Reflective Post: A Congested Journey of the Urban Centre

Urban congestion encompasses a combination of causes and side effects to which harms the daily commuter and city dweller. The introductory video displays a range of mechanisms which greatly contributes to the overwhelming effects of congestion and how this urban phenomenon holds significant importance regarding proper planning of the city.

Forms of Urban Congestion
Photo Courtesy: Cherise Ali, Gopiechand Boodhan, Navida Bachan and Shalisa Ali

The business enterprise mainly consists of Banks located at the heart of the City, often termed ‘Banker’s Lane’ to facilitate the financial services to the mass public, as suggested by Pierre (2014). In this regard, this portion of her blog relates to the focus of my 7^th post; The City of Commerce- Banker’s Lane, and how this attracts higher density population into the city for commercial and financial activities as well as generates congestion in terms of buildings in close proximity to each other, the volume of cars in transit to and from these centres and the density of people visiting these banks for various transactions. Like Ali (2014) suggests, the ‘shopaholic’ is always in need to withdraw money from fast services provided by banks in order to fill their shopping bags.

Like Maloney (2014) says, ‘Transport systems are of great importance in the city of Port-of-Spain. With reference to my 11^th post on The Travel Market, these transporting mediums are a means of transit to and from the city, connecting all places to this Central Business District of Port-of-Spain. With designated bus stops and taxi terminals, daily commuters move from ‘Point A to Point B’ after being buzzled by the thick crowds that gather, rushing the moving bus (Post 12: Rush Hour- Leaving the City.)

The “exhaustion of the urban hustle” as Ali (2014) terms it, reflects the dynamics of urban stress and how congestion takes the energy out of people. She suggests that spending hours in traffic to reach the city is a tedious but necessary task of any individual. This correlates to my take on “Delayed Workforce” (Post 3), which speaks of the inefficiency of workers who were subject to long hours spent in a car or maxi as the case may be. Comparisons made between both blogs indicate that inefficient transport systems are the culprits regarding the quality and performance of our worker force. With increasing stress levels people visit, as I would call it, the ‘City Spa’ to de-stress oneself.

Additionally, vehicular traffic is often tagged as villains of urban pollution and proves lethal to the health of the population and how safe the air is to breathe. Vehicular exhaust from the build-up of traffic on the roads significantly contributes toward the death of the atmosphere. Constant flow of traffic would only result in the increasingly high gaseous contamination, further enhancing the effects of Global House Effect as suggested by Ragbir (2014). Her statements relate to my focus on congestion as it is a direct effect of what happens when there is simply too much cars on the roads (Post 2: A Long Wait to Enter the City), beit private cars or public transport (Post 11: Travel Market) during peak hours (Post 12: Rush Hour- Leaving the City) or perhaps when congestion is on a standstill (Post 3: Delayed Workforce).

 REFERENCES:

Ali, Cherise. 2014. De-stressing in the City that Never Sleeps. Fast Paced Urban Lifestyle.

http://fastpacedurbanlifestyle.blogspot.com/

Ali, Cherise. 2014. The Urban Lifestyle of the ‘Shopaholic’. Fast Paced Urban Lifestyle.

http://fastpacedurbanlifestyle.blogspot.com/

Ali, Cherise. 2014. The Exhaustion of the Urban Hustle. Fast Paced Urban Lifestyle.

http://fastpacedurbanlifestyle.blogspot.com/

Maloney, Cheryl-Ann. 2014. Getting From Point A to Point B. Urban Cultural Dimension.

http://urbanculturaldimension.blogspot.com/

Pierre, Nichel. 2014. Urban Banking. Urban Commercialism.

http://urbancommercialism.blogspot.com/

Ragbir, Clea. 2014. Exhaust Fumes Clouding up the City. Pollution in Cities.

http://pollutionincities.blogspot.com/2014/03/car-pollution-in-city.html

Rush Hour- Leaving the City

The above youtube video is indicative of the eagerness to leave school and transit to a homely environment. Similarly, this is the case of individual who spends an entire day, out of the house; beit at work, school or shopping in the streets. Long hours spent in the CBD of Port-of-Spain leaves people tired and restless, anxious to return to their zone of comfort. The collage of photos seeks to explain the rush of crowds while leaving the CBD. 

