An expose of the state of cycling in South African cities: insights from the city of Johannesburg

Abstract

Over the past years, cycling has received increased attention around the world due to its environmental, economic, social, and health benefits. Cities such as Johannesburg have started to promote cycling as a smart and green mode of transport and are adopting policies to encourage cycling as a daily mode of transport. In this study, the state of infrastructure, and the promotion of accessibility and mobility for cycling in the City of Johannesburg were investigated. Interviews were held with various experts in transportation in the City of Johannesburg. Records from Strava Metro derived spatial patterns, and trends and GPS tracked the spatial and temporal coverage of cycling activities. The ArcGIS Pro was used to spatially analyse the geographical location information. Geospatial modelling Environment applications jointly with map algebra and spatial analyst functions were used to calculate the descriptive statistics of cycling patterns and trends. The results indicate that the locations with no cycling infrastructure have limited to no cycling activities. In the inner city area, the existing cycling lanes are cold zones for cycling and as a result, motorised transport modes are currently using the cycling lanes. Spatial observations reveal an increase in the number of cycling activities in townships. The results of this study could be beneficial to policymakers in identifying the main barriers and motivators for the public to promote cycling. The study concludes that the City of Johannesburg has many opportunities to improve infrastructure for nonmotorised transport, following the recommended coherent efforts of planning for sustainable and stimulant non-motorised transport.