Port of Durban Relocation of Administrative Building and Passenger Terminal at A & B Berth

Transcription

1 Transnet National Ports Authority Port of Durban Relocation of Administrative Building and Passenger Terminal at A & B Berth Transport Impact Assessment July 2012 J31151 Arcus GIBB (Pty) Ltd Reg. 1992/007139/07 Head Office: Johannesburg, South Africa 14 Eglin Road, Sunninghill, 2191 Tel: Fax:

2 Port of Durban Relocation of Administration Building and Passenger Terminal at A & B Berth Transport Impact Assessment CONTENTS Chapter Description Page 1 INTRODUCTION Background 1 2 ROAD NETWORK AND LAND USE 4 3 ACCESSES 5 4 BACKGROUND TRAFFIC 7 5 TRIP GENERATION Current Passenger Terminal Facilities Current Transnet Administration Building facilities Trip Generation Rates 9 6 TRIP DISTRIBUTION AND TRAFFIC ASSIGNMENT 12 7 CAPACITY ANALYSIS Mahatma Gandhi and Camperdown Road intersection Mahatma Gandhi and Browns Road intersection Mahatma Gandhi and Signal Road intersection 18 8 PUBLIC TRANSPORT Bus and Minibus Taxi 20 9 NON-MOTORISED TRANSPORT Pedestrians Cycling PARKING Existing Facilities Proposed Facilities 25 P:\J31151 (Durban Port Terminal TIA)\TASKS\Port Project - Dbn\TIA Report

3 11 SIGNAGE CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS 31 REFERENCES APPENDIX A P:\J31151 (Durban Port Terminal TIA)\TASKS\Port Project - Dbn\TIA Report

4 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Arcus GIBB (Pty) Ltd was appointed by the Transnet National Ports Authority to undertake a Transport Impact Assessment (TIA) for the new proposed passenger terminal and administration buildings at the Port of Durban. The objective of this TIA is to determine the impact the proposed development will have on the surrounding transport network. The impact of the proposed development on the port waterside operations was not part of the scope of this study. Currently, the existing Transnet administration buildings and the passenger terminal building operate from Durban Port Entrance 3 off Quayside Road and Margaret Mncadi Avenue (to the south). Figures 1.1 and 1.2 show the locality plan and site layout of the proposed site, with the three proposed T-junction intersections that are later envisaged to be upgraded to provide access to the new development. Currently only the Mahatma Gandhi / Southampton Road intersection provides access to this area. Figures 1.3a 1.3h show Transnet s proposed conceptual design and layouts of the new proposed passenger terminal and administration buildings. Two site visits were undertaken; on Saturday, 24 March 2012 and on the morning of Monday, 26 March 2012 to observe operations at both the existing and proposed sites. The first site visit coincided with the arrival and departure of the MSC Sinfonia cruise liner as well as the start of the Kwa-Zulu Natal Easter school holidays. The second visit was to assess the site and surrounds during the morning peak of a regular work day. This report includes the traffic operations noted during the visits and assesses the impact the proposed new Passenger Terminal and Administration Buildings will have on the external road network. The new proposed development, which consists of 31,000 m 2 gross leasable area (GLA), will comprise the following: Passenger terminal - 18,000 m 2 GLA, which comprises of 6,500 m 2 GLA retail of which the majority consists of take-away and small convenience shops related to the passenger terminal operations. Administration building including conference facility - 13,000 m 2 GLA Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 1 July 2012

5 In response to queries from the ethekwini transport officials and following discussions with the relevant Transnet officials, the following proposals relating to the existing and proposed new facilities were confirmed: The new Passenger Terminal is expected to handle approximately passengers and provide parking for approximately 600 vehicles. Other types of land-use expected within the passenger terminal will be retail stores, cafe s, restaurants and so forth, very similar to those found within an Airport Terminal building. These retail stores will be open to the general public, however, the Client s intention is not for these retail stores to compete against other retail developments in the area, so as not to draw large numbers of non-passengers/employees to the development. The retail stores are envisaged to compliment the current Durban Point Waterfront Precinct area and the ushaka Marine World. Transnet s current staff component on site is approximately 300 people. The new administration building is expected to house 380 to 400 employees and provide parking for approximately 400 vehicles. The new facility therefore allows for some expansion, but mainly aims to consolidate all current administration tasks within one building. A & B Berth (the current dock for cruise ships) and the existing passenger terminal will be designated to ride-on ride-off (RORO) vehicle operations. RORO operations already take place within the port, and this will be seen as a site change only. Internally, the staging of the vehicles will change accordingly; however no additional strain is envisaged on the main entrance to the current site, ie at the Margaret Mncadi Avenue and Quayside Road intersection. Although internal port operations may be changed, this is not envisaged to influence the operation of the external road network. The Margaret Mncadi Avenue and Quayside Road intersection access will still be the main point of entry to the old site. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 2 July 2012

