Roads and Stormwater

A total of 11 200 metres of roads in Evaton have been constructed or resurfaced. New storm water drainage systems have been installed along some of the roads. 30 kilometres of gravel roads have also been graded. Most of the raised islands in Adams Road were removed after complaints were received. New kerbs have been installed on both sides of the road. The following roads have been identified for the second phase of road construction and rehabilitation. They are West Road, Bodea Road, Sebe Road, Stirling Road, Union Road, Hamilton Road, First Avenue, Boundary Road, Eastern Road, Chamberlain Road, Milner Road, Lind Road and the dual carriage way for Old Golden Highway. All the detailed design work has been completed and submitted to the Department of Housing.

Addressing the Evaton Development Forum’s AGM in April 2008, Gauteng’s Housing MEC, Ms Nomvula Mokonyane, was very pleased with the progress the ERP has made. “The development and upgrading of the main roads such as Eagles, Adams, Selbourne and Evaton Roads are almost completed. These upgrades are changing the road infrastructure of Evaton for the better. Storm water drainage has been upgraded along some Evaton roads and this will definitely alleviate the severe flooding of roads during the rainy season.

Much work has been completed during the first phase of roads and infrastructure upgrades. This included construction of new roads, resurfacing of some roads and installation of new storm water drainage systems along some of the roads. Work on Eagle, Selbourne and Evaton Roads have been 100% completed. Adams Road is 99% done, with spray surfacing needing to be completed. According to the EDF, problems experienced with storm water run-offs have been noted and solutions are currently been explored by the engineers.

The following roads have been identified for the second phase of road construction and rehabilitation. They are West Road, Bodea Road, Sebe Road, Stirling Road, Union Road, Hamilton Road, First Avenue, Chamberlain Road, Milner Road, Lind Road and the dual carriage way for Old Golden Highway. Detailed design work is currently taking place. 30 kilometers of gravel roads have also been completed in Evaton.

The sidewalks in Adams Road and the greening landscape programme are giving Evaton a face lift. Pockets of poverty are being pushed back through the creation of job opportunities in all projects where the local community is prioritised. People are now beginning to see concrete delivery in the projects and are also starting to benefit from the job and business opportunities,” said MEC Mokonyane.

The road network of Evaton is as follows:

Type of Road kms % Asphalt surfaced roads 28.6 km 27.8 Seal surfaced roads 10.7 km 10..4 Gravel roads 63.8 km 61.8 Total 103 km 100

Project Scope:

1. Gravel roads to be surfaced
2. Roads to be resurfaced
3. Paving side walks and kerbing

These road and storm water upgrade projects have been selected and prioritized in consultation with municipality-relevant technical managers and also with participation from stakeholder groups (EDF, Ward Councilors, NGO & CBO’s).

Transport Infrastructure

Evaton is served by a complete transportation network covering all road and rail modes of transportation. This transportation network comprises the following primary infrastructure components:

a. Road

Evaton is served by a major road network. The N1 freeway passes to the west of Evaton. This freeway is accessed via the built part of the K11 linking the Golden Highway (K45) to the N1 Freeway. The N1 freeway provides north-south mobility and links Evaton to Pretoria and Johannesburg. The K45 or Golden Highway runs parallel to the N1 freeway and links Evaton to the north and Vanderbijlpark in the south. This road provides north-south mobility and is far more accessible from Evaton than the N1 Freeway. In addition, Evaton is served by the K164, an east-west arterial located north of Evaton, and the planned K11, which is an east-west arterial to be located on the southern boundary of Evaton.

Apart from the major road network set out above, Evaton has a number of prominent internal roads, linking Evaton to the surrounding areas and to the higher-order roads mentioned above. These include 3 north-south aligned roads, namely Hamilton Road, Stirling Road and the Eastern Bypass, and 3 east-west aligned roads, namely Easton Road, Adams Road and Selbourne Road. These roads function as primary collector roads within the Study Area, linking the Study Area to the surrounding higher order roads and centres.

b. Rail

Evaton is served by a commuter railway line, abutting the eastern boundary of the area and linking Evaton to Johannesburg in the north and Vanderbijlpark in the south. This railway line has 2 commuter railway stations, namely Residensia Station and Eatonside Station. This railway forms a strong mobility spine of the eastern side of Evaton, whereas the Golden Highway forms a strong mobility spine on the western side of Evaton.