Rush Hour Congestion in Transport Terminals
Photo Courtesy: Shalisa Ali and Gopiechand Boodhan

Transportation to and from the city is essential for commuting locales of Trinidad. After a hard day’s work, people trot to various terminals only to be faced with long hours of wait. Crowds gather and congest small buildings and maxi taxi stands awaiting the arrival of buses and water taxis. With reference to the photos above, long lines build up within the PTSC bus stop area, while crowds rush the bus as it stops. Water transport is yet another form that has an increased demand for city-workers living in South, Trinidad. If you take a closer look at the photo on the right, you will see that inside the building is completely packed. Here in itself, rush hour adds to urban congestion in terms of the density of transit systems in the road as well as the number of people moving out of the city.

Crowding is at its highest during the peak hours thus increasing the degree and extent of congested roadways. Congestion is an increasingly unwelcome and costly disease in city life, prompting all sorts of attempts to mitigate it. Based on the urban theory of rush hour as presented by McDonald (2010), one implication of growth in demand is that the rush hour has become longer. This suggests that the more people there are to move out of the city, the more trips buses and taxis will have to make, thus delaying the process of movement. Frequent delays in arrival, transit ridership is becoming more prevalent in off-peak hours as well. On many occasions, sometimes night falls and meets tired workers still waiting for transport to leave the city.

REFERENCES:

 McDonald, John F. and Daniel P. McMillen. 2010. Urban Economics and Real Estate: Theory and Policy. John Wiley and Sons.

The Travel Market

Mass Public Transportation 
Photo Courtesy: Shalisa Ali

The Chicago Area Transportation Study (1956) says that the conditions of land use and density are the major determinants of the travel market. If demand is constrained by these factors, it is unlikely that changes in supply will have any great impact on the number of users. 

Urban sprawl as evident as it is today in Trinidad means that travelling is exacerbated by the needs tied to the CBD of Port-of-Spain. Reliance on private and public transportation is inevitable, thereby stimulating increases in the density of cars and buses within the main town. Associate dean at Monash Art and Design and Age art critic  Robert Nelson (2010) rightly states that ‘no public transport system can efficiently cope with low density... public transport in large areas of low demand will always be structurally inefficient: services are infrequent, unconnected and far apart.’ 

This by itself explains the photo above. The numbers of PTSC buses, maxis and taxis accumulate within the city as a means of transit to and from the outskirts. PTSC buses compact the car parks and taxis line the streets awaiting passengers to leave the city. Clusters of vehicles park in pockets designated for its functional mode of transport. This then adds to the already congested condition of the city in terms of the number of vehicles with a rather efficient transportation network connecting places far away from down town. Incentives to utilise private cars result from a lack in the public transportation services, 

but this is not the case of POS. 

A wide array of means of public transit is provided by the local government which enables easy travel to and from, in an attempt to significantly reduce current congestion rates.

For further information on solutions to combat the issue of congestion in Port-of-Spain, please follow the links provided below:

ODPM advises to carpool into POS today

http://www.news.gov.tt/content/odpm-advises-carpool-port-spain-today#.UzdUj_ldV1o

Solving Chronic Traffic Congestion

http://www.newsday.co.tt/businessday/0,177123.html

REFERENCES:

Nelson, Robert. 2010. Spreading ourselves too thin. The Age.

Perks to Traffic

Central planners such as the politicians often oversee the issue of congestion and concentrate activities in already congested areas, thereby overcrowding the CBD. According to a blog by Trinbago Views, not being the subject fully to the negative effects of traffic means that they have the upper hand to afforded perks that the ordinary citizen does not enjoy. 

Perks including: the Priority Bus Route (PBR), Priority Parking Privileges, Security escort through traffic, Flexible office hours, Helicopters, Government Living accommodation in the city and free gasoline. This gages such members of society to be privileged with the function of eluding the stress and acts of patience during their commute.

