Urgent relief needed from East Bank traffic congestion fatigue and deplorable roadways
Commuting on the East Bank of Demerara is quite a challenge and in spite of all the promises to ease the traffic congestion there seems to be no end in sight. I am encouraged by efforts being made to increase the road network but the process is taking much too long and some of the problems are created not by only by road
congestions but by those in authority who can make a difference but seem not to care.
Take for instance the Haags Bosch Landfill road, this thoroughfare is in a deplorable state and every day it is getting worse. This road is used by residents and businesses in Herstelling, Providence, Perseverance and the Eccles industrial area including the landfill and also serves as a detour when there is traffic congestion on the East Bank Public Road yet the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has left it to deteriorate. The increasing number of heavy duty vehicles transporting paraphernalia for the oil sector and other commercial activities is causing these roads to depreciate faster. In addition, just over two years ago street lights were placed on the Haags Bosch roadway which have since vanished.
I am appealing to President Irfaan Alli and the Minister of Public Infrastructure, Juan Edgill, on behalf of residents and commuters to kindly intervene since we are encouraging investors to Guyana, many of whom live in gated communities in these areas as well as new residents who are now occupying the East Bank Schemes at a fast rate. In addition, just over four months ago, road rehabilitation work was started in Herstelling, Providence and other communities which brought temporary relief to residents since the roads were graded, rolled and a layer of stone place on the roads. However, the rainy season is here and these roads are returning to their usual potholes that we as residents are now resigned to. We need urgent relief from the fatigue of traffic congestion and the deplorable roadways we have to face on a daily basis.
Sincerely,
Name and Address Provided
keeps us unappreciative, without understanding and dare I say even, poor.
Editor, I do notice better sentiments coming from the more integrated among us: that there must be an optimal walkability programmed into our city designs. Imagine being able to walk to work, to school and to play all in the same trip. This is possible for us, we have access to all of the world’s knowledge on the integrated subject of urban design. We can get so many things right with our expanding spaces, applying effective spatial design principles like road hierarchy (for controlling access to property) while we devise our own way toward becoming a superpowered cost-of-living paradise. Using roadways in tight, close-knit inner cities like Georgetown is not so much about order and discipline as it is about interactivity and respect for different classes of road users. So what if somebody is on a bicycle? Are they in your way? Really? Slow yourself down and share the roadway, and I say this even after a few bicycle men tried to throw their front wheels into the path of my slowly passing car to get some dineros out of me - yes this happens. I sometimes drive with empty pockets by the way, so don’t overthink it bicycle boys!
Editor, that our officers have to be out on the streets for so many hours in a day, overriding the traffic lights to manage traffic, seems extenuating. It is becoming clearer to us that there is a growing need for design solutions toward a more reliable infrastructural pattern for the city. That said, I would like for a chance to shoot another suggestion, as I have in previous letters, about an innovation that I believe can enhance the charm and functionality of inner city streets: the continuous sidewalk. See “The Dutch Solution for Safer Sidewalks - Continuous Sidewalks” uploaded to the “Not Just Bikes” YouTube channel. The continuous sidewalk would force impatient drivers to interact with other road users, as it provides that well timed ‘interrupt’ that we need to keep our own pace in check, slowing us down, causing us to interactively share the space with people on foot, people who can now navigate with more confidence that they are safe. I also wonder what this might do for our moods. Editor, in roundabouts; in the emphasis on designated bus stops; in the repositioning of the main fire station alongside Homestretch; in the inclusion of cycle lanes in road programming and in the use of changing medians, I see signs of a brighter future for the city. It is beginning to step ladder its way toward optimality.
I believe persons would eventually understand that roundabouts reduce the likelihood of human error and would save on fuel costs by keeping us moving, albeit more carefully. Learn this, I say to the skeptics, learn how to INTERACT with the roadways and stop being scared of the roundabout boogeyman! We need more roundabouts not less. Consider the uncertainty you face at a junction even with traffic lights, with your head spinning in all directions before you move. Human error is an increasing function of the number of steps required to carry out a decision. Allow me to say: let’s just slow it down and get with the program of a more careful and functional inner city that respects us as we move about its passages. Sincerely,
Emille Giddings