Editorial
Planning the Growing Traffic'sFuture, to Avoid a Disaster
Like a slowly moving string of dancers,morning and afternoon commuters creep along the roads leadinginto and out of George Town. It's a daily reality for many. Butsurely there must be a solution to this ever-growing stream ofvehicular commuter traffic.
Though the drive is certainly more tolerant,than say, the putrid smoke stacks along some of the highways ofother countries, the crux of the matter is the same: the growingtraffic congestion and lack of parking options in downtown today,is a drag.
Fortunately, unlike major metropolitan cities,local residents still politely allow others to merge in frontof them and join the Congo line to George Town. But how long willthat last? And time isn't the only problem; there's additionalfuel consumption, pollution and a higher risk of traffic accidents.
So, what's the answer? In Bermuda, theyhave cut down on traffic by limiting the number of vehicles perhousehold. This certainly will not will go over in Cayman. Sowhat is the answer? Most of us have a few thoughts. But the bottomline is rush hour traffic is everyone's problem. Ask yourself,what would you be willing to give up in order to solve the presenttraffic dilemma.
Chances are you might be willing to paya bit more for things like gas, or a road toll, but most peoplewould not want to give up their choice of driving into town. "Notme" you might say, "let someone else take a bus."But short of being beamed from point A to point B like in sciencefiction movies, we all have to change some of our attitudes andour commuting habits.
The new Minister of Education, Hon. RoyBodden, has made it his mission to try and alleviate some of thetraffic congestion. His idea? Build a new High School in FrankSound. And why not? A considerable amount of the Government andPrivate High Schools' students are from the Eastern districtsof North Side, Bodden Town and East End.
The proposed development of a 700 room all-inclusivehotel in Frank Sound, should also be encouraged. The logic being,to move tourists away from busy George Town. And most hotel workerswould come from around the area. Even though those who are employedby Government and the financial sector would still have to commute,it's an idea whose time has come.
There is another option: A large parkingfacility could be built near the Bobby Thompson Way and SmithRoad intersection. You park your car there and air-conditioned,well-appointed shuttles whisks you away in comfort to downtown.The few minutes into town can be spent getting back to some ofour dying traditions, like spending time with folks the way weused to in days gone by.
In the meantime, whatever happened to theCrewe Road Bypass?
The reality is that traffic congestion mustbe part of overall Government planning. What's developed alongSeven Mile Beach, outside of town and within city limits all affectstraffic flow. Will the plans for the re-development of the Portrelieve the flow of traffic?
And where there are traffic problems thereare parking hassles. What is going to become of the near totaldisorder in downtown parking? The garages overflow and we've allhad to park illegally.
There was also talk of creating a 'walkingesplanade' and closing off Cardinal Avenue and Albert Panton Streetto vehicular traffic. This could make a change in the atmosphereof the Capital, which is very much in need of a face-lift.
One thing's for sure: traffic into and exiting downtown, as wellas the attendant frustration of inadequate parking spaces, willcontinue to increase. Without proper planning and mind change,ever expanding gridlock, will continue to grip us.