Why is ATC progress so elusive?
Ashleigh Bell
Stellenbosch faces a growing crisis: worsening traffic congestion, increasing urban sprawl, and mounting pressure on our roads and infrastructure. Despite years of public participation, planning, and policy commitments, meaningful progress remains elusive.
The 2019 Municipal Spatial Development Framework (SDF) has long identified a proven solution – the Adam Tas Corridor (ATC). Stretching along the R44 and R310, the ATC is a transformative development designed to curb sprawl and congestion by promoting higher-density, mixed-use living, walkability, and non-motorised transport. It includes 13,500 housing opportunities and a transport link to Stellenbosch University, aiming to reduce daily commutes and car dependence.
Yet implementation is stalled – not due to lack of vision, but lack of political will.
Residents prioritise park-and-ride, better public transport, and reduced CBD traffic in the IDP year after year. Instead, low-density developments on the outskirts of Stellenbosch keep being approved, worsening the problem. The proposed parking garage behind the Town Hall contradicts the IDP and everything the ATC represents.
The Adam Tas Corridor is not a dream but a well-supported, thoroughly planned response to real problems. But it requires action, not more discussion. Council must prioritise implementation now, before the opportunity – and public trust – is lost.
Stellenbosch deserves better.
THE CORRIDOR AREA
The Corridor forms the western edge of Stellenbosch. It runs along the R310 and R44 near the foot of Papegaaiberg, stretching from the largely disused Cape Sawmills site in the west to Kayamandi and Cloetesville in the north. It covers about 375ha, compared with the 120ha of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and 250ha of Century City in Cape Town. The R44 and the railway line.
Currently separate the Corridor from the town, but innovative links will allow pedestrian and vehicle movement and integrate the Corridor with the town. Most of the Corridor has limited development rights, but new rights for the new development will unlock massive value.