The new cycle path from Cape Town to Table View is nearing completion and already in full use. Roadies, mountain bikers, families and commuters are all starting to enjoy the car-free lane and reaping the benefits. Hopefully this fantastic project will inspire other city councils to take action. Take a look at some pics snapped by a Bicycling reader on his commute one day.
Thanks to Rodney Dicks for the photos.
Cycle Path in Cape Town
Well done CAPETOWN
as it looks the cycle path goes in and out from Blouberg direction….. so a bit safer as in the past…. would be fantastic if you could build some more….
reg.
a capetown friend and cyclist
They should do a test over 1 weeks. Bike versus car- in and out, and see who wins over the entire week. You could also do it in winter time when the traffic is even worse!! Just got to find some nut who would ride in mid-winter storms!!
This is GREAT!
Where exactly does the cycle path start in Cape Town?
and what is the total distance to the end in Table View?
thanks!
This is GREAT!
Where exactly does the cycle path start in Cape Town?
and what is the total distance to the end in Table View?
thanks!
I love the path !!!
Cycling to gym in Tableview from Milnerton Ridge at 6pm past all the stationary cars is a great feeling. Doing a few Classes at gym then cycling home in the dark with my lights…REAL SAFE !!!
Weekends makes for a nice ride to Cape Town through the harbour up the side of Table mountain then down through Sea Point and the V&A, back through the Harbour and home (54KM) Need to do something about the stretch from the Market to the Harbour though.
I love greeting the parents with their kids and the joggers along the route…it is more of a Family path than a Cycle path.
I feel as though I have been safely connected to Table View and Town from my base in Milnerton Ridge.
Summer I will be cycling with the family and my 7 year old will have a nice ride on her bicycle with an ice-cream as a reward at the other end in Table View.
A Million Thank you’s to the City Council.
I can see only one problem with commuting in and out on a daily basis and that is the terrible pollution you’ll be ingesting.
Other than that, it seems like a dream ride for weekends though! God-willing, I’ll soon be on it ;-)))))))))
Check this link out if you are wanting to see where the new bicycle lanes come from and go to at the moment. http://irideafrica.com/blog/2010/11/09/new-cycle-lanes-in-cape-town/
I commute daily from Blouberg beachfront to the centre of the CBD on a MTB. I use a MTB mainly for safety considerations :1) I complete the route to town in the morning through the harbour which has rather vicous railway tracks 2) The wind can be severe in the afternoon travelling out of town 3) nice to have good brakes 4) things, holes and kerbs. 5) better visability with a more upright position.
Morning commute:
The first two kilometres is along the beachfront on a demarcated cycle lane in the shoulder, the next fourteen kilometres are on the dedicated cycle track and the last section I ride in the shoulder on Marine Drive (into the traffic) and then through the harbour and into town. This trip is 18.9 km.
Evening commute:
I exit town on the N1 and then join up with the cycle track and repeat the trip in reverse. This trip is 18.3 km.
During the last six weeks commuting (the start of the windy summer months) the head wind in the morning slows up the ride but in the evening the commute is far faster.
My average commute times in and out are 48 and 40 minutes respectivly. I also ride with slightly less effort in the morning so as not to arrive at work to steramed up.
Driving times by car vary dramatically depending on traffic but would generally vary from 30 minutes (very seldom) to 60 minutes . Yesterday with the traffic chaos in town my collegue took 45 minutes to exit the parking garage!! Generally I save about 10 -15 minutes a day on the evening commute and take about 20 minutes longer in the morning as I used to leave by car before the traffic build up (06h10).
The cycle track has changed my commuting nightmare into 88 minutes of fun and exercise everyday.
Thanks to all concerned.
Wow!! Being fortunate to visit many European cities and envying the cyclists / commuters on their cycle paths I often wondered why we can’t have it here in SA where the weather is in our favor. My +/-13km trip to my offices here on the outskirts of Pretoria is an absolute nightmare. I have gotten off the roadbike onto my mtb just to be able to leave the road and do some curb hopping – for my life. Hope the town council here catches on.. I have my doubts… Well done Cape Town!!
very good, very cool idea ~ its about time cyclists earned a little road respect, other cities should really consider this concept.. its so environmentally friendly.. id love to cycle on it (“,)
If we had that in Durban the Minibus Taxi,s would use it as an extra lane.
Skitterend! Een van die dae gaan die fietspad so besig wees dat daar nog een gebou sal moet word!
Why do you guys still go through the harbour? The lanes go all the way into town and end up at the back of the train station.
Waiting for all the construction to be complete. There are also some concerns about safety on some of those remote sections until the security etc is put in place.
I just wish they would do something like this in the Southern Suburbs especially along the Argus route were everyone likes to ride and the drivers are always complaining about the cyclists in the road .
The new route is great for the family ride especially if you have yough kids and they want to be active and also to encourage them to be active in a safe enviroment
Thank
I should probably remind most here that the cycle lane project is not a separate project.
Its called an Integrated Rapid Transit system, so it includes the dedicated bus lanes from Table View to the CBD as part of Phase 1, which includes, walking and cycle lanes.
As the project is rolled out across the city, more and more routes will have the bus lanes, and cycle lanes, and where possible act as links to rail, which will remain the backbone of public transport.
Example: somebody can travel to Woodstock and use the IRT bus up to Table View, and beyond in the future.
Its a great facility. The landscape maintenance needs work – on the inaugural ride, I must have counted well over a dozen people with punctures – I myself punctured both tyres. The lamposts in the pathway need high visibility treatment. Otherwise, its fantastic – now for the rest of the city, please!