Mexico City's Metrobus has lead to a 15 percent mode shift from cars to public transport. Photo by Eduardo Ortiz.

This post is part of a series covering the 2011 Sustainable Transport Symposium in Kocaeli, Turkey from April 6-8, 2011, an event hosted by EMBARQ, the producer of this blog. The second day of the symposium included sessions on BRT and rail systems, transport finance, emissions and road safety.

BRT AND OTHER INTEGRATED TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

Dario Hidalgo, director of research and practice for EMBARQ (the producer of this blog), kicked off the day with an overview of bus rapid transit and review of worldwide BRT systems. Hidalgo said that “traditionally we tried to solve the problems facing cities (accidents, pollution, congestion) by building more road capacity. But that is like trying to cure obesity by expanding the size of your pants. We are not able to build our way out of congestion. And those that try tend to consume more energy per capita.” Cities, like those European cities presented on Day One, use less energy. The U.S. consumes more. And as Hidalgo said, Turkish cities can choose which path to follow.

Sustainable transport solutions aim to avoid trips, shift trips to walking, biking and public transit, and improve the efficiency of existing systems and technology. Bus rapid transit systems are one important component of sustainable transport. Hidalgo defined the key elements of BRT: exclusive lanes, full stations not just bus stops, level boarding, large buses with multiple doors, centralized control and a distinctive image. He also reinforced that bus systems can be high quality, user-oriented, fast, reliable and low-cost transport solutions.

Hidalgo highlighted Curitiba and Bogotá’s famous BRT systems and shared examples of lesser known BRT systems from across Latin America. He pointed out that cities don’t need wide right of ways, like Bogotá and Istanbul have, in order to implement BRT. After all, Pereira, Colombia’s Megabús operates on very narrow one-way downtown streets. Hidalgo says cities just need to make the decision to prioritize bus passengers in whatever space they do have.

Hidalgo went on to summarize the remarkable growth the BRT industry has experienced over the last 10 years. BRT used to be a little known concept, and now many cities around the world are considering BRT as a sustainable transport option, and for good reason. With their sustainable transport policies, Bogotá has been able to curb use of cars, keeping transit and non-motorized transport mode shares high, while reducing road fatalities.

Yorgos Voukas, CTS-Mexico’s director of integrated transport, continued the discussion of co-benefits of BRT systems by sharing the story of how the Metrobus BRT system helped transform Mexico City. With a population of about 20 million, Mexico City has 50 million daily trips on all transport modes. Voukas said that for every child born in Mexico City, two cars enter the roadways. That’s 200,000 cars per year, leading to congestion, an estimated 440 million tons of CO₂ per year and 2,172 road fatalities.

Metrobus, Mexico City’s 67-kilometer BRT system moves 600,000 passengers per day and has lead to a 15 percent mode shift from cars to public transport, an equivalent of 72,000 people leaving their car each day. Metrobus is one of the few BRT systems in the world receiving carbon credits for its CO2 reductions; it receives $192,000 per year. Furthermore, travel times have improved along the Metrobus corridors by 40 percent to 50 percent, and along Insurgentes Avenue alone, there has been an 84 percent reduction in annual road fatalities.

Voukas pointed out that this transformation has not been easy. The private bus operating companies and government sometimes have competing interests, so patience and understanding were required. But in the end, the individual bus operators who later became the Metrobus operating companies benefited from more organized bus operations, economies of scale, financial solvency and better working conditions. The government provided a more regulated, safe and accessible public transport system, and users gained a high quality public transit service.

Metrobus will continue to transform Mexico City, as it is expanded from three to 10 corridors.

The majority of trips in Amsterdam are made by non-motorized modes. Photo by Kimberly Jones.

Remco Suk described Amsterdam’s transport system, which features national and regional rail, metro, trams and buses. For 35 years, the city’s transportation policy has focused on reducing car use, and increasing bicycling and public transport. One way the city has tried to achieve this is by setting minimum design and performance requirements for the car, bike and rail networks. For instance, there are minimum speed targets for each mode. As a result, public transport and bicycles really compete with the car since they are just as fast in town. Amsterdam has also effectively used parking pricing to influence travel behavior and choices. Charging €5 per hour for parking in the city center helps shift trips from autos to non-motorized transport and public transit.

