PART 5: DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK Figure 54: Revise Functional Road Hierarchy

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1 Figure 54: Revise Functional Road Hierarchy 93

2 The second step was to overlay the hierarchy with all the public transport modes planned to operate within the precinct as shown in Figure 58 below. Figure 55: Transportation Network 94

3 Based on this information, the major pedestrian trip attractors and generators were identified. The required linkages between these were analysed based on the shortest and most convenient routes, and underpinned by the pedestrian model that was developed as part of this project by Space Syntax 12. Irrespective of the pedestrian requirements, there are also mobility requirements for vehicular traffic. As mentioned before, the mobility requirements within the Sandton precinct reside on the circular ring-road. Once the precinct has been penetrated, the need for mobility diminishes. It is, however, important that some mobility spines do exist within the precinct to service the road-based public transport and also to accommodate the ingress and egress of private vehicles. These internal mobility routes do not, however, need to be continuous. The lack of continuity will be beneficial in that it will discourage thoroughfare which, in the case of Sandton, should be kept to the outer-ring road forming its boundaries. Areas where vehicle/pedestrian conflict would be of concern are highlighted, as well as corridors where pedestrian movement should be enhanced through design, as suggested in the remaining sections of this chapter. The pedestrian routes are indicated on Figure 59 which shows the pedestrian movement network. 12 Rosebank, Sandton UDF, Space Syntax, May

4 Figure 56: Pedestrian Movement Network 96

5 Part of the transportation strategy comprises specific mechanisms to support the development of a sustainable transportation system and network. These are: Development of a Roads Master Plan Assessment of traffic impact Development of a Travel Plan Measurement and monitoring of public transport accessibility levels. Development of a Roads Master Plan The requirements as set out in the previous paragraphs emphasize the urgent need for the development of a roads masterplan for the Sandton GRRL precinct area. A comprehensive roads master plan for the Sandton area should be developed within the framework as provided by this document. The roads masterplan will be used for the development of a traffic impact assessment as well as for the development of a travel plan. Such a masterplan should protect the existing and future functions of each road and span the entire road reserve to include all modes. It should highlight the areas where upgrades are required and where restrictions should be imposed. The plan should be developed in the context of existing zoning and land-uses, as well as future zoning and land-uses. The City s functional road hierarchy should also serve as primary input although it may be revised as part of the masterplan development process. The masterplan should furthermore take cognisance of the park-and-ride sites, the estimated carrying capacity of all modes (spare capacity), pedestrian walking contours, access management strategies, planned road upgrades and planned public transport upgrades. The Gauteng Policy for Traffic Impact Assessments (as discussed in Part 2) allows for a prospective developer to undertake such a study on behalf of the municipality in its absence. The fees for this study would be deductible from the developer s bulk contribution. It is therefore prudent that the City takes control of this process pro-actively, before development pressures catch up on this requirement. Assessment of traffic impact A Policy for Traffic Impact Assessments is being finalised and developed under the auspices of the Gauteng Transport Co-ordinating Committee (TCC) with the City of Johannesburg and the Johannesburg Roads Agency among its member contributors. The policy has the following basic components: The purpose, legal framework and requirements for traffic impact assessments The application and approval process that will be followed Requirements pertaining to report levels (thresholds and scales) Detailed requirements pertaining to the content of impact assessment reports. 97

6 The Policy for Traffic Impact Assessments must be used in the evaluation of all new applications within the Sandton node. The level of detail required by the new policy will ensure that applications consider all issues relevant to the approval of the development within the larger transportation framework. An important addition to the manual is the introduction of a Period of Validity. It states that a traffic impact assessment will be valid for a period of five years from the date on which the final report is submitted to the municipality. The application for the development must therefore be finalised during the prescribed period. If this period lapses before the application for the development is finalised, a new traffic impact assessment will be required. The relevance of this transportation urban development framework becomes important where the manual deals with Trip generation and Modal split (section 4.13 of the Policy for Traffic Impact Assessments in Gauteng). Trip generation factors will be provided in a Data Manual that can be used in the following circumstances: Level of private vehicle ownership: Factors are indicated in cases where a development is located in an area with a relatively low level of private vehicle ownership. Transit centres and corridors: Factors are indicated in cases where developments occur adjacent to transit centres and corridors. These factors, however, are only applicable when a development is located within a reasonable walking distance from the transit facilities. In terms of parking provision (section A 5 of the draft Policy for Traffic Impact Assessments in Gauteng), the policy document prescribes that all parking will be provided on-site and that no on-street parking will be considered. However, it further requires that parking must be provided in accordance with the town planning scheme (urban development framework) of the municipality. These parking requirements may, however, be increased or relaxed depending on circumstances. A list of parking relaxation criteria is provided in the policy. With specific reference to the above two issues, the following paragraphs provide additional information that should be used in the development of traffic assessments to assist the process within the Sandton GRRL precinct. It is critical to create a set of rules or parameters that assist practitioners in determining reasonable and defendable modal choice splits. In this section a number of different parameters are given which may encourage a shift from private vehicle modes to public transport modes (addressing demand). Given the number of parameters that may affect mode shift, it must be noted that no single parameter in isolation would result in a significant mode shift. Significant mode shift would rather be attained through a combination of parameters working in unison. Owing to the fact that the Sandton node will develop fundamentally differently from the rest of the urban landscape in terms of land-use densities, availability of public transport services and mix of land-use types, it is unlikely that a blanket trip rate per land-use type will be an appropriate methodology for assessing the impact of land-use developments in the node (as is the case for the current methodology). For this reason a departure will be made from the existing trip rate tables and a new framework for assessing the traffic impact of land-use developments within the node is proposed. The basic premise of the framework rests on the fact that new vehicle trips cannot be accommodated on the road network indefinitely and furthermore, road capacity cannot be increased at the same rate as trip-making demand. For this reason the new framework will focus to a large degree on person trips and to a lesser degree, on vehicle trips. The requirements surrounding the submissions that has to be made for approval will also change. 98