  

Privileged Members of Society receives Perks to Traffic Congestion in Port-of-Spain 
Photo Courtesy: Gopiechand Boodhan

The above photos seek to relate to the concept of perks allocated to superior members of the nation. Police and members of Parliament have no fear of breaking the law as they are seen to be the makers and enforcers of the law. As such, certain privileges are deemed to follow their footsteps, in this case, tire tracks. Clearly there is no adherence to the no-parking sign. Recalling this day, the photo to the top left was taken to show that a police passing another police vehicle parked in a no parking zone did not see that as an issue, as opposed to the ordinary citizen. Secondly, the picture to the right shows that on the day this photo was taken (Wednesday), the meaning of the sign was completely lost. As Dunn states, tax payers are continuously footing the bill for increased benefits for public sector workers. These free gifts should be stopped!

REFERENCES:

Dunn, Jennifer. Perks for Parking Tickets. The Tax Payers Alliance.

TrinbagoViews. 2013. Five Major Causes of Traffic in Trinidad & Tobago: Central Planners Have No Incentive to Solve Traffic Problems.

Everyday Urbanism

Busy crowds assemble in the streets of Port-of-Spain to carry out their daily activities, whether it is work, shopping, business transactions or even a casual visit to the city. Arrangement of streets within the city is a reflection of the dominant culture in which roads are referred to as the skeleton of the city. 

Crowded Street in Port-of-Spain
Photo Courtesy: Cherise Ali

Downs states ‘traffic congestion is an inescapable condition in all large and growing metropolitan areas across the world.’ Built around the CBD, as seen in the photo to the left, the streets are filled with people crossing the wide lanes in hurry as the line of cars awaits a clear road for easy transit. Street vendors house their mobile shops on the edges of the roads, leaving room for movement on the side-walks. Eager shoppers pay a visit to the nearby fruit vendor, drinks stall, snow-cone man or doubles man to get a quick snack and a refreshment to continue to their hectic schedule in the hot sun. 

The use of space in this context stimulates interaction among the social classes; a benefit of congestion. 

Downs claims that congestion is not necessarily a problem but a solution to the mobility problem which facilitates interactions for increasing the strength of the economy.

  

Traffic Regulation and Safety Patrol
Photo Courtesy: Cherise Ali

What I admire about this CBD is that regulation of traffic and social activities are priority for the safety of the environs. A policeman is seen to stand tall and firm, looking on at the traffic building up within the block, giving a sense of security to the passers-by and direction of the flow of traffic. Traffic wardens are also on patrol within various areas of Port-of-Spain, and so I feel a sense of pride and comfort knowing that I am looked after for.

According to Kaliski (1999), everyday urbanism explores the facets of everyday life, building on reality with its non-structural aspect due to the direct relationship between physical design of the city and social behaviour. 

 REFERENCES:

Downs, Anthony. 2004. Why Traffic Congestion is Here to Stay... and Will Get Worse. Access, no. 25. Accessed 27^th March 

http://www.uctc.net/access/25/Access%2025%20-%2004%20-%20Traffic%20Congestion%20is%20Here%20to%20Stay.pdf

Kaliski, J. 1999. Everyday Urbanism. New York, Monacelli Press.

Promotion Promotes Crowd Development

Crowd manipulation is the intentional use of various techniques based on the principle of crowd psychology in order to engage and influence the desires of the crowd to direct its behaviour in a certain manner. 

Take a closer look at the pictures shown. 

Rush for Umbrellas on a rainy day in Port-of-Spain
Photo Courtesy: Shalisa Ali

Orchard Vibe Promotion attracts city dwellers
Photo Courtesy: Shalisa Ali

I remember that this day, was very overcast and rainy! The weather is one thing that is a major cause for congestion in Port-of-Spain. As the downpour of rain increased, the concentration of people by Excellent Stores increased simultaneously, and when these people realised that they were not going to get anywhere with this rain, they paid a visit to the ‘umbrella man’, buying into their needs. The need for an umbrella caused a rush of people to gather around the one sales person. I’m pretty sure that he made a huge profit just by looking at the amount of umbrellas sold. From the time I stood next to him to the time I left, approximately 12 passers-by stopped and bought an umbrella.

