for transport options before developing a
Transport Master Plan which will provide the transport planning for the study area and guide both
public and private sector investment in infrastructure in the area over the next ten years.

The aim of the Transport Master Plan will be to create a compact, well-connected public transport
system that puts Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) first and reduces the use of private cars. NMT
means walking or cycling. The Transport Master Plan must also build attractive public spaces and
promote mixed land uses that rely on public transport and NMT with facilities that are accessible to
everyone. The Transport Master Plan must strengthen connections to local and regional
employment centres and ensure that housing is within walking distance of employment centres and
public transport.

When the project team do the detailed review they will carry out surveys in order to understand the
study area. The information that is collected will be used to assess the transport challenges and also
as input for a computer model to test different transport possibilities and work out the ideal
transport solution for the study area. There will be a number of different surveys which will target
public transport users and operators, pedestrians and cyclists, private car users, freight vehicles,
metered taxis, traffic congestion, safety and security issues, the availability and use of parking,
scholar transport, journey times, roadside interviews to determine people’s origin and destination,
the circumstances and needs of informal traders, land use and open spaces, amongst other issues.

Figure 1: A map of the study area shown by the pink boundary

You may therefore see people carrying out these surveys in the months of September, October and
November and you may even be asked to participate in one of the surveys. If you should be asked
to take part in a survey please help us by answering all the questions and try to provide as much
information as you can.

The project team also includes urban planners who will look at the current land use and prepare a
future land use design for the study area. The aim of this design will be to ensure that parks and
public open spaces, residential development and places of economic and social opportunity, such as
shopping centres, schools and clinics, are serviced by an affordable and efficient public transport
system.

In the second phase of the study the project team will develop and test ideas and concepts for
transport options and look at various scenarios for the future use of different modes of transport
and land use using a computer model to evaluate the impact on the existing road network.

The project team will then prepare a draft Zandspruit and Surrounding Areas Transport Master Plan
that maximises the development potential of the area and supports the future road network in the
wider area. They will also prepare an implementation plan which will prioritise projects and show
the timeframes for their introduction. These documents will be made available for public comment
before being finalised.

How you can participate in the plan
Public participation will play an important role in developing the Zandspruit and Surrounding Areas
Transport Master Plan because you will be asked to tell us about your challenges, issues and
concerns as well as the good things about the transport system. You will also be asked to help with
the design of the transport solutions for the area.

There will be three rounds of public participation during the study. The aim of the first round of
public participation will be to introduce the project and gather operational information for public
transport as well as any issues and concerns about the existing transport system. The second round
will workshop ideas and transport concepts to determine which concepts are workable and have
your support and, working together with the project team, you will help to produce transport
solutions for the Transport Master Plan. This consultation will be done through co-production
workshops with different groups or sectors. In the final round the draft Zandspruit and Surrounding
Areas Transport Master Plan and Implementation Plan will be made available for public review so
that you can comment on the report. This review phase will include focus group meetings with key
stakeholder groups and an online public webinar.

To start the first round of stakeholder engagement we are having a 60-day public comment period
which will begin on Monday 20 September and end on Monday 22 November 2021. This comment
period has been advertised in newspapers and on local radio stations as well as on posters in the
study area. Information about the study is available in this Background Information Document as
well as through the following sites:

A website at https://nma.org.za/register where you can register to be part of the project by
completing a registration form so that you can receive information and invitations to meetings as
the project progresses.

The website also contains a dedicated project page at https://nma.org.za/zandspruit where you
can find information about the project such as this Background Information Document and videos
about the project. You can also leave comments on this page.

Videos of presentations on the project are available in English, Sepedi and isiZulu on YouTube at
the following link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOrBb7n-2aTIgXh1bp6rRWg

A project Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/ZandspruitTMP

A project Twitter account at the handle @zandspruit_tmp

These public platforms will be used throughout the study to provide the latest information on the
project and details of forthcoming participation opportunities.

We want to hear about your transport experiences and what you think about the transport services
and facilities in the area. It doesn’t matter whether you drive your own car, drive a freight delivery
vehicle, walk or cycle to school, the shops or work or whether you take the taxi or bus, your views
are important to us. If you register on the above-mentioned website you can leave your comments
on the project webpage and there is also an interactive map where you can show the places where
transport problems exist.

By registering for the project we will also be able to invite you to meetings during the comment
period so that we can present the project to you and discuss the transport situation in the area. To
be invited to these meetings, which will take place in late October and early November, you must
register by 8 October 2021.