7 Land-use developments will, in future, still undoubtedly generate private vehicle trips. However, given the current levels of congestion on regional connector routes and distributor and access routes within the Sandton nodes, the primary transport mode to which person trips are allocated in future must increasingly shift towards public transport modes. The crux of the proposal therefore rests on determining the new mode choice mix or percentage breakdown between private vehicles and the available public transport modes in a precinct. Given the emphasis on public transport, the inclination may be for parties to assign an unreasonable percentage of person trips to public transport modes in order to guarantee a successful evaluation and approval of their traffic impact assessment. Development of a Travel Plan It would be required in the Sandton node that, in addition to a normal traffic assessment, all development applications (above a certain threshold as suggested in Table 10 below) should be supported by a travel plan. Travel plans are seen as a natural extension of the traffic assessment and need to establish how impacts identified by the traffic assessment are to be addressed through: the design of the development physical mitigation measures The active management of any or all contributing factors. The traffic assessment and travel plan need to be complimentary of each other: The traffic assessment to provide a frame of reference in transport terms for the development The travel plan to provide a vision of what is achievable. The traffic assessment therefore has to provide a clear trigger for the undertaking of a travel plan. A travel plan is required to have a realistic purpose. Travel plans seek not only to reduce vehicle demand created by developments, but also to enable and encourage trips to be made by modes other than cars. 99

8 Table 9: Proposed Indicative Threshold for Travel Plans 13 Land use Use/ description of development Size Travel Plan 1 Food retail (A1) Retail sale of food goods to the public food superstores, supermarkets, convenience food stores. 2 Non-food retail (A1) Retail sale of non-food goods to the public; but includes sandwich bars sandwiches or other cold food purchased and consumed off the premises, internet cafés >800 sq. m >1500 sq. m 3 A2 Financial and professional services Financial services banks, building societies and bureaux de change, professional services (other than health or medical services) estate agents and employment agencies, other services betting shops, principally where services are provided to visiting members of the public. >2500 sq. m 4 A3 Restaurants and cafés Restaurants and cafés used for the sale of food for consumption on the premised, excludes internet cafés (now A1) >2500 sq, m 7 B1 Business Offices other than in use within Class A2 (financial and professional services) Research and development laboratories, studios Light industry 8 B2 General industry General industry (other than classified as in B1). The former special industrial use classes, B3 B7, are now all encompassed in the B2 use class. >2,500 sq. m >4000 sq. m 9 B8 Storage or distribution Storage or distribution centres wholesale warehouses, distribution centres and repositories. >5000 sq. m 10 C1 Hotels Hotels, boarding houses, guest houses, and development falls within this class if no significant >100 bedrooms 13 Guidance on Transport Assessment, Department of Transport, March

9 element of care is provided. Bedroom 11 C2 Residential institutions hospitals, nursing homes Used for the provision of residential accommodation and care of people in need of care Beds >50 beds 15 D1 Non-residential institutions Medical and health services clinics and heath centres, crèches, day nurseries, day centres and consulting rooms (not attached to the consultant s or doctor s house), museums, public libraries, art galleries, exhibition halls, non-residential education and training centres, places of worship, religious instruction and church halls >1000 sq. m The requirement for a travel plan, irrespective of the thresholds suggested in the above table, should be subject to the discretion of the planning authorities of the City of Johannesburg. 101

10 4.3 Develop appropriate urban form, land use and urban design guidelines Form and Mix of Uses Sandton remains a commercial and economic hub of activity. Land uses characterised within the project area are predominantly office and retail with hospitality and residential uses scattered throughout. A large amount of street level uses are sacrificed to parking, creating dead street edges. Active edges along street fronts on ground level include public, retail or office activities and consist of a degree of transparency so that there are eyes on the street to improve the safety of users through passive policing of public space. It is important to allow for enough mixed uses along the street level to attract pedestrians along the edges of buildings. The problem with densification is associated with: 1. Land values not matching those of potential densification profits so that certain areas stagnate; 2. Haphazard development: an area s growth should be monitored to occur incrementally in phases; 3. The built typology: the identity of a place based on vegetation and the relationship of buildings. The urban design proposes an average height of 40 storeys within Sandton Central, with the possibility of higher values within certain sites which have value as landmarks. These are seen to be as close as possible to the Michelangelo which is currently the highest building in the district. Commercial and residential strips identified along Sandton, Rivonia, Katherine and Grayston, are limited to 15 storeys. (Refer to Figure 61 & 62 on the following pages). The surrounding areas filtering into residential suburbs are seen to maintain their residential character with heights reaching up to 5 storeys. 102