Amsterdam boasts nearly an equal mode split between public transport, bicycling and cars, and 60% of Amsterdam’s mobility is non-auto. According to Suk, bicycling really dominates short trips in the city, while public transport and cars are used for medium- to long-distance trips.

According to Abdulmuttalip Demirel, the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, with a population of about 1.5 million, currently has unregulated transit fares and bus routes that are not well integrated. The Municipality is developing plans for an integrated public transport system and has begun to make initial improvements. Officials recently made study tours to Transport for London to learn about bus driver training guidelines, as well as to Mexico City to learn about the Metrobús BRT system. Bus stops have been upgraded to modern and accessible bus shelters and a “smart stop” passenger display with next bus arrival information is being piloted at certain bus stops. Kocaeli will make further improvements by restructuring the city-wide bus routes into a regulated system with a single transport operating company and automatic fare system.

TRANSPORT PROJECT FINANCE

The second session of the day looked at transport project finance mechanisms. David Willecomme shared the French Development Agency’s (AFD) approach to supporting global sustainable cities. The agency aims to strengthen local capacity, improve urban living and promote sustainable territorial development through urban transport projects. AFD invests or loans €7 billion per year, and there are currently 30 AFD-supported urban transport projects in progress or consideration, including BRT, light rail and metro projects.

Willecomme shared three examples of AFD-funded urban transport projects. Amman, Jordan is constructing a system of 40 kilometers of light rail and 52 kilometers of BRT in order to shift trips to public transit. An urban regeneration project in Medellin, Colombia included  one tram and two Metrocable lines linking the city center with poorer areas in the surrounding hills. AFD supported transport and open space improvements along Curitiba’s linha verde BRT corridor to reduce CO2 emissions and protect native flora and fauna species.

Metrocable reaches the least developed suburban areas of Medellin, Colombia.

Dr. Ahmet Keşli, from a Turkish organization called International PPP Platform, discussed the application of public-private partnerships (PPP) to sustainable urban transport. Dr. Kesli claimed that between 2020 and 2023, TL 500 billion ($330 billion) are needed to meet Turkey’s infrastructure needs. These public funds are not available, so innovative financing options are needed. PPP is one possible financing instrument.

As the U.S. Federal Highway Administration explains, public-private partnerships are contractual agreements formed between a public agency and a private sector entity that allow for greater private sector participation in the delivery and financing of transportation projects. There are many different PPP models, each with different distribution of risks between the public and private parties that can be used to support new transport projects, or operate or expand existing infrastructure or services. Dr. Kesli pointed out that globally the transport sector uses PPP more than other public sectors, and it has potential to be a successful model for developing sustainable transport in Turkey.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

Rochelle Sobel of the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) opened the third and final session with a discussion about road safety. She has a very personal perspective on road safety, as her 25-year-old son, Aron, was killed in a bus crash on Turkey’s Bodrum-Izmir Highway in 1995. ASIRT was founded in response to this crash, to promote local road safety through education and advocacy. In Turkey there is an urgent need to address road safety as each year 10,000 people are killed and 200,000 are injured in road crashes. One third of these deaths are from vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists. Turkey’s road fatality rate is 3 to 6 times higher than other EU countries. Sobel suggests factors contributing to Turkey’s crash rate include lack of priority given to pedestrians, better road infrastructure that encourages drivers to speed, and lack of bus safety.

ASIRT’s goals in Turkey include supporting governments with the implementation of good practices to reduce road fatalities and injuries, focusing on reducing vehicle speeds and increasing seat belt usage. Sobel reminded the audience that the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety will be launched May 11, 2011, and called on participants to commit to making road safety a priority in their municipalities.