In order to make the consultation as efficient and effective as possible we will allocate people to 12
different sectors depending on where they live or the specific focus of the discussions for that
meeting. These sectors are as follows:
     1) Zandspruit Informal Settlement
     2) Cosmo City and Cosmo City Extensions 2, 4, 5 and 6 and Malibongwe Ridge
     3) Cosmo City Extensions 7, 8, 9, 10 and 3
     4) Jackal Creek Golf Estate, North Riding AH, Kevin Ridge, Boundary Park, Olievenhoutpoort,
          Sonnedal AH and Sundowner Ext 7
     5) Large Land Owners / Property Developers
     6) Formal Businesses, Business Associations and Key Social Facilities
     7) Informal Trader Associations and traders
     8) Schools and Scholar Transport Operators and Associations
     9) Metered Taxi Operators and Associations
     10) Minibus Taxi Operators and Associations
     11) Commuter Bus Operators
     12) Gautrain Management Agency

Geographically, the area has been divided into four different areas. The Zandspruit Informal
Settlement forms one area. Cosmo City has been divided into two areas for the purposes of this
study because it is very large. Cosmo City and Cosmo City Extensions 2, 4, 5 and 6 together with
Malibongwe Ridge form one area while Cosmo City Extensions 7, 8, 9, 10 and 3 form another area.
The last area contains the agricultural holdings and the mainly gated housing estates found in
Jackal Creek Golf Estate, North Riding Agricultural Holdings, Kevin Ridge, Boundary Park,
Olievenhoutpoort, Sonnedal Agricultural Holdings and Sundowner Extension 7. The transport
situation in these areas is different and it makes it easier to focus on a specific area when discussing
transport issues in a meeting. It is therefore important to include your address when registering to
take part in the study so that we can allocate you to the correct area for these meetings.

The purpose of the four area-based meetings will be to introduce the study and determine your
opinions and concerns and your level of satisfaction with the current transport system and facilities.
They will be used to identify deficiencies in public transport services and facilities and identify your
needs in terms of a future transport system for the area. They will also explore cycling and
pedestrian requirements and identify issues around parking, road conditions and connectivity,
safety and congestion as well as the needs of women, youth, the aged and people with disabilities.
Private car users will also be asked to explain what factors would influence them to shift to public
transport. This information will be used to inform the baseline study to determine the current
transport situation in the area.

The other eight sectors all deal with a specific mode of transport or type of business and will be
aimed at transport operators or business-people from those sectors.

The meetings will take place online using Microsoft Teams as well as streaming the meeting to the
Cosmo City Multi-Purpose Community Centre which will be set up as a Covid-19 safe venue for those
who do not have access to the internet. A 60-day rather than 30-day comment period is being held
to allow you enough time to register your interest in the project and be allocated to the correct
sector before the first round of focus group meetings take place.

So please register at https://nma.org.za/register on or before 8 October 2021 by completing the
online registration form if you would like to participate in the meetings. If you register you will also
receive information about the study as it progresses and be invited to take part in meetings later on
in the study when you will be asked to help produce transport solutions for the area and comment
on the draft Zandspruit and Surrounding Areas Transport Master Plan and Implementation Plan.

Please note that all comments must be made on the project webpage on or before 22 November
2021 for them to be included in the baseline study.

The project team can be contacted by phone on 011 209 2698 or by email on
ZandspruitTMP@nma.org.za if you have any questions about the study.

The contact people for the City of Johannesburg Transport Department are Nobuntu Duze at 071
413 9817 and by email on nobuntud@joburg.org.za or Pumza Mvinjelwa at 083 633 2861 and by
email on pumzamv@joburg.org.za

Information can also be found on the City of Johannesburg webpage at www.joburg.org.za or the
Johannesburg Development Agency website at www.jda.org.za

Transport Planning in the City of Johannesburg and the Zandspruit area
The City prepares many different plans to guide development in the City. The Joburg 2040 Growth
and Development Strategy (GDS) was approved in 2011 and sets out the long-term development
path for the City. It also provides the foundation for the five-year Integrated Development Plan
(IDP) which is the main medium-term development plan for the City. The GDS also provides
strategic direction for the other medium-term plans for the spatial, infrastructure, housing and
transport sectors.

One sector plan that forms part of the five-year IDP is the Spatial Development Framework (SDF).
The SDF 2040 was prepared in 2016 as a spatial policy document that sets the spatial vision for the
City. The SDF directs sustainable urban growth and development to address the inequality and
inefficiency in the City. Cities are largely founded on connectivity and access. They are places where
people and businesses concentrate to gain access to services and amenities. These include jobs,
economic activity, schools, healthcare facilities, services, cultural and religious experiences, leisure,
entertainment as well as interaction with other people. The SDF says that the City needs to
transform from a spread out, car-oriented city to a compact, polycentric (many different urban
nodes), mixed use and walkable City. Compact cities are more efficient and productive. They are
also more sustainable and promote the use of public transport rather than the private car. The
future polycentric Johannesburg will bring jobs to residential areas and housing opportunities to
employment areas rather than transporting people between the two. It will create complete nodes
with good public transport connections where people can live, work and play and it will bridge
spatial and social barriers to build a spatially just City.