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8 Figure 1.3a: Proposed new Passenger Terminal Building Figure 1.3b: Proposed new Transnet Administration Building Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 3 July 2012

9 Figure 1.3c Insert: FIGURE 1.3c Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 4 July 2012

10 Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 5 July 2012 Figure 1.3d

11 Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 6 July 2012 Figure 1.3e

12 Insert: FIGURE 1.3g Figure 1.3f Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 7 July 2012

13 Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 4 July 2012 Figure 1.3g

14 2 ROAD NETWORK AND LAND USE The following existing roads, shown in Figure 2.1, serve the north-east section of the Port of Durban: Margaret Mncadi Avenue Dr Langalibalele Dube Street Bay Ter Shepstone Road Mahatma Gandhi Road (Previously Point Road) Southampton Road Quayside Road Marine Terminal Street Camperdown Road Browns Road Signal Road The Durban Point Development Area includes the ushaka Marine World and extends from Bell Street to the harbour entrance and from the beachfront to Mahatma Gandhi Road. The site measures 55ha of which ushaka Marine World takes up 10ha while the balance of the 45ha is to be developed as a series of precincts collectively known as Durban Point. The land owner of ushaka Marine World is Durban Marine Theme Park (Pty) Ltd while the land of Durban Point is the Durban Point Development Company (Pty) Ltd. The land on the harbour side of Mahatma Gandhi Road, as well as the current harbour entrance area, is owned by Transnet National Ports Authority. During the site visit, it was observed that there was no significant congestion on any of the roads to the north of the proposed development. It was noted that the only significant land use that could generate congestion was the ushaka Marine World Aquarium and Water theme park. The site visit on Saturday, 24 March 2012, coincided with the start of the Kwa-Zulu Natal school holidays; this was not observed to impact negatively on the Level of Service (LOS) of any of the intersections in question. The three T-junction road intersections, shown in Figure 2.1, that are considered for possible future access to the proposed development do not currently provide any access to Transnet s adjoining properties. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 4 July 2012

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16 3 ACCESSES The Transnet property precinct is currently accessed via the main entrance at Durban Port Entrance 3, off the intersection with Quayside Road (Class 5 - Major access road) and Margaret Mncadi Avenue (Class 3 - Secondary arterial). Transnet property has strict access control and all vehicles and drivers are screened before they are allowed to enter. Figure 3.1 below shows the access control point on Quayside Road (off Margaret Mncadi Avenue). Figure 3.1: Existing Transnet access control point on Quayside Road The port also has an access at the intersection of Mahatma Gandhi and Southampton Road. This is not open to the public, is access controlled and is used by Transnet operations only, as shown in Figure 3.2 below. The approximate stacking space between the gate and the intersection is 12 m. Figure 3.2: Transnet Multi Purpose Terminal entrance off Mahatma Ghandi / Southampton Road intersection Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 5 July 2012

17 The proposed development will require access off the lower portion of Mahatma Gandhi Road, which is a Class 4 Local Distributor road, located within the Durban Point Development Area. Mahatma Gandhi Road mainly provides access to adjacent businesses, residential developments and recreational facilities in the area. Three intersections are proposed to provide access to the future development (refer to Figure 1.2 for details): Mahatma Gandhi / Camperdown Road Mahatma Gandhi / Browns Road Mahatma Gandhi / Signal Road The spacing between the abovementioned accesses and the nearest signalised intersection is shown in Figure 3.3. The Signal Road access will serve only as an entrance and the Browns Road access will serve only as an exit to the Passenger Terminal building. The proposed design of the Administration Building is envisaged to take access of the Camperdown road intersection. This entrance will be access controlled and intended for Transnet employees, Transnet visitors and exit only for delivery vehicles originating from behind the Passenger Terminal building, as shown in Figure 1.3b. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 6 July 2012

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19 4 BACKGROUND TRAFFIC Full traffic counts were undertaken on Thursday, 22 March 2012 during the AM (06:30 08:30) and PM (16:00-18:00) peak periods at each of the three proposed development intersections viz: Mahatma Gandhi / Browns Road Mahatma Gandhi / Camperdown Road Mahatma Gandhi / Signal Road The Background Traffic for both the AM and PM peak hours of each intersection are shown in Figures 4.1 and 4.2. The AM and PM peak hours were determined to be 07:15 08:15 and 16:15 17:15 respectively. The Manual for Traffic Impact Studies (Department of Transport) 1 recommends that for developments generating more than 150 trips in the peak hour, a five year projection of base traffic should also be analysed. A number of developments have been approved within the immediate vicinity of the study area and it was thus decided to apply an average annual growth rate of 2.5% to the background traffic when forecasting the projected 2017 (5 year) scenario. It should be noted that at the time of the count, construction was taking place on Mahatma Gandhi Road (between the Browns and Signal Road intersection), which resulted in a temporary road closure of this section. The vehicle counts and distribution obtained for the Browns and Signal Roads intersections were therefore considered unrepresentative of the traffic flow at those intersections. Traffic was therefore re-distributed from the Browns Road intersection to the Signal Road intersection. Furthermore, due to the higher traffic volumes along Mahatma Gandhi Road, it was assumed that 80% of right turning vehicles at the Camperdown Road approach would re-route to the nearest signalised intersection. The adjusted 2017 Background Traffic for both the AM and PM peak hours are shown in Figures 4.3 and 4.4. The assumptions for distribution were applied to the AM and PM 2017 projected background traffic. Refer to Appendix A for re-distributed volumes. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 7 July 2012