Finally, Dr. Alper Unal, assistant professor at Istanbul Technical University, shared results from an Istanbul vehicle emissions inventory he completed in partnership with EMBARQ. The researchers concluded that a suite of solutions are needed to curb transport sector emissions. For instance, new vehicles should have strict emissions standards, and technological solutions were needed to curb particulate matter (PM) emissions from buses. Diesel particulate filters were tested on local buses and reduced PM by 98 percent and other pollutants by 60 percent.

Dr. Unal’s team also measured personal exposure to particulate matter on Istanbul’s Metrobus BRT buses and found that the concentration of particulate matter was higher on conventional buses than the BRT. Since personal exposure is a function of the concentration of the pollutant, and the amount of time a person spends in the polluted environment, personal exposure to PM is lower on the BRT system since the travel time is so much lower compared to the conventional bus system. Dr. Unal concluded that BRT is an effective way to reduce exposure to PM in Turkish cities.

Old meets new in the same station of the London Underground. Photo by Ian Mansfield.

This post is part of a series covering the 2011 Sustainable Transport Symposium in Kocaeli, Turkey from April 6-8, 2011, an event hosted by EMBARQ, the producer of this blog.

In the first day of the 2011 Sustainable Transport Symposium in Kocaeli, Turkey, EMBARQ Turkey Director Sibel Bulay highlighted the need for three dimensions of sustainability: economic, social and environmental. She called for a change in cities’ priorities, from moving cars to moving people.

Speakers presented examples and lessons learned from cities that have adopted a sustainable transport vision. Nick Bromley discussed Transport for London’s integrated approach to transit, economic development and land use planning, highlighting the importance of political leadership and sound planning. Bromley reinforced the concept of using a carrots-and-sticks approach to achieve sustainable transport goals: provide disincentives for using private cars, while increasing the supply of transit and biking.

Tramways line the streets of historic downtown Bremen, Germany. Photo by Allie_Caulfield.

Several speakers shared examples of sustainable transport from cities in the European Commission’s CIVITAS Initiative to support and evaluate the implementation of ambitious integrated sustainable urban transport strategies.

Michael Glotz-Richter described some of Bremen, Germany’s sustainable transport programs and policies. While he acknowledged the city’s advances in clean vehicles, he pointed out that electric vehicles don’t reduce the number of vehicles in the city and therefore don’t address transport issues, such as congestion or road safety. Glotz-Richter went on to describe Bremen’s car-sharing system, explaining that for certain people, sharing a car is more cost-effective than owning a car. He offered the analogy, “Would you buy a cow if you want a glass of milk?”

BEST PRACTICES OF SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION

Bruno Corbucci talked about the vehicle access restrictions Rome, Italy implemented in 2001 to reduce the number of vehicles in the city center. The automatic plate number recognition system identifies unregistered vehicles and issues them a fee for entering the city center. Rome’s local mobility agency developed an intelligent transportation system that provides online public transit and park-and-ride information, trip planning, schedules and maps. This evolved into an information technology tool for managing transport systems at large events and was demonstrated at the 2010 South Africa World Cup and Delhi Commonwealth Games and will be piloted at the London 2012 Summer Olympics.

Graz, the second largest city in Austria and 2008 CIVITAS City of the Year, prioritizes “Gentle Mobility,” which Gudrun Uranitsch explained includes walking, biking and public transport. Uranitsch shared many examples of how Graz has transformed itself from a car-oriented city to a citizen-oriented city. Most notably, the speed limit was reduced to 30 kilometers per hour on 80 percent of city streets (it’s only 50 kilometers per hour on arterials.) The city declares its love of cyclists by posting colorful signs around the city that say “Thank you for cycling” and educates citizens of all ages to ride bicycles safely, with lessons on the street in real traffic.

Dr. Hayri Baraçli, general manager of IETT, Istanbul’s public transport agency, pointed out that the city’s transport system consists of diverse services from local bus to heavy rail and carries 3 million passengers per day (1 billion per year.) The cumulative distance these passengers travel daily would circle the earth 12 times each day. Istanbul’s Metrobüs BRT is currently expanding the 43-kilometer system by 10 kilometers. It saves 613 tonnes of CO2 every day and moves 30,000 passengers per hour in each direction at commercial speeds of 42 kilometers per hour. Metrobüs can continue to improve by addressing some of the lessons learned from the initial corridor. But, as the session moderator, Professor Gökmen Ergün remarked, Metrobüs is a success story with an extraordinary capacity. It deserves the name Metro!