If you take a closer look, you will be able to see the ‘Orchard Vibe’ banner hanging high next to the blue truck. This particular company was promoting its products to the wider public of Port-of-Spain, by sharing free samples. “Typical Trinis love ah free ting” as one would often say. The line-up for a bottle of Orchard Vibe grew long as the crowds rushed towards the barrels filled with cold drinks at City Gate. Young, old, boy, girl, everyone was rushing forth.

Promotions of goods in particular attracts the eye of the passer-by,

Taking a stop to see, what they can get for free.

No matter if they need it or not,

They take it, else it would ‘hutt.

REFERENCES: 

Reicher, S. (1987). Crowd behaviour as social action. In Turner, J., Hogg, M., Oakes, P.,

Reicher, S., & Wetherell, M.. Rediscovering the social group: A self-categorization theory. Oxford: Blackwell.

The city of Commerce- Banker's Lane

Banker's Lane, Port-of-Spain
Photo Courtesy: Gopiechand Boodhan

Port-of-Spain is remarkably known as the centre of everything, and this is quite true! There is a high concentration of various economic activities are clustered in the district, thus attracting a greater quantity of the country’s working population to keep the economy going. This on its own creates the issue of congestion in its own right due to the concentration of buildings, but is also the driving force behind the attraction and by extent the density of people in the city on a daily basis. The importance of this city to the financial sector is apart from being in the depth of trade and commerce, it is also home to two of the largest banks within the Caribbean; Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago and Republic Bank, Trinidad and Tobago.

The photo shows the agglomeration of a number of bank headquarters, all of which line both sides of one street, known as “Banker’s Lane”.  The amount of people; customers and workers visiting and working in these service sectors generate mass vehicular traffic as a result of improper roadside parking. Eventhough parking is facilitated by each branch, there simply is not enough space to facilitate the amount of cars, and road side parking is the resultant. This then adds to the congestion of the area and heightens the traffic flow on the roads, slowing the movement to and from. This then goes to say that within Port-of-Spain there is an overflow of economic activities that flood the streets and stimulate an attraction to the city.

Can we then say that Port-of-Spain is an Economic city?

Please view the following youtube video in order to gain a better understanding of what an Economic City is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TaI0atyZ-o

Attempts to move away from stagnant motion of benefit obtained from economic activities into other areas are being made, and with this movement, there will now be greater equality and an ease in the congestion of Port-of-Spain. Activities that were once centred on one area will now be accessible to the population throughout the country.

For further information, please read the newspaper article below for further details:

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/business-magazine/Its-easier-to-do-business-234326731.html

http://newsday.co.tt/business/0,185556.html

Special Post: Placecheck development of the CBD (POS) and the developing suburb; Belmont.

Urban Design Alliance is representative of a large group of environmental professionals which seeks to obtain a subjective assessment for improving development strategies. What makes the CBD successful is having full access to resources centred through the networked transportation routes and a firm economic base, like that of Port-of-Spain. Touring the CBD of Port-of-Spain, I was intrigued by the multi-faceted culture exposed to mixing on the streets. The collage below sums the experience of Port-of-Spain's CBD, Woodford Square, as the epitome of cultural diversity and the different ways in which space is used by various members of the city.

Woodford Square, Port-of-Spain
Photo Courtesy: Cherise Ali and Shalisa Ali

‘Town’ referred to by the local is the melting pot of our culture which persists till date as an expression of heritage and advances as time progresses. Historic architectural designed buildings stand firm in a society that has stepped up in the world into adopting modern cultures. The music danced in the atmosphere creating a sense of comfort of the ‘home’, as Scantlebury claims Port-of-Spain his heart. There is a social mixing, displaying a ray of difference in motion regarding the hustle and bustle of the young versus leisure of the elderly folks. 