Since the early 2000s, the City’s strategy for managing urban growth can be described as one of
compaction to promote higher density, mixed use development in well located parts of the City,
rather than outward sprawl (spreading the footprint of the city). Compact development allows
people to live close to where they work and go to school and promotes easy access to public
transport and other services. For this planning to work, high intensity development must be
concentrated in clearly defined ‘well located’ areas. These areas are described as nodes in the SDF.
The SDF required a review of existing nodes in the City and as a result the Nodal Review Policy
(NRP) was completed in 2020. In the NRP the Zandspruit and Cosmo City node is termed a Local
Economic Development Zone which has poor facilities, high unemployment and few economic
opportunities. The NRP prioritises interventions that will create economic opportunities in these
nodes.

The Comprehensive Integrated Transport Plan (CITP) is another sector plan that forms part of the
five-year IDP. The City prepared the Strategic Integrated Transport Plan Framework (SITPF) as the
first part of the CITP in 2013. The SITPF provides an overview of transport in the City and outlines
nine strategies to achieve the transport vision and goals of the City. The main priority is to move
away from private car use towards improved mobility and accessibility for people through
improvements to the public transport system. The key strategy is Transit-Oriented Development
(TOD), which aims to create strong, high-frequency public transport corridors with high density
residential development alongside the corridors and complex, mixed land use development in the
precinct nodes on these corridors. The City will develop integrated transport hubs in the TOD
precincts and improve the surrounding public environment where it is unsafe or unattractive,
particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. This will attract mixed use development and inclusionary,
high density housing to the precincts.

The City has a Framework for NMT which has identified 7 priority areas for the implementation of
NMT infrastructure and one of these areas is the Zandspruit / Cosmo City Priority Route to
Northgate. The new Cosmo City Gautrain Station is being planned close to Northgate and this NMT
infrastructure will now increase in importance. NMT refers mainly to walking and cycling which are
most appropriate for feeder routes to public transport stops and stations or as the main mode of
transport for short-distance, learner and convenience related trips. NMT also includes waste
reclaimers who use trolleys, parents with prams, the elderly and very young, commuters with
suitcases, as well as universal access for disabled users. Universal access refers to the elimination or
reduction of physical barriers through design principles that ensure transport infrastructure and
services are accessible to as many people as possible and especially those with special physical and
mental needs. Internationally, distances from 500m up to 1km and walking times of 30 minutes to
jobs or school and 15 minutes for trips to the shops or services are considered reasonable while
destinations should be within 10km for cycling. Many trips in the City cover longer distances than
this so NMT routes also need to help people reach public transport stops and stations. The City aims
to prioritise cyclist and pedestrian movements within streets and provide independent cycle and
pedestrian only paths that are separated from vehicles on roads with high traffic volumes. Safe
routes to school, links to public transport facilties, security features like lighting, good sight lines,
signage and CCTV cameras are all important features of NMT infrastructure as well as cycle storage
facilities and lockers at transport facilities like Gautrain stations and taxi ranks or destination points
such as schools, sports grounds and community facilities.

The current street environment does not prioritise pedestrian or cycle movements. When streets are
designed and constructed for all road users they become safer, more attractive and user friendly.
The City has introduced the Streets Alive programme which has an infrastructure component called
“Complete Streets” with a strong focus on sidewalks, dedicated or managed lanes for public
transport, cycling and freight, traffic calming, urban functionality and management as well as
attractive public spaces. Complete Streets are streets which are safe and convenient for everyone,
regardless of age, ability or mode of movement. The City wants all its streets to be “complete” in
the long term and it will focus on creating continuous cycling and pedestrian routes and networks.

Public transport facilities are also a key priority for the City and it is important to make these
facilities safe, secure and attractive if they are to attract good quality, mixed use development to
TOD precincts. Pedestrian and cycle access and proper passenger information and signage are also
essential components. The City has developed a new model for medium-sized public transport
facilities which includes trading stalls, holding facilities, loading bays for buses, minibus taxis and
metered taxis, wash bays, offices, a commuter square, ablution facilities, a control room with CCTV
cameras, waste bins, a tower clock, destination boards and an intercom system. Smaller on-street
facilities, where the road reserve is wide enough, may include loading bays, some holding bays,
some trading stalls and other infrastructure. The City will ensure that all public transport facilities
are well managed so that they are clean, safe, secure and do not become run down.

Proper planning for freight transport is also a key priority for the City. Freight transport is a vital
component of the supply chain and is essential for economic growth in the City. Some of the
negative impacts caused by loading and off-loading freight, such as double parking, can be
addressed by the provision of sufficient loading bays which are properly designed with a minimum
length of 12m and through proper policing to ensure bays are not used illegally by motorists.

The City’s Transport Department is responsible for all transport planning in the City and it has
developed a high-level public transport and NMT network plan as well as a freight management
plan. The Transport Department has also identified the public transport routes for City investment,
the NMT routes and a 10-year plan for funding. The Zandspruit and Surrounding Areas Transport
Master Plan is a new transport planning project of the City’s Transport Department.