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24 5 TRIP GENERATION 5.1 Current Passenger Terminal Facilities The Saturday site visit coincided with the arrival and departure of the MSC Sinfonia cruise liner on its pen-ultimate voyage of the 2011/2012 season, before returning to Italy. The current passenger terminal facilities can accommodate 2500 passengers at two berths. An information desk and two take-away cafés are present within the passenger terminal building. Currently passengers have the option of utilising a drop & go or a long term parking facility located within close proximity to the terminal building. 5.2 Current Transnet Administration Building facilities Transnet currently have three administration buildings on the existing site which house a total of approximately 300 staff members. Table 5.1: Transnet Staff allocation Building Current Staff Numbers Ocean Terminal Building 190 Durmarine Building 60 Bay Terrace 50 Normal office working hours are from 7:30 to 16:30. A large staff parking facility is provided close to the Durmarine Building. Investigations show that this parking area is fully utilised on a normal work day. A small number of parking bays are also available alongside the Ocean Marine Terminal and in front of the Durmarine Building; these are mainly used by the management of Transnet as well as visitors. Figure 5.6 below shows the parking area below the Durmarine Building. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 8 July 2012

25 Figure 5.6: Staff parking facility 5.3 Trip Generation Rates The proposed development will result in general traffic currently utilising the Durban Port Entrance 3 off Quayside Road and Margaret Mncadi Avenue to be re-distributed to the proposed accesses off Mahatma Gandhi Road. Trip generation rates were determined for each land-use in the proposed development. A normal Friday weekday with the arrival / departure of one cruise ship coinciding with any one peak hour was assumed. The Department of Transport s South African Trip Generation Rates 5 was used as the base to estimate the trips generated by the retail and administration building portions of the proposed development during the peak hours. Administration Building: The manual states a person trip rate of 4 / 100m² for General Offices (CBD), this was converted to vehicle trips using an assumed average vehicle occupancy of 1.5 persons to yielding a trip generation rate 2.7 trips / 100m² GLA. Passenger Terminal: The estimation of the vehicle trips generated by the passenger terminal was determined using a comparison between a rate derived from traffic counts conducted during the site visit and Trip Generation, Vol 2, 7th Ed (Institute of Transportation Engineers) 2. The manual states that the Waterport / Marine Terminal weekday rate is / berth. The derived rate was calculated to be 646 for the new passenger terminal (the existing facility has 2 berths). The new development is also proposed to have 2 berths. The derivation of the passenger terminal is shown in Figure 5.7 However, only one berth is expected to be utilized during any one peak hour. It is unlikely that two vessels would berth simultaneously while coinciding with the peak of the adjacent street traffic. To assume two cruise ships berthing simultaneously may Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 9 July 2012

26 result in grossly over-compensating for traffic, resulting in unnecessary and underutilised infrastructure improvements. Therefore a rate of 323 / berth was used, ie 50% of the derived rate. Retail: A hypothesis of 25% of the Shopping Centre trip generation rate of x GLA = 11.4 (Friday Peak) was assumed for the PM Peak retail rate, and the AM rate was assumed to be 50% of the new PM rate, as shown below in Table 5.2. Table 5.2: Modified DoT Trip Generation Rate for Shopping Centres Land Use Proposed Retail Size Unit Friday AM Peak Rate Friday PM Peak Rate Shopping Centre 6, m This assumption is to be considered as a worst case scenario since the majority of trips generated by the retail will be shared with the passenger terminal and/or the administration building. The retail provided by the new development is not intended to be destination retail as it will mainly be used by staff and passengers. The total results of all required rates are shown in Table 5.3 below. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 10 July 2012

27 Table 5.3: Trip Generation Rates for Proposed Development Land Use Size Unit AM Rate PM Rate Directional split Primary Trips Generated AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak In Out In Out In Out Total In Out Total Passenger Terminal* 1 berths % 50% 50% 50% Retail m % 33% 50% 50% Admin Building m % 25% 25% 75% TOTAL *Note: One berth to be utilised during any one peak hour **Note: PM retail rate is 25% of the original rate 11.4, and AM retail rate is 50% of new PM rate, as it is supporting retail (not destination retail) and is expected to be used predominantly by staff and passengers Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 11 July 2012