Despite many positives shown by the women plaiting each other’s hair, and vagrants line the sidewalks, but nevertheless, this CBD, poses several threats to society regarding the inequalities and congestion resulting from such heightened development. 

Greater protection should be geared toward the environmental quality as pollution rampages the streets as a result in inconsiderate individuals who carelessly dispose of garbage. Additionally, greater surveillance by traffic wardens would necessitate an ease of access of traffic throughout the CBD. I believe greater investment should be placed into proper planning of the land uses and even reconstruction of substandard houses.

The Suburb of Port-of-Spain, Belmont
Photo Courtesy: Cherise Ali and Shalisa Ali

Moving away from the CBD of Port-of-Spain, lies the suburb known as Belmont; the ‘soul’ of Mr. Scantlebury. Narrow streets line network through the densely populated sector, with houses in close proximity to each other such that they seem to be built on top each other. 

 At the end of the colonial era when former plantation workers were relieved of the slavery-type treatment, random houses with no sense of planning were constructed in Belmont, at that time known as ‘Freetown’, before roads began to take shape. This congestion brought about with it a neighbourhood such that it really took a village to raise a child.

Belmont however, is plagued with the issues of crime and flooding as a result of the lack of planning within the community. But, due to the lack of development, Belmont has had several instances of criminal activities as school children are unattended during the post school hour period. The stigma placed on the district of Belmont comes from those outside who know nothing regarding the resources that lie within the community. Improper drainage systems that are current issues for the residents of Belmont are not new, but requires serious attention.

Apart from that, Belmont; the first emancipation village, is home to the origins of distinctive Carnival traits and calypso as seen in the above collage, as it cherished its architectural, historical and cultural heritage. Places such as the Ken Morris Mas Camp and the Trinidad Theatre Workshop embraces its culture and promotes the growth of what is needed to be preserved today. Attempts to preserve the culture and restore the community are the vehicles for economic and sustainable development of Belmont. Education brought about through the tours set up by Mr. Scantlebury encourages outsiders to view Belmont from a different angle, removing any plagues attached.

According to Urban writer and activist, Jane Jacob’s principles of good neighbourhoods, disorder enhanced the characteristics of the area, whether it be, in this case, Port-of-Spain’s CBD or its’ suburb Belmont. She saw the city as a place of celebration, and as such can be used to relate to the CBD and its suburban areas. The CBD comprises several uses inclusive of commercial, residential, industrial, service, political and even cultural and historical. Belmont is however on the verge on having that mixture through development strategies that have been considered, and consists solely of cultural activities such as the Trinidad Theatre Workshop and the Mas Camps. POS also shows city dynamics in terms of building design and construction as opposed to Belmont which is centred on colonial-type housing, which are more or less compacted into a network of  narrow streets. Belmont, unlike the CBD is noted to posses streets with several short blocks and numerous corners. Here is the base of interaction of villagers from time to time, encouraging some form of social mixing. Lastly, fur to the functionality of the CBD, it is a densely populated area, and as such is an application of JJ's fourth principle. Based on these principles, the CBD may be ranked higher that Belmont such that its functions are deemed as a better neighbour in terms of the CBD..

Planned and Unplanned Development: A Result of Central Place Theory.

The image of towering glass edifices situated down-town and clustered pockets of shanty-town houses on the outskirts often become etched in the minds of city dwellers and daily commuters, raising thoughts of the inequalities of planning and development.

Planned and Unplanned Development
Photo Courtesy: Gopiechand Boodhan and Shalisa Ali

A city of commerce like Port-of-Spain developed around the port facilitating import and export activities. Christaller’s Central Place Theory (1933), attempts to explain the settlement patterns as a function of the associated concentration of essential resources within our local CBD (Central Business District).