Metro do Porto shares the upper deck of the Dom Luís bridge with pedestrians. Photo by Daniel Sparing.

EXAMPLES FROM EUROPEAN CITIES

Alexandre Blaquiere discussed how Toulouse, France is focused on linking urban planning and public transport policies in order to increase public transport use. The city didn’t have enough money to extend the rail network, so instead, focused on integrating existing modes to provide passengers with more choices. Toulouse found that public transit signal prioritization reduced travel time by 10 percent to 15 percent and waiting times at traffic lights by 50 percent. They found that transport-on-demand service was an appropriate solution in lower density areas with demand of less than 2,000 passengers per day.

Tom Godefrooij of the Interface for Cycle Expertise (I-CE) of the Netherlands said that cycling is an important component of sustainable transport and particularly well suited for short door-to-door trips. In many cities in the world, a significant number of trips are short enough to be made by bike: in the U.K. one third of all trips is less than 1 mile. In the U.S. half of all trips are less than 3 miles, and in Indian cities between 56 percent and 72 percent of trips are less than 5 kilometers (3.1 miles.) So there’s great potential for cities in these countries to increase their bicycling mode shares. Godefrooij also pointed out that using bicycles as feeders to public transport effectively extends the catchment area of the transit system. He recommended that cities be sure their bicycle network are coherent, direct and safe.

Pedro Pereira presented Porto, Portugal’s Metro system. The 63-kilometer rail system was completed in less than 10 years under a public-private partnership agreement, with about €2.5 billion capital investment from government sources. Twelve percent of trips, or 53.4 million passengers per year, are carried on Metro, with 25 percent of users coming from cars.  The architecture and urban design of the new metro stations has been a priority, and after construction began, the bus system was reorganized to ensure the bus routes were fully integrated with the Metro stations. Metro do Porto makes community engagement a priority and regularly has musicians perform in the stations. Regular surveys indicate 80 percent customer satisfaction.

Kassel, Germany, the sister city of Kocaeli (the host city of this week’s conference) provided the final sustainable transportation example.  Sabine Helms described Kassel’s tram, RegioTram Nordhessen, to illustrate how trams can constitute sustainable transport especially in small- and medium-sized towns. The region couldn’t afford to extend the heavy rail network, so instead, RegioTram uses existing regional rail network infrastructure plus local surface roads to enable residents to travel from surrounding areas to the city center without transfers. The trains use hybrid electric vehicles, with a diesel engine for parts of the corridor without overhead electric wires. The €180 million project increased public transport ridership from less than 2 million passengers per year to 5 million passengers per year.

To see the full agenda, visit the official event website: www.surdurulebilirulasim.org

The conference is also being streamed live: http://www.tbbtv.gov.tr

And don’t forget to stay in touch on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/surdurulebilirulasim

Johannesburg provided spectators with a variety of transport connections to each stadium. Image from City of Johannesburg.

During a recent trip to South Africa, I found Johannesburg polished and looking its best for the World Cup, and the match day transport services were well-planned and efficient.

While this was my first World Cup, I did attend the FIFA Confederations Cup at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park last year and felt that poorly organized transport detracted from an otherwise enjoyable event. The dress rehearsal was clearly useful, as the city managed to provide well-organized transport this time around for the World Cup.

No parking was provided for private vehicles at Soccer City or Ellis Park stadium, and despite a limited existing public transport system, Johannesburg provided fans with a variety of match day transport options.

