Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry has announced a raft of programmes to rehabilitate Jamaica's road network.
During his contribution to the 2008/2009 Sectoral Debate in Parliament, Henry put the road repair bill at $5.6 billion, with another $1.6 billion identified for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of the island's bridges.
The minister also indicated his intention to raise the funds needed for the resurfacing of the main road network through the right-of-way initiative.
The right-of-way thrust is a policy which will see utility providers who use the island's road network being taxed.
In an interview with The Gleaner recently, Stephen Shaw, commun-ications and customer service manager, named a number of corridors in the Kingston Metropolitan Area that required immediate remedies.
"Traffic management is an issue we consider very important, and there are areas that are of great concern to us, so we will be looking at erecting additional traffic signals around the Corporate Area."
Describing Marcus Garvey Drive/Spanish Town Road as "a major link in taking traffic in and out of the city," Shaw says that the agency would be widening sections of Hagley Park Road and introducing a two-lane reversible system. The move is expected to deal with some of the challenges created by the numerous intersections, off roads, and entrances to heavily used business establishments located along that strip.
Dunrobin changes
The Dunrobin to Red Hills Road- Hillary Avenue area will also see significant change as it is deemed to cause the "greatest level of delay".
Shaw acknowledges concern about the improper construction of bus stops and the installation of pedestrian crossings, which add to the car crunch on city streets.
"Ideally you want to have an area where you have a lay-by, but there are some areas that you don't have the amount of (land) space," he says, "but in a situation that you have people converging, some form of provision must be made.
"It is a concern, because every time a bus stops, it kills one of the lanes, but it is about getting the funds to buy the adjoining properties to widen those areas that the buses can pull off and the traffic continues to flow," Shaw explains.
Follow The Gleaner's series on traffic management on Tuesday.
Approving bus stops, pedestrian crossings
A written request (ideally addressed to the CEO and/or director of planning and research) for the installation of a new pedestrian crossing can come from members of the public, members of the local traffic authority, developers or service clubs.
Stakeholders are required to write to the National Works Agency, clearly identifying the location and also describing the particular concern they may have with respect to the safety of pedestrians in the area.
Upon receipt of the request, the NWA will, within three weeks, dispatch officers to begin the assessment. The officers will conduct a site investigation and determine if further studies (pedestrian and vehicle counts) are required.
Upon completion of the studies, a needs assessment is done and a recommendation made. Priority is given to locations where the vulnerable or at-risk groups are regular users of the crossing.
Once the location has been assessed and favourable recommendations made, a proposal is sent to the Ministry of Transport and Works to install the pedestrian crossing.