To learn more about CBD’s, please visit:

http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/cbd.htm

Demographic factors work hand in hand with the socio-economic status of society in that increasing threshold of higher income groups circulate the centre of the city, where there is a multiplex of activities in close proximity such as West Moorings. Contrast to that, the Beetham Gardens receives less investment due to the standard upheld in the area. These squatter zones are as a result of restricted finances as well as the guilt of violating city ordinances. Despite the fact that easy commute is essential for the working class of the city, and as a result may be located close the CBD, there is a clear distinction to the level of planning and development when compared to residence of planned developments of Port-of-Spain.

Driving through the city, I was astonished by the variation in the type of buildings found within different segments of the city, and how they are agglomerated into one melting pot of urban-ness. As function of economics, the city eventhough one, seems to be a host of different types of development, each separated from the other. While planned developments such as the Hyatt, displays a classy appearance as a reflection of the concentration of revenue, unplanned developments such as squatter settlements on the hillside shows the inability to attract investment.

Be sure to take a look at the video below as it sheds light as to why many people have no choice in resorting to Squatter settlements.

REFERENCES:

Rössler M, 1989, "Applied geography and area research in Nazi society: central place theory and planning, 1933 to 1945" Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 7(4) 419 – 431. PDF.

Von Böventer, E. (1969), Walter Christaller’s Central Places and Peripheral Areas: The Central Place Theory in Retrospect. Journal of Regional Science, 9: 117–124. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9787.1969.tb01447.x

The 'Concrete Jungle'

Urban District and Concrete Jungle of Port-of-Spain
Photo Courtesy: Navida Bachan

         The aspect of 'concrete' within Port-of-Spain is centralized by the density of buildings compacted into a small space. This CBD is recognized for its structural design to which visitors gaze upon in amazement. The above photo is representative of the congestion caused by increasing construction of buildings, whether it be work-related or for housing compartments. Additionally, vehicular traffic is seemingly increasing as the lives of many are improved with increasing amount of companies being set up within this already busy district. An urban district such as Port-of-Spain consists of a compaction of multiple skyscrapers which reduce their footprint by standing tip-toe, acting as a driving force in stimulating an increase in the city’s population density. Taller buildings means, more people being vertically accounted for. Approximately 193 companies are found within the borders of Port-of-Spain and this in itself can speak of the concentration of standing buildings, some of which include: Powergen, Berger Paints Ltd. etc.

Please visit the following link for more details pertaining to the list of companies situated within the city of Port-of-Spain:

http://www.manta.com/world/North+America/Trinidad+&+Tobago/-/Port-Of-Spain/

        Standing close-by to towering edifices, strong winds generate enough energy to funnel through creating a canyon effect affecting the daily commuter, shopper and pedestrians. The day this picture was taken, I distinctly recall being pushed by the howling winds while walking through Fredrick St. And it was to my amazement that I didn't tumble over. This alone speaks of the strength of the winds that stray through. At the same time, the phenomenon of an urban heat island is present as the entire city is heated up because of the creation of a ‘concrete jungle’ raising night time temperatures from the absorption of daytime heat (Talmor, 2013).

The Skyscrapers of Port-of-Spain
Photo Courtesy: Cherise Ali


The photo on the left displays the dynamics of the city life with regard to the closeness or the congestion of buildings. It shows the most significant difference when compared to the rural and suburban areas within the periphery, which stimulates the resounding phenomenon of the urban heat island. Also, the tall, slender structures facilitate the perfect environment for the passage of the winds that funnel through, known as the canyon effect. 

      

REFERENCES:

Hall, Tim. and Heather Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge.

Menglin Jin, Robert E. Dickinson, Da Zhang (2005) The Footprint of Urban Areas on Global Climate as Characteriszed by MODIS. Journal of Climate 18:10, 1551-1565 (PDF)

Talmor Meir, et at (2013) Forecasting the New York City Urban Heat Island and Sea Breeze during the Extreme Heat Events. Weather and Forecasting 28:6, 1460-1477 (PDF)

Delayed Work Force

         Driving to work in Port-of-Spain is becoming more synonymous 

with the concept of ‘working to drive’! 