Central to the transport scheme were two intermodal transport hubs – the Westgate hub downtown and the Sandton hub about 7.5 miles north of downtown. The match day transport services included:

• Park & Walk – park near the stadium and walk along a designated route; prepaid ticket R50 ($7) per car
• Park & Ride – park and catch a shuttle bus to the stadium; prepaid ticket R50 ($7) per car
• Rea Vaya BRT – BRT trunk route between Soweto and downtown services both stadiums; R12 ($1.50) round-trip
• Metrorail – commuter rail servicing both stadiums; free with a match ticket
• Gautrain – high speed rail service between OR Tambo International airport and Sandton; feeder buses R11 ($1.50) and train R100 ($13) each way
• Sandton Bus Shuttle – a shuttle bus service between Sandton and the Westgate transport hub downtown; R40 return or R50 for a return ticket plus Rea Vaya BRT connection to stadium
• Airport Shuttles—shuttle buses transport passengers from OR Tambo international airport to Westgate Transport Hub, and from regional Lanseria airport to the Sandton hub

Useful maps were developed, just not readily available. A consolidated trip planning website could have helped spectators plan their match day transport.

According to Joburg’s 2010 Office, about 25% of the city’s 487,700 World Cup spectators used Park & Ride, 30% used Park & Walk, 20% used Metrorail and more than 25% relied on Rea Vaya BRT. Clearing the stadiums after the matches took less than 2 hours.

To get to five games, three at Soccer City and two at Ellis Park, I used Park & Walk, Park & Ride and Rea Vaya BRT services. And on a separate occasion I rode Gautrain to the airport. Overall each of the different transport options worked smoothly and efficiently.

Park & Walk

I used the Soccer City stadium Park & Walk for one afternoon game. Spectators walking to the stadium were able to soak in the festival atmosphere with other costumed fans tooting their vuvuzelas, and purchase food and souvenirs from local vendors outside the official FIFA sponsor zone. However, it was a long 2-kilometer walk and I waited nearly 30 minutes in a queue of cars trying to leave the parking lot through the only exit.

Park & Ride

I used the Wits University Park & Ride twice to Ellis Park and once from Soccer City. This was dramatically improved over the crowded and disorganized Confed Cup Wits Park & Ride. Since parking tickets had to be purchased in advance this year, the volume of cars didn’t exceed the capacity of the facility. Passengers boarded three double-decker buses simultaneously, so wait times and people’s frustrations were minimized. On the way home, bus pick-up points were clearly signed, and queue marshals and channeled fencing help manage the crowds. One night I did wait 30 minutes to board a bus in 3°C temperatures, but fans joyfully played their vuvuzelas and broke out in verses of Shosholoza.

Rea Vaya BRT bus departing the Soccer City station in front of the stadium. Photo by Aileen Carrigan，

Rea Vaya BRT

Starting four hours before kickoff, the BRT trunk service carried spectators to each stadium.  The BRT was also used in conjunction with two park & ride facilities – a “park & BRT” service, really. One advantage of using Rea Vaya was that it dropped people off so close to the stadiums.  From the Westgate Transport Hub , BRT dropped spectators off at the main pedestrian promenade on the south side of Soccer City. From the Constitution Hill park & ride, I caught BRT to the Soccer City station in the middle of the Soweto Highway north of the stadium. An impressive new pedestrian access tunnel under the Soweto Highway allows fans to move quickly from the BRT station to the stadium entrance.

The travel time from Constitution Hill to Soccer City (12 kilometers partly in mixed traffic) was about 15 minutes, and 10 minutes from the Westgate Transport Hub (8 kilometers in dedicated bus lane). The Rea Vaya stations were well staffed with helpful volunteers and there were clear directions between the stadiums and BRT stations. We did wait about 20 minutes to board a BRT bus at Soccer City one night, and one source of delay was the fans crossing the busway to get to the BRT station or to walk to the park & ride and park & walk facilities.

Gautrain, Gauteng province’s new high speed train, carries passengers from Sandton to OR Tambo International Airport at top speed of 160km/hr. Photo by Aileen Carrigan.

Gautrain

While I didn’t use Gautrain on a match day, I did ride the high-speed train between Sandton and the airport on another occasion. And it didn’t disappoint! Driving to the airport from one of Johannesburg’s northern suburbs during morning rush hour could easily take an hour or more. Instead, I drove 20 minutes and parked at the Sandton station. About 16 minutes after boarding, I disembarked inside the airport terminal.