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29 6 TRIP DISTRIBUTION AND TRAFFIC ASSIGNMENT To determine the traffic impact of the proposed development on the surrounding road network, the proposed development s generated trips were distributed onto the existing road network. The access configuration of the development will comprise a full access exclusively for the Administration Building at Camperdown Road intersection and an entrance and exit at Signal and Browns Roads respectively, exclusively for the Passenger Terminal Building. The trip distribution for the Administration Building assumes that 90% of the trips will originate from or travel towards the CBD (western approach of the Mahatma Gandhi road), 8% will originate from or travel towards the ushaka Marine World (northern approach) and the remaining 2% trips were assumed to originate from or travel towards the eastern approach of Mahatma Gandhi road. The trips generated from the Passenger Terminal Building were distributed at the Browns and Signal Road intersections assuming that 95% of the trips will originate from or travel towards the CBD, 3% will originate from or travel towards the ushaka Marine World and the remaining 2% trips were assumed to originate from or travel towards the eastern approach of Mahatma Gandhi road. The delivery vehicles entering at Signal Road and exiting at the Camperdown intersections with Mahatma Gandhi Road were not taken into account as the volume of delivery vehicles during the adjacent street peak periods are considered to be negligible. Refer to Appendix A for the AM and PM distributed traffic volumes. The 2012 background traffic volumes (surveyed) were grown by 2.5% per annum to estimate the 2017 projected background traffic volumes. Figures 6.1 and 6.2 below show the 2017 AM and PM Peak Total Traffic distribution. This is a combination of the 2017 background traffic growth and the AM and PM distributed traffic volumes. The delivery vehicles entering at Signal Road and exiting at Camperdown Road intersections were not taken into account as the volume of delivery vehicles during the adjacent street peak periods are not considered significant. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 12 July 2012

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32 7 CAPACITY ANALYSIS The SIDRA INTERSECTION 5.1 computer programme was used to analyse the following intersections: Mahatma Gandhi / Camperdown Road Mahatma Gandhi / Browns Road Mahatma Gandhi / Signal Road The following scenarios were analysed: 2012 Background Traffic (AM & PM) Total Traffic (AM & PM). The intersections were modified with an additional leg converting them from T-junctions into the appropriate four way intersections for the future scenario. The results indicate the level of service (LOS), the average control delay per vehicle and the 95 th percentile vehicle queues at the intersections for each scenario. These are shown in the Figures 7.1 to 7.4 below. Level of service is a measure used to assess the operation of existing transportation infrastructure as well as the effectiveness of infrastructure improvements. LOS is categorised in letters A to F, with A being the best and F being the worst, based on the average control delay experienced by vehicles at the intersection approaches. Broadly it can be defined as follows: A = Free flow B = Reasonably free flow C = Stable flow D = Approaching unstable flow E = Unstable flow F = Forced or breakdown flow Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 13 July 2012

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37 7.1 Mahatma Gandhi and Camperdown Road intersection (a) Existing layout and operation The existing geometry and aerial view of the intersection is shown in Figures 7.5 and 7.6 below. Figure 7.5: Intersection geometry Figure 7.6: Aerial View The intersection currently operates adequately with LOS A to C and minimal queues and delays. It is envisaged that at least 80% of right turning vehicles at the Camperdown Road approach will redistribute to the nearest signalised intersection to avoid delay along Mahatma Gandhi Road. The intersection was analysed using this assumption. (b) Future layout and operation The intersection will operate poorly during both peaks, with all movements at the northern approach experiencing LOS E to F. The southern approach will operate at LOS F for through and right turning movements, while the left turning movement is at LOS C. The poor LOS can be attributed to the increase in traffic along Mahatma Gandhi Road, causing long delays for the vehicles on the minor approaches. The 95 th percentile queues are adequate with queues ranging from 1 to 4 vehicles. It is also expected that trips not generated by this development will re-distribute to adjacent intersections, such as the Mahatma Gandhi / Southampton signalised intersection, instead of queuing at this intersection. It is proposed that the current stop controlled T-junction intersection be upgraded by providing a right turning lane along Mahatma Gandhi Road for vehicles turning into the proposed development, a median to facilitate safer two-stage crossing for right turning vehicles and a left turn yield slip lane from the development onto Mahatma Gandhi Road, as shown in Figure 7.7 below. Signalisation of this intersection is not recommended due to the close proximity, approximately 175m, to the adjacent Mahatma Gandhi / Southampton Road signalised intersection. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 14 July 2012

38 The performance of this intersection, in reality, is expected to be better than that which is illustrated by SIDRA, as the model does not adequately interpret the benefits of the median. Figure 7.7: Mahatma Gandhi & Camperdown Road 7.2 Mahatma Gandhi and Browns Road intersection This intersection is a main access for two large residential developments as well as overflow parking for the ushaka Marine World Aquarium and Water Theme park. The eastern leg of the intersection (in both directions) was closed due to construction, at the time of the survey. (a) Existing layout and operation The existing geometry and aerial view of the intersection is shown in Figures 7.8 and 7.9 Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 15 July 2012

