Plan to turn Queen Victoria Street in Cape Town CBD into a one-way street

Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has invited residents to comment on it’s proposal to convert Queen Victoria Street in the central business district (CBD) into a one-way street.

The City announced on Wednesday, that residents are invited to comment on a proposal to convert Queen Victoria Street into a one-way street, in the direction of Wale Street towards Orange Street.

Submissions for this proposal have opened from today, and will close on March 11, 2021.

The City said that, over the years, it has received numerous complaints about congestion along Queen Victoria Street, which runs past the Western Cape High Court, the South African Museum, Planetarium, and Company Gardens.

Side-swipe accidents often occur along this street, largely due to the limited space available to passing traffic when the on-street parking bays are filled, and the frequency of large tour buses using this route during the tourist season.

“Our traffic engineers have done preliminary investigations and considered various solutions. The most feasible and easy to implement, is the proposal to turn Queen Victoria Street into a one-way street, from Wale Street all the way towards the mountain, where it intersects with Orange Street,” said mayco member for transport Felicity Purchase.

“Traffic flow will be improved, we will see fewer accidents, as there won’t be conflict between vehicles from different directions, and pedestrians will be safer given that they will only need to negotiate traffic coming from one direction.”

The choice of direction for the proposed one-way street is based on the following:

• Bus stops are located on the left-hand side of Queen Victoria Street when travelling towards Orange Street. Thus, by turning it into a one-way street, pedestrian safety will be improved, as commuters will have near-side boarding and alighting facilities, and would not need to cross the busy street
• Road safety will be improved, as traffic along Orange Street heading towards Buitengracht will not be permitted to turn right into Queen Victoria Street.

Purchase added: “We have also investigated the possible impact this proposal may have on signalised intersections in the area, taking diverted traffic into account.

“From our analysis, the additional traffic can be accommodated with changes to the timing of signals along the affected routes,’ she said.

Comments, recommendations, and input on the proposal to turn Queen Victoria Street into a one-way street can be submitted online at www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay and by email: Public.Participation@capetown.gov.za.

Residents can also send in submissions by hand to Good Hope Subcouncil Administration, 11th Floor, 44 Wale Street, Cape Town.

“I urge residents, business owners, and interested parties to please participate, and to submit their comments and proposals. We want to hear from you.

“The Transport Directorate will consider all proposals and comments, and will make a recommendation to council, who must consider the proposal, together with a report on the comments received during the public participation period,” Purchase said.

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