The fare from Sandton to the airport is R100 ($13) each way. Parking costs about R29 ($3.80) for each of the first two days, and R97.50 ($12.70) for each day thereafter. So, I spent nearly $60 for the convenience and comfort of the train. On the other hand, four days in airport long term parking would have only cost $18 but I’d have the stress and uncertainty of driving in rush hour traffic. If I traveled frequently for business, I would probably pay extra for the Gautrain. Eventually, if the feeder bus network expands, saving the parking fee and spending R20 ($2.60) to catch a feeder bus to the Sandton station will be a more affordable option.

Again, there were lots of helpful staff in the Gautrain stations and on the trains. However, the delightfully first-world experience was tarnished by terribly long lines at the ticketing machines and the low-throughput turnstiles. Still, the system was well-used (too well-used, even) and very convenient.

In all, Johannesburg provided spectators ample transport opportunities to each stadium. For a city with limited public transport service, their match day transport was well planned and efficient. A highlight of my World Cup experience, for sure.

World Cup fans celebrate their host city. Photo by AfricanGoals2010.

I’ve been in Johannesburg for the past two and a half weeks for the World Cup, perfecting my vuvuzela skills, watching endless hours of soccer and enjoying the fantastic festival atmosphere here.

Living in Cape Town in 2004 when South Africa was announced as the 2010 host, I first became intrigued by how an international event such as the World Cup could help to transform South African cities. And recently I had an opportunity to spend a year (2008-2009) working in Johannesburg with the Rea Vaya BRT project team. So for me, returning to Johannesburg for the World Cup was as much about soccer as it was a chance to see firsthand how the city has been transformed.

Joburg shines these days with a touch of extra color and polish. The participating country flags line the highways, a soccer ball balances atop the Hillbrow Tower, and the trusses of the Nelson Mandela Bridge feature the image of Mandela holding the World Cup trophy.

The city boasts shiny new stadium precincts and efficient public transport, but small changes in the inner city have really caught my attention. Recent public investment is evident in urban upgrades and new parks around town.

Statue and redesigned plaza in front of the Chancellor House BRT station. Photo by Aileen Carrigan.

New and refurbished public spaces

Near the Chancellor House Rea Vaya BRT station, a former parking lot has been converted into a small plaza complete with benches and trees, sign boards explaining the historic significance of the Diagonal Street neighborhood and a statue honoring anti-Apartheid icon Walter and Albertina Sisulu. The small public space offers a quiet resting area set apart from the crowded sidewalks of a busy shopping district.

Redesigned Oppenheimer Park features public art, landscaping and an amphitheater. Photo by Aileen Carrigan.

Ernest Oppenheimer Park occupies half a city block, one block from the Provincial Government Building and the Library Gardens BRT station on Market Street.  A year ago it was an unwelcoming and poorly maintained “park.” It felt like a leftover space, without a distinct identity or purpose that attracted the homeless but few others. The redesigned square now features a colorful modern art screen, public toilets, lighted pathways and semi-circular seating that forms a public amphitheater/performance space. The perimeter fence is somewhat of a visual and physical barrier, but overall the space feels more inviting and functional than it did a year ago.  Another small but nicely upgraded public space in town.

Upgraded linear markets on pedestrianized Kerk Street (left) and Joubert Street (right) in central Joburg’s Retail Improvement District. Photo by Aileen Carrigan.

Upgraded linear markets

Oppenheimer Park is bounded to the east by Joubert Street, one of several pedestrianized streets functioning as a linear market in central Johannesburg’s Retail Improvement District (RID). Upgrades to the RID were part of a R 23.6 million (~$3 million) investment in the inner city, which included the Oppenheimer Park redesign. A zigzag metal roof, also incorporated into the Oppenheimer Park design, now covers the linear markets and acts as a unifying design element throughout the District. New sidewalk pavers and lighting enhance the walkability and security of the area. The linear markets now feel less haphazard and informal and more part of a distinct retail district.