39 Figure 7.8: Intersection geometry Figure 7.9: Aerial View The intersection currently operates adequately with LOS A to B and minimal queues and delays. (b) Future layout and operation The intersection will operate poorly to adequately with the eastern and western approaches operating at LOS A to B. The southern approach operates at LOS B and D and all movements from the northern approach operate at LOS F. This can be attributed to extensive delays. The 95 th percentile queues vary from adequate to poor at 1 to 12 vehicles. The future layout is shown in Figure It is proposed that the current stop controlled T-junction intersection be upgraded to a signalised intersection as well as a median at the intersections with the geometry as proposed in Figure The signalisation will improve its operation, with an overall LOS B in the AM and PM peak hours. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 16 July 2012

40 Figure 7.10: Mahatma Gandhi & Browns Road Figure 7.11: Signalised Mahatma Gandhi & Browns Road Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 17 July 2012

41 7.3 Mahatma Gandhi and Signal Road intersection The western leg of the intersection was closed due to construction at the time of the survey. (a) Existing layout and operation The existing geometry and aerial view of the intersection is shown in Figures 7.12 and 7.13 below. Figure 7.12: Intersection geometry Figure 7.13: Aerial View The intersection currently operates well during both peaks, at an overall LOS A with LOS B for the left and right turn exiting the residential and commercial area. (b) Future layout and operation The intersection in general will operate adequately during both peaks, with most movements at LOS A to B. The right turning movement at the northern approach will however operate at LOS D. The poor LOS for this movement can be attributed to the increase in traffic causing long delays for the few right turning vehicles. The 95 th percentile queues are adequate with queues ranging from 1 to 2 vehicles. It is proposed that the current stop controlled T-junction intersection be upgraded by adding a right turning lane along Mahatma Gandhi Road for vehicles turning into the development as well as a median at the intersection, as shown in Figure 7.14 below. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 18 July 2012

42 Figure 7.14: Mahatma Gandhi & Signal Road Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 19 July 2012

43 8 PUBLIC TRANSPORT 8.1 Bus and Minibus Taxi The area along Mahatma Gandhi Road, adjacent to the proposed development site, is not a well used public transport route. There were mini-bus taxi s and buses observed, however not in high volumes. They were mainly observed in the vicinity of the ushaka Marine World in the early parts of the Saturday and Monday morning, possibly dropping people off for work. Figure 8.1 below shows buses parked at a bus stop along Mahatma Gandhi Road, outside ushaka Marine World. Buses were empty and no passengers were observed to be queuing. Figure 8.1: Buses parked at stop outside ushaka Marine World There were no other formalised bus or mini-bus taxi stops observed in the area. Minibus taxi s were observed using the internal road network adjacent to ushaka Marine World (Albert Ter Road, Eskine Ter Road, Ansion Road, Timeball Boulevard) and then return to the City Centre on Mahatma Gandhi Road via Camperdown and Browns Roads. The pick up/drop off point was observed to be the entrance to ushaka Marine World. This is indicative that the majority of the passengers either work at ushaka Marine World or were visiting there specifically. The Ethekwini Municipality s Current Public Transport Records (CPTR) compiled from a survey undertaken in 2003 / 2004 shows the existing public transport routes, as well as the current major public transport interchanges in the Durban CBD, as shown in Figure 8.2. Based on the CPTR, there are currently no recognised public transport routes nearby the proposed development site. It is expected that public transport usage by visitors to-and-from the proposed development will be relatively low. However it is anticipated that employees working at the proposed development will make use of such a service. This should be taken note of in future public transport planning exercises. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 20 July 2012

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45 Durban s People Mover has a route nearby the proposed development along Prince and Gillespie streets, as shown in Figure 8.3. The acceptable walking distance to public transport facilities according to the Pedestrian and Bicycle facilities Guideline 3 should be 500m. The access points of the proposed development are well over 500m away from the closest People Mover stops and are therefore not within reasonable walking distance. The proposed development and its likely popularity as a tourist hub could in future warrant the need to include a stop within reasonable walking distance. This should be taken note of in future public transport planning exercises. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 21 July 2012

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47 9 NON-MOTORISED TRANSPORT 9.1 Pedestrians The new proposed development site borders the Durban Point Waterfront Precinct area. This area has been developed to embody the following concepts: An urban intensity of scale and an urban character of development. A structure based on canals, water bodies, boulevards, vistas, urban squares, avenues, lanes and parks, all creating memorable places. An emphasis on easy, safe, convenient and pleasant pedestrian movement with access to well located, safe parking areas An emphasis on mixed-use developments which encourages the integration of retail, commercial, office, entertainment and residential activities. Figure 9.1 below shows the paved pedestrian sidewalks provided along both the northern and southern sides of Mahatma Gandhi Road. Figure 9.1: Pedestrian sidewalks along Mahatma Gandhi Road at the Camperdown Road intersection The proposed development and surrounds are well provisioned with pedestrian facilities, such as demarcated pedestrian crossings, surfaced sidewalks and so forth. No major pedestrian activity was observed in the vicinity of the proposed site. Most people who visit the area either arrive in private vehicles, buses or minibus taxis. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 22 July 2012

