Feasibility Studies of Solutions to Address Informal Pedestrian Crossing of the Railway Lines in the City of Cape Town

Abstract

In the City of Cape Town, pedestrians follow desire lines and cross railway lines to access public transport, public facilities and employment areas. The informal crossing of railway lines is unsafe and has resulted in many fatalities and severe injuries with disruptions to the commuter rail service. Locations in which informal crossings and/or injuries and fatalities are concentrated are called “Hotspots” and 17 such locations have been identified and prioritized for intervention. GIBB (Pty) Ltd was appointed in 2016 to undertake detailed site investigations, identify proposed interventions and prepare conceptual designs where pedestrian bridges or underpasses are proposed as interventions for Hotspots. A Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) based methodology was developed in the absence of local and international warrants to aid in deciding when new pedestrian bridges or underpasses can be regarded as an appropriate intervention. The methodology developed provides a tool which can be used by decision makers who need to address either informal crossing of railway lines or major roads. The project as a whole also provides many valuable lessons to be considered, notably the need for the collection of data that is of a high quality.