View of Dhlamini Eco Park along Klipspruit River. Photo by Aileen Carrigan.

Revitalized greenways

In Soweto, I discovered the new R 10 million Dhlamini Eco Park opposite the terminal Thokoza Park BRT station. The 4-kilometer linear park along the Klipspruit River is part of a 2010 legacy project to rehabilitate and green the river. Once a barren strip of trash-strewn land, the park now features paved pedestrian pathways, benches, playground equipment, a running trail and a soccer pitch. New trees have been planted in the park as part of the Greening Soweto campaign that saw 200,000 trees planted throughout the Soweto townships.

Taxi hand signals sculpture, part of the Vilakazi Street precinct upgrade. Photo by Aileen Carrigan.

Enhanced historic precincts

Vilakazi Street, the epicenter of the June 1976 Soweto student uprising against Apartheid, has also received a facelift. The Johannesburg Development Agency recently completed an urban upgrade of the precinct, which includes the Hector Pieterson museum, and former residences of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The project aimed to increase the tourism potential of the historic Orlando West neighborhood by creating a “living museum.” New landscaping, street furniture, public art and signage strive to unify the precinct. The upgrades also include wider sidewalks, sign boards explaining historically significant sites and tour bus parking. Several beautiful tile mosaics have been inlaid into the sidewalks, and a clever sculpture of taxi hand signals (pedestrians use a system of hand signals to flag down a taxi serving their desired destination) greet visitors at the southern entrance to Vilakazi.

Some residents feel the Vilakazi Street interventions are of too small a scale to have any significant local economic impact, but on a recent weekday afternoon, I noticed the street was bustling with World Cup tourists. I think the refurbished Vilakazi Street will continue to attract visitors even after the Cup, and the precinct will become a starting point from which tourists can venture further into Soweto.

These small urban interventions around Joburg are surely less well-publicized than the new Soccer City stadium, Rea Vaya BRT and Gautrain, but they are no less important. The new and refurbished public spaces improve the livability and sustainability of Johannesburg — a 2010 legacy that residents and visitors can enjoy years after the final World Cup whistle.

Rea Vaya is still open for business, despite another round of violent opposition. Photo by Shine 2010 - 2010 World Cup good news.

Today’s introduction of the remaining Phase 1A routes on the Rea Vaya bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Johannesburg, South Africa was preceded by more violence last Friday. In two separate incidents, gunmen opened fire on BRT buses, leaving at least seven people wounded and, tragically, one dead.

Rea Vaya commuters, project staff and city officials remain supportive of the new public transport system despite violent opposition. Councillor Rehana Moosajee, Johannesburg’s Member of the Mayoral Committe for Transport, condemed the violence and reiterated the city’s committment to the BRT project, saying “no amount of violence and intimidation will stop us from providing safe, affordable and quality public transport to the residents of Joburg.”

With the introduction of two new Soweto feeder routes linking outlying neighborhoods with the terminal station on the BRT trunk route, inner city circulator routes and two new stations, Phase 1A is now 95% complete.

To read more about Rea Vaya’s controversial history, see our previous posts here and here.

Rea Vaya is still open for business, despite another round of violent opposition. Photo by Shine 2010 - 2010 World Cup good news.

Today’s introduction of the remaining Phase 1A routes on the Rea Vaya bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Johannesburg, South Africa was preceded by more violence last Friday. In two separate incidents, gunmen opened fire on BRT buses, leaving at least seven people wounded and, tragically, one dead.

Rea Vaya commuters, project staff and city officials remain supportive of the new public transport system despite violent opposition. Councillor Rehana Moosajee, Johannesburg’s Member of the Mayoral Committe for Transport, condemed the violence and reiterated the city’s committment to the BRT project, saying “no amount of violence and intimidation will stop us from providing safe, affordable and quality public transport to the residents of Joburg.”

With the introduction of two new Soweto feeder routes linking outlying neighborhoods with the terminal station on the BRT trunk route, inner city circulator routes and two new stations, Phase 1A is now 95% complete.

To read more about Rea Vaya’s controversial history, see our previous posts here and here.