48 A grade separated pedestrian bridge across Mahatma Gandhi Road is proposed. This will improve safety by reducing the level of conflict between pedestrians and vehicles as well as improve the linkage between the proposed development and the adjacent land use. Pedestrian facilities for the Administration and Passenger Terminal buildings will be linked. 9.2 Cycling No bicycle lanes or associated facilities were observed within the vicinity of the proposed site. However the Durban Point Waterfront Precinct area may have plans to later incorporate this into the area. The current road network and lane geometry will not pose a problem to implement cycle lanes. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 23 July 2012

49 10 PARKING 10.1 Existing Facilities A drop & go area is currently located north of the current Passenger Terminal, within short walking distance of the entrance. The majority of the passengers were observed to be dropped off by family or friends in private vehicles. Metered taxi holding facilities are also provided within this area and observed to be a well utilised option for passengers being dropped off. This area has 25 bays allocated for metered taxi s and approximately 102 for private vehicles. The internal circulation within the site is poor as many people parked and waited with passengers, which causes congestion within the drop & go area. Figure 10.1 shows the drop & go area. Figure 10.1: Drop & Go area MSC currently leases undercover parking facilities from Transnet. For a once-off fee, passengers are able to utilise this facility as a self-drive option, for the duration of the cruise. The undercover parking facility is located to the north-east of the Passenger Terminal. The undercover facility can accommodate approximately 400 vehicles. On 24 March 2012, MSC reported that 286 vehicles utilised the facility for the weekend cruise. Passengers also had the option of using a MSC bus shuttle service that operated between the King Shaka International Airport and major hotels within the Durban CBD. These shuttles were observed to arrive at 15 minute intervals from 9am to 12pm. Figure 10.2 below shows the bus shuttle holding area provided alongside the existing Passenger Terminal building. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 24 July 2012

50 Figure 10.2: MSC bus shuttle holding area Transnet s current administration building has a large staff parking facility provided close to the Durmarine Building. There are approximately 153 parking bays available. Investigations show that these are fully utilised on a normal work day. Further parking bays (approximately 103), which also appear to be well utilised, are also available alongside the Ocean Marine Terminal, in front of the heli-pad and in front of the Durmarine Building. These are mainly used by the management of Transnet as well as visitors Proposed Facilities A parking ratio was derived from the known information at the current site. Table 10.1 below shows the calculation. Table 10.1: Current parking rate calculation Land Use Size Unit Parking Bays utilised Rate Passenger Terminal 2223 Passengers Admin Building 300 Employees Transnet have indicated that the proposed development is estimated to have approximately 400 parking bays allocated to the new Administration building and 600 parking bays to the new Passenger Terminal. Table 10.2 below shows the factored number of parking bays required using the current parking utilisation rates and applying it to the projected handling capacity of each building in the proposed development. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 25 July 2012

51 Table 10.2: Projected number of parking bays required Land Use Size Unit Calculated Rate Equivalent Parking Bays Allocated Parking Bays Passenger Terminal 5000 Passengers Admin Building 400 Employees At the current projection, the new proposed passenger terminal parking provision will most probably not be able to cater for the increased handling capacity, provided parking can be shared between the offices and terminal building. The administration building has an adequate number of parking bays allocated for the new development The Parking Generation, Vol, 3 rd Ed (Institute of Transportation Engineers) 6 was used for comparative rates to verify the assumption made in the parking ratio rate derivation. There were no studies documented for a cruise ship passenger terminal, therefore the rate for a commercial airport was used instead, as the operations are similar to that of a cruise ship passenger terminal, with the exception of the average length of stay. Rates range from 0.21 to The lowest rate was used to determine the parking required for the passenger terminal given the longer average vessel trip lengths of passengers compared to that of air travel. The National Department of Transport s parking rate for offices was used for the administration building component. Table 10.3 below shows the rates and the required parking. Table 10.3: Parking Generation manual rates Land Use Unit Size Rate Equivalent Parking Bays Allocated Parking Bays Commercial Airport vehicles/enplanement Admin Building 100m 2 GLA The manual s rate shows that the new passenger terminal will not be able to cater for the increased handling capacity. It is therefore proposed that the parking provision for the proposed site be increased to allow for at least 650 bays for the new proposed passenger terminal and one bay per employee plus visitors parking for the administration building, as shown in Table Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 26 July 2012

