SAICE Transport Division Discussion Series

Event No. 1: Traffic Studies and Data Conundrum

4 June 2020

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has impacted transport movements and traffic volumes severely and is expected to have a lasting impact on the industry. Client bodies from within the major metropolitan Municipalities and Agencies have had to adopt new approaches to the evaluation of transport assessments.

Panel members share their challenges, perspective of new approaches to dealing with the impact of COVID-19.

Items discussed include:

1. Base traffic count information for preparing traffic assessments.

2. Approaches to assessing traffic impact and site traffic assessments.

3. Public transport plans for traffic impact assessments.

Panelists:

1. Ravesh Dookhi, eThekwini Transport Authority

2. Esther Schmidt, Johannesburg Roads Agency

3. Leigh Stolworthy, City of Cape Town

Facilitator:

Madeleen Engelbrecht, SAICE Transport Division Committee

Click the names below to download the presentations:

eThekwini Transport Authority.

City of Cape Town. Disclaimer: The City of Cape Town accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the data contained therein or the interpretation thereof.

Johannesburg Roads Agency. Disclaimer: The temporary measures/ guidelines put in place during lockdown relating to traffic impact assessments can be amended at any given time and professionals should engage with the JRA prior to commencing with any traffic related studies.

Event No. 2: Impact of COVID-19 on Transport Planning

8 July 2020

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has impacted everyone in South Africa, how we go about our day to day lives and how we travel. Some of these realities will have a lasting impact on transport patterns, travel behaviour and general movement of both people and goods as well as the provision of services that may provide opportunities for creating more resilient and sustainable transport systems. Although significant insight from international experience of COVID-19 have been gained, South Africa has a unique transport context requiring solutions that respond to current circumstances.

Each panelist will present their specific local or regional observations and considerations where after being part of a panel, discuss this subject matter. The objective of the discussion will be to share approaches and observations and experiences of different transport authorities as context to the following sessions in the series.

Items discussed include:

1. Base traffic count information for preparing traffic assessments.

2. Approaches to assessing traffic impact and site traffic assessments.

3. Public transport plans for traffic impact assessments.

Panelists:

1. Robin Chetty, eThekwini Transport Authority
2. Lourens Swanepoel, City of Tshwane
3. Dr Mathetha Mokonyama, CSIR
4. Al Soko, Eastern Cape Provincial Government.

Facilitator:

Friedrich Slabbert, SAICE Transport Division Committee

Click the names below to download the presentations:

City of Tshwane.

CSIR.

Eastern Cape Provincial Government.

Event No. 3: Recognise and Incorporate Travel Behaviour and Economic Changes due to COVID-19 in Existing Planning for the Betterment of Transport Systems

13 August 2020

In this webinar, panelists will share their observations and reflect on the potential future scenarios or options. A perspective and view will be provided on how enduring changes may impact transport that must be considered in preparing sustainable and resilient transport plans moving forward.

Items discussed include:

1. Perspective on society’s behavioural changes as a result of Covid-19 and how these changes may impact on the economy in the short, medium and long term.
2. Potential impact on transport in its broader context.
3. The role of the Mini-Bus Taxi Industry in serving the most vulnerable in society and challenges in this regard.
4. What could be improved concerning the vulnerable society’s transport needs.
5. What lessons / opportunities to be entrenched in transport plans.

Panelists:

1. Adv Ronald King, Head Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs at PSG
2. Ms Liza Seftel, Executive Director of NEDLAC and past HOD Transport City of Johannesburg

Facilitator:

Friedrich Slabbert, SAICE Transport Division Committee

Click the names below to download the presentations:

Adv Ronald King.

Ms Lisa Seftel.

Event No. 4: Reviewing Traffic Patterns through the Covid-19 Pandemic in Existing Planning, for the Improved Planning of Transport Systems

17 March 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic had a marked impact on travel behaviour and resultant traffic patterns during 2020 and, it would appear, that this could continue into 2021. During 2020, questions were asked about the reliability of traffic counts and other surveys undertaken and how this traffic information should be used to derive reliable forecasts for infrastructure design purposes.

In response to the above, the SAICE Transport Division held an on-line panel discussion where traffic monitoring statistics over the past year were presented and discussed. Whilst traffic volumes seem to be getting back to early 2020 volumes, there are some subtle changes and it is still anticipated that there will be long term changes to traffic patterns and forecasts. The factors that could shape traffic volumes into the future, will be discussed, to get a better understanding of the environment that will impact the volumes and patterns after “herd immunity” is reached and the country settles back to normality.

Items discussed include:

1. 2020 traffic patterns on urban freeway networks.
2. Traffic forecasting on inter-provincial road networks.
3. The use of 2020 surveys.
4. Drivers for change in future traffic patterns.

Panelists:

1. Justice Chauke – Traffic Engineer, SANRAL
2. Johan Brink – Associate, Innovative Transport Solutions
3. Alan Robinson – Traffic Engineer, SANRAL

Facilitator:

Madeleen Engelbrecht, SAICE Transport Division Committee

Presentations will be made available to download.