Seeking a traffic solution at the accident zone
HIGHLANDS NORTH – THE Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has urged residents to be patient in the hope that Rea Vaya developments will alleviate concerns around one very dangerous intersection.
“I suppose we have to wait for somebody to die,” said Michelle Savage, a concerned homeowner at the busy, frequently dangerous intersection of 11th Avenue and Rosen Street.
Providing access to Balfour Park, Rosebank, and drawing heavy traffic from nearby shops and high schools, the intersection is the site of recurrent accidents – and indeed, one person was killed in the past, Michelle added.
“They go like hell and they don’t see the circle,” said Keith Savage, who believes that an inconspicuous traffic circle at the intersection fails to slow the thousands of vehicles passing through day and night. To make matters worse, many warning signs are flattened by vehicles or obscured by overgrown vegetation.
Keith, who has counted 1 020 vehicles passing through the intersection of 11th Avenue and Rosen Street in one hour, estimates six accidents in the last month, including one speeding vehicle that recently demolished a tree, a telephone pole, and a neighbour’s wall.
Desperate for a solution, residents have appealed to the JRA for construction of traffic calming measures around the disastrous intersection, as well as protective barriers for the adjacent houses.
According to JRA spokesperson Bertha Peters-Scheepers, the department hopes that Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) developments will resolve the problem and reduce traffic considerably, as the closure of the 11th Avenue/Louis Botha Avenue intersection to right turns forces motorists to use Athol Street. The JRA is postponing further interventions pending a traffic impact assessment once the BRT system was complete.
“We advise residents to please be patient and await the implementation of the BRT and the commissioned traffic impact study,” said Peters-Scheepers, adding that requests for construction of protective guard rails have been logged for investigation.
If residents disagree with measures taken following the study, said Peters-Scheepers, they were welcome to engage further with the JRA.
Requests for the City of Joburg to fund traffic calming measures may be referred via the local ward councillor or regional office, and will be considered in the light of the city’s Integrated Development Plan. Residents are also encouraged to report overgrown vegetation or road and storm water drain issues with the department’s customer platforms.
“The JRA is committed to providing quality roads that are accessible, safe and liveable for our communities,” concluded Peters-Scheepers.
Details: 0860 562 874; hotline@jra.org.za; @MyJra; free JRA Find&Fix app
