Traffic and related matters topped the agenda of the Greater Lynfrae Civic Association’s recent annual general meeting at which a senior traffic engineer with the City of Cape Town was the guest speaker.
In addition to addressing concerns raised by the residents, Tim de Villiers also highlighted the role his department plays and how the City’s traffic calming policies are applied.
These policies determine how traffic flow and speed can be controlled through the use of physical measures such as speed humps, raised pedestrian crossings, traffic circles and raised intersections.Of particular concern to residents was the intersection of Belvedere and Queen Victoria roads where residents said they struggled to get out of their driveways.
Mr De Villiers explained that traffic calming was applied according to a number of factors and “could not be applied generally across the area.”
According to the City’s traffic calming policy, he said, Queen Victoria Road is identified as a Class 4 road, which restricted the City to implementing traffic calming measures only if they did not cause a hazard to road users or impact negatively on people using public transport.
He also pointed out that sometimes introducing traffic calming caused further traffic delays.
Resident, Kaz Henderson, suggested carpooling as a possible solution to the congestion in the area. “One of the key solutions to solving this traffic congestion is carpooling. We are not going to shift driver behaviour or mindsets, but if we can put more people into fewer cars we will have less of these problems,” she said.
New members elected to the Great Lynfrae Civic Association committee are Kaz and Roy Henderson, while Val Bennet, Alan Jackson, Stephen Bredencamp, Madeline Sweeney, Colleen Attfield and Leanne van Rensburg were re-elected.
Allan Rhodes will continue in his role as chairperson of the sub-committee and chairperson, Margie le Roux, said the committee members’ portfolios will be determined when they meet on Wednesday May 2.