52 Table 10.4: Proposed Required Parking Rates Land Use Unit Size Rate Equivalent Parking Bays Allocated Parking Bays Commercial Airport vehicles/enplanement Admin Building 100m 2 GLA Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 27 July 2012

53 11 SIGNAGE Should the proposal for the new development be approved, changes to the existing directional signage will be required. This will need to be done to alert motorists to the changes in the location of the passenger terminal. A detailed signage plan and design will be required as part of the road design for external road upgrades. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 28 July 2012

54 12 CONCLUSION It can therefore be concluded that: Mahatma Gandhi Road intersections, adjacent to the proposed new development site currently experience low traffic volumes during the peak periods and operate well. The proposed development access configuration will consist of a full access at Camperdown Road intersection, exclusively for the Administration Building, and an entrance and exit at Signal and Browns Roads for the Passenger Terminal Building. Camperdown Road intersection will operate poorly with the 2017 development traffic during the AM and PM peak periods experiencing LOS B to F along the northern and southern approaches. The poor LOS is specifically due to few vehicles at the minor approaches experiencing long delays due to the increased through traffic volumes along Mahatma Gandhi Road. Queue lengths are however adequate ranging 1 to 4 vehicles. Browns Road intersection will operate adequately with the 2017 development traffic during the AM and PM peak periods. The Browns Road northern approach will however operate poorly at LOS F. Queue lengths are however adequate ranging 1 to 5 vehicles. Signal Road intersection will operate well with LOS A at the eastern and western approaches and LOS B to C at the northern approach. All the traffic generated by the proposed new development can be accommodated with the following upgrades: o o o o At Camperdown Road intersection, provide a right turning lane along Mahatma Gandhi Road for vehicles turning into the development and a left turn slip lane from the development onto Mahatma Gandhi Road Browns Road intersection be upgraded to a restricted access (out only from proposed development) signalised intersection At Signal Road intersection, provide a right turning lane along Mahatma Gandhi Road for vehicles turning into the development A median be introduced along Mahatma Gandhi Road at all the access road intersections to facilitate right turning for vehicles There were no other formalised bus or mini-bus taxi stops observed in the area. The Ethekwini Municipality s Current Public Transport Records shows that there are currently no recognised public transport routes nearby the proposed development site. In general it is expected that public transport usage in the area will be relatively low. However it is anticipated that employees working at the proposed development will make use of such a service. This should be taken note of in future public transport planning exercises. The proposed development and surrounds are well provisioned with pedestrian facilities. A grade separated pedestrian bridge across Mahatma Gandhi Road is proposed. This will improve the linkage between the proposed development and the adjacent land uses. The proposed development is estimated to have approximately 400 parking bays allocated to the new Administration building and 600 parking bays to the new Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 29 July 2012

55 Passenger Terminal. Analysis shows that the proposed parking provision is insufficient to meet the expected demand. Should the proposal for the new development be approved, changes to the existing directional signage will be required. This will need to be done to alert motorists to the changes in the location of the passenger terminal. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 30 July 2012

56 13 RECOMMENDATIONS It is therefore recommended that: The Camperdown Road intersection is upgraded to provide a right turning lane on Mahatma Gandhi Road for vehicles turning into the development and a left turn slip lane from the development onto Mahatma Gandhi Road, as shown in Figure 13.1 below: Figure 13.1: Camperdown Road Proposed Upgrade The Browns Road intersection is upgraded to a signalised intersection, as shown Figure 13.2 below: Figure 13.2: Browns Road Proposed Upgrade Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 31 July 2012

57 The Signal Road intersection is upgraded to provide a right turning lane on Mahatma Gandhi Road for vehicles turning into the development, as shown in Figure 13.3 below: Figure 13.3: Signal Road Proposed Upgrade A median is provided along the length of Mahatma Gandhi Road within the vicinity of the development to facilitate right turning vehicles The internal layout and operation of the proposed development be investigated as soon as sufficient information becomes available and specifically the entering and exiting arrangements, sharing of parking and drop-off facilities be addressed. Future public transport planning exercises should include the proposed development site. The proposed parking provision for the Passenger Terminal building should be increased from 600 to 650 parking bays to meet the expected demand. The proposed development and surrounds are well provisioned with pedestrian facilities and no further provisions are envisaged. A detailed signage design is undertaken as part of the road design for external road upgrades. Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL 32 July 2012

58 REFERENCES 1. Department of Transport: Manual for Traffic Impact Studies. October Institute of Transportation Engineers: Trip Generation, Vol 2, 7th Edition Department of Transport: Pedestrian and Bicycle facilities Guidelines CSIR, Division of Building Technology: Guideline for the Provision of Engineering Services and Amenities in the Residential Township Development City of Cape Town: Guidelines for the Public Transport Component for Public Transport Impact Assessments. December Institute of Transportation Engineers: Parking Generation, Vol 3, 3rd Edition. 2004

