Aug

Santo Domingo Metro Now Arriving in November

Posted by admin Published in Transportation Alternatives

A sort new subway certain seems like it should be the final precedence for a city suffering from rampant poverty, a crumbling infrastructure, and few educational opportunities. But decent about New York in 1904 — Santo Domingo will be the moment Caribbean city to have a subway when the Santo Domingo Metro officially opens in November, Tranport Reform Office (OPRET) Director Leonel Carrasco told Dominican Today.

The announcement comes after four years of interpretation and a “soft open” in April. Not surprisingly, the prospect of a $700 million subway in the middle of a third world country is controversial, spurring serious debates by government spending and more quaint, patronizing racial jokes than an early-60s Blake Edwards movie. One poster on Dominican nowadays (who may be Opie and Anthony’s representative to the United Nations) writes that whether the Metro breaks down, “then they will have to go back to 8 society in a broken down toyota.” Real classy.

Many pundits feel the subway project is related to Dominican President Leonel Fernandez’ obsession with New York City. Like all those public wearing Yankees hats, a subway is just another way that Santo Domingo can look like the Big Apple. Fernandez even made several crucial announcements about the Metro while touring the US on a re-election campaign aimed at expatriates with absentee ballots. In fact, much of Fernandez’ reelection campaign has relied on the subway, even combining the Metro’s unofficial opening with one of his own campaign rallies. It seems to have worked: Fernandez was sworn in

for a third term on the 16th.

The subway became a budget precedence during Fernandez’ moment term, eclipsing such urgent needs as healthcare and delivery of electricity. In a twist of irony, the Metro will be powered by generators that aren’t connected to the notoriously unreliable Dominican potential grid. As with any public works project anywhere in the world, accusations of corruption abound. Though OPRET has been less than transparent about the whole interpretation process, at least the trains are clean. They’re brand-new units from French manufacturer ALSTOM, running in three-car pairs across one line (for now).

For a project that’s been considered a political third rail, it’s curious that the Metro runs on overhead caternary wires. Despite publicly expressed reservations about priorities and needs, the Metro is extremely popular. YouTube videos posted on Reuters show massive crowds charging the trains during their grand opening, chanting “Leonel! Leonel!” Several folks seem to be so overjoyed that they needed medical attention. Those of us who have waited for an outbound MBTA Red Line train at rush hour know the feeling, and at least the Dominicans only had to wait four years for their train. Fernandez plans to give the public more of what they want, already planning to construct another line during his third term.

Photo by Wikipedia user Edwin Casado Baez.

Original post by Keith Barry