Randburg CBD to receive a new look

The Randburg CBD Public Environment Upgrade Project will see new pedestrian crossings, pavements, plants, street furniture, trader stores, a revamp of the clock tower, and more.

The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) is leading the project and consulting with urban designers and landscape architects.

The month of July will be used to advertise the tender and find a contractor, while the construction period is set for August this year until October next year (14 months).

An online public meeting was held by the agency and its consultants, for residents and stakeholders on June 21.

There, residents raised concerns that were just about all addressed on the day, and Ward 102 councillor David Potter commended the planning team on their extensive work.

Concerns mainly revolved around storm water drainage, safety of pedestrians on the elevated pavements (1.5m above street level at some points), making pavement barriers replaceable instead of just aesthetically pleasing, ensuring power for the new clock tower, vehicle stop points, speeding vehicles and taxis stopping at the new traffic lights and zebra crossing. All these have already been planned for and storm water and traffic infrastructure will be upgraded.

One of the main features is a formal pedestrian crossing on the corner of Bram Fischer Drive and Jan Smuts Avenue, which will include a raised pedestrian crossing over Bram Fischer Drive and a universally accessible pedestrian ramp to Hill Street.

In some places, there will be pavement where there was barely room for pavement before.

Even the existing green corridor will be redone, and new facilities for traders will include lockers for them to keep possessions safe during the day.

Several engineers and architects were present in the meeting and during the questions-and-answers section they could not find one flaw that had not or would not be attended to. They unanimously agreed the project had been set out exceptionally.

Details as small as the new trees mainly being indigenous also impressed those in attendance.

Project objectives

Following the meeting, agency spokesperson Kenneth Nxumalo told Randburg Sun the objectives of the project are

• To create open spaces that are attractive and make them useful to the community for economic development
• Optimise land use and improve mobility
• Create a compact well-connected and accessible transport network in Randburg CBD
• To promote more sustainable modes of transport such as public transport, walking and cycling
• Evaluate community needs based on planned infrastructure and spatial planning.

A separate public meeting will be held looking at how cyclists and the bus rapid transit system will be impacted. The proposed new Gautrain station and route will not be affected.

The agency said the progress of the project would be published on the City’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Randburg Sun will continue to follow the story of this project and publish information.

Residents can make submissions to the project by emailing l.ngcosini@gmail.com or lqangule@jda.org.za

Related Article:

Proposed Gautrain stations in Randburg CBD and Northgate may have minimal environmental impact