59 List of Assumptions Percentage Trip Distribution Trip Distribution per Building APPENDIX A

60 List of Assumptions The following assumptions were made during the completion of the report: The two highest peak hours for the day occur during the AM and PM peak periods An annual average growth rate of 2.5% was applied to through traffic along Mahatma Gandhi Drive to predict the 2017 growth Due to the road closure along Mahatma Gandhi Drive, between Browns and Signal Roads, no through traffic was able to use the link. To more accurately describe the 2017 traffic situation the background traffic was re-distributed to better represent normal traffic operations as follows: o Of the eastbound vehicles that were originally turning left toward Browns Road (X), 50% was assumed to continue towards Signal Road, where it is further distributed o Of the vehicles that were originally turning right from Browns Road (Y), 50% were redistributed to the Signal Road intersection o All vehicles turning right toward Signal Road (Z) were assumed to continue towards Browns Road, where it is further distributed o A detailed description is shown below:

61 It was assumed that 80% of right turning vehicles at the Camperdown Road approach would reroute to the nearest signalised interscetion The majority of traffic generated by this development during the AM and PM peak hours was assumed to originate from / terminate at the CBD The peak hour trip generation rate used for the proposed Passenger Terminal building was derived from the MSC Sinfonia embarking / disembarking passengers at the existing passenger terminal on Saturday, 24 th March 2012 It was assumed that only one berth is expected to be utilized during any one peak hour and that it is unlikely that two vessels would berth simultaneously while coinciding with the peak of the adjacent street traffic A normal Friday weekday with the arrival / departure of one cruise ship coinciding with any one peak hour was assumed for the capacity analysis An average vehicle occupancy of 1.5 persons was assumed to calculate the trip generation rate of 2.7 trips / 100m² GLA for the Administrative Building Twenty-five percent of the Shopping Centre trip generation rate of x GLA = 11.4 (Friday Peak) was assumed for the PM Peak retail rate, and the AM rate was assumed to be 50% of the new PM rate The parking requirement for the proposed development would be accommodated by the existing parking utilisation rate

62 File original in relevant section in the Quality File. Rev 2 / March 2008

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68 DOCUMENT CONTROL SHEET (FORM IP180/B) CLIENT : TRANSNET: NATIONAL PORTS AUTHORITY PROJECT NAME : Port of Durban Administration Building and Passenger Terminal TIA TITLE OF DOCUMENT : ELECTRONIC LOCATION : Draft NAME Port of Durban Administration Building and Passenger Terminal TIA P:\J31151 (Durban Port Terminal TIA)\TASKS\Port Project - Dbn\TIA Report\Port of Durban - TIA REPORT - FINAL.docx Approved By Reviewed By Prepared By Andrew Bulman NAME Karin Liebenberg PROJECT No. : NAME J31151 Pravanyaa Pillay DATE 27 June 2012 SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE Original Approved By Reviewed By Prepared By NAME NAME NAME Andrew Bulman Karin Liebenberg Sergei Kiewiet DATE 31 July 2012 SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE Approved By Reviewed By Prepared By NAME NAME NAME DATE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE Approved By Reviewed By Prepared By NAME NAME NAME DATE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE This report, and information or advice, which it contains, is provided by Arcus GIBB solely for internal use and reliance by its Client in performance of Arcus GIBB duties and liabilities under its contractt with the Client. Any advice, opinions, or recommendations within this report should be read and relied upon only in the context of the report as a whole. The advice and opinions in this report are based upon the information made available to Arcus GIBB at the date of this report and on current SA standaroads, codes, technology and construction practices as at the date of this report. Following final delivery of this report to the Client, Arcus GIBB will have no further obligations or duty to advise the Client on any matters, including development affecting the information or advice provided in this report. This report has been prepared by Arcus GIBB in their professional capacity as Consulting Engineers. The contents of the report do not, in any way, purport to include any manner of legal advice or opinion. This report is prepared in accoroadance with the terms and conditions of the Arcus GIBB contract with the Client. Regaroad should be had to those terms and conditions when considering and/or placing any reliance on this report. Should the Client wish to release this report to a Thiroad Party for that party's reliance, Arcus GIBB may, at its discretion, agree to such release provided that: (a) Arcus GIBB written agreement is obtained prior to such release, and (b) By release of the report to the Thiroad Party, that Thiroad Party does not acquire any rights, contractual or otherwise, whatsoever against Arcus GIBB and Arcus GIBB, accoroadingly, assume no duties, liabilities or obligations to that Thiroad Party, and (c) Arcus GIBB accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage incurred by the Client or for any conflict of Arcus GIBB interests arising out of the Client's release of this report to the Thiroad Party. Arcus GIBB (Pty) Ltd Postal Address : Contact Person : Telephone No. : Website : Physical Address : Address : Fax No. : File original in relevant section in the Quality File. Rev 2 / March 2008