Movement Pattern

Movement within Evaton can be divided into two categories:

1. movement that traverses Evaton, and
2. movement that takes place between destinations and Evaton.

With regard to the first category, movement along the N1 Freeway and the Golden Highway (K45) applies. For example, the Golden Highway is used as the connecting route between Johannesburg and Vanderbijlpark. However, it is also accessed and used by Evaton to provide regional accessibility to employment and other opportunities.

With regard to internal movement, a number of routes provide access to local activity nodes and the mentioned higher-order arterial roads. Firstly, there is a movement of people between the areas north of Evaton, such as Stretford, and areas immediately south of Evaton, such as the Sebokeng CBD, the latter being the core area of the immediate region. This movement is primarily made up of Moshweshwe, Hamilton and Stirling Roads. Secondly, a strong east-west movement axis exists between the Golden highway and the Residensia Station, using Easton, Adams and Selbourne Roads. This east-west and north-south internal movement patterns intersect in the centre of Evaton, creating a centre of gravity and area of high accessibility within the centre of Evaton.

Public Transportation

Public transport movement within Evaton appears to gravitate towards the southern half of Evaton, in particular the southwestern quadrant. This provides an indication of people travelling to and from places of employment. The specific bus and taxi routes used in Evaton are influenced to a certain extent by whether the particular road is surfaced (tarred) or not. Adams Roads is a focus area for taxis and can be considered the primary public transportation route through town. As a result, a number of public transport facilities are located along this road.

Road Network

Other roads within Evaton that were identified as major public transport routes are:

• Easton Road
• Hamilton Road
• Joubert Road
• Selbourne Road
• Union Road

Transport Network

The main modes of public transport used in Evaton are mini-bus taxis, buses, and trains. Mini-bus taxis, followed by buses, are the most commonly used. The table below shows the modes of transportation as well as the number of people who use those particular modes to access places of employment.

Mode Number % Walk 1194 4.8 One train all the way 2786 11.3 One bus all the way 4908 19.9 One taxi all the way 9605 39.0 Company transport all the way 1512 6.1 Lift club passenger 133 0.5 Car, as driver all the way 1274 5.2 Car, as passenger all the way 186 0.8 Bicycle 186 0.8 Taxi - taxi 1220 5.0 Taxi - train 1619 6.6 Total 24623 100.0
Primary Means of Transport to Work Source: Evaton Socio-Economic and Household Survey 2004

According to the table above, the use of public transportation is very significant within Evaton. As far as work trips are concerned, 11.3% make use of trains, 19.9% of buses and 39.0% of taxis. This is supplemented by a combination public transport trips (e.g. taxi and train). The total public transport usage in Evaton therefore accounts for 82.3% of all trips that are made to and from work. Only 6.0% make use of private cars either as drivers or as passengers. A very small percentage cycle (0.8%) and walk (4.8%) to work.

Travel Time Place of Employment & Social Amenities % Shopping Opportunities % Less than 15 minutes 3064 5.1 9522 15.8 12778 21.2 Between 15 and 30 minutes 6579 10.9 30650 50.9 19564 32.5 More than 30 minutes but less than 1 hour 7217 12.0 12244 20.4 15585 25.9 More than an hour 9532 15.8 7747 12.9 12236 20.4 Not applicable / Do not work 33771 56.2 0 0.0 0 0.0 Total 60163 100.0 60163 100.0 60163 100.0
Travel Times to Work Source: Evaton Socio-Economic and Household Survey 2004

In the table above, it can be seen that Evaton residents travel more than an hour to their place of employment, 50.9% of the residents travel between 15 and 30 minutes to access social amenities and 32.5% of the residents travel between 15 and 30 minutes to access shopping opportunities. The high travel times to work can be attributed to the fact that major employment opportunities exist in Johannesburg and Vanderbjilpark.