Commuting city workers, adopt early departure from their homes in an attempt to beat the deadly slow-paced traffic resulting form the density of cars jam-packed one to the other on the nations highways and byways as suggested in the previous post.

Despite the effort, they are compelled to sit still and wait. 

As Kay (1997) states, 'You're not stuck in a traffic jam, you are the jam.' 

Consequent to inefficient road network systems placed in Trinidad, according to Kimuyu, the productivity of the working population becomes inefficient and thereby negatively impacts upon the economy.  Weisbod et al. (2003) claims that traffic congestion impairs productivity and this is so as traffic congestion  consumes the energy and time of the individual, while heightening effects of stress levels. Arrival at the workplace workers feel as if they "deserve" an instant break from that tiring journey toward the Northern end of the country. 

Follow the link below to enhance your understanding on the issue of congestion and how it relates to inefficient productivity:

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/10/how-traffic-congestion-impacts-economic-growth/7310/

Delayed Workers
Photo Courtesy: Shalisa Ali

Delayed Workers enjoy traffic in Port-of-Spain

 Looking to the left and you will notice three working women dressed in orange tops stuck in the slow-paced traffic in Port-of-Spain. Upon seeing this, I quickly peeked at the time and awed that they were delayed for work.

They do nothing other than accept that fact and be labelled as a cause of inefficiency. Urban congestion intensifies stress levels and stimulates the inefficient state of workers.

 How much work is done is questionable with the time spent on-site in the workplace. Reaching to work late is one thing, but leaving early to reach home at a specific time is another. Traffic in the cities tends to cut back on the working hours of the country’s working class and this is not ideal for a growing economy in the service sector. In economic terms, there is therefore the concept of opportunity cost where traffic congestion is concerned, that being time to do conduct a greater amount of economic activities. The theory of Opportunity cost is dominated by the aspect of choice and the concept of the next best alternative, and with respect to congestion and workers, it is time to be productive.

REFERENCES:

Hall, Tim. and Heather Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge.

Kay, J. H. 1997. Asphalt Nation: How the Automobile Took Over America, and How We Can Take It Back. Crown Publishers. Accessed 14th Frebuary, 2014.
Kimuyu, Peter. 2005. Productivity Performance in Developing Countries: Kenya. Accessed 11th February, 2014.

Schrank, D. and Lomax, T., 2003. Annual Mobility Report, Texas Transportation Institute. Accessed11th February, 2013

Weisbrod, G. Vary et al. 2003. Measuring the Economic Cost of Urban Traffic Congestion to Business. Journal of the Transportation Research Board. Accessed March 15th, 2014.

A long wait to enter the City!

   This is the fate of many civilians of Trinidad who often drive up from their homes, beit from Central, East or South... a long wait to enter the city! The traffic upon the entry to the city of Port-of-Spain builds up as a result of the great volume of cars on the nation’s roads, travelling toward the same destination. According to Hall and Barrett (2012, 291), the social spaces of the city life are also affected by the increasing dominance of the car.

An overview of vehicular traffic upon entry to Port-of-Spain
Photo Courtesy: Cherise Ali and Navida Bachan

            There are simply too much cars on the nation’s roads, all because of the subsidized cost of gasoline which encourages dominance of private vehicle ownership. The current gasoline subsidy allows our country, Trinidad to maintain a fixed, but low price. As a result, the portion of the countries’ population with a higher income is deemed to benefit without a doubt, further enhancing increased private vehicular usage. An estimate of 0.7 million vehicles 

(IMF Fiscal Department) are currently in use, resulting in nothing less than long commuting hours spent waiting on first class roads, while beamed by the morning sun rays, 

only to arrive to work either late, or tired.

 The link below will take you to a local newspaper article related to problem of congestion related to the number of cars on the road.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/letters/Simply_too_many_cars_on_the_nation_s_roads-170861001.html

            As depicted by the photo above, upon entry to Port-of-Spain, one can view the cities vertical glass edifices, stemming out of the car-filled roads. Cars line the roads entering the city of skyscrapers built in close proximity to each other. This is the daily picture of the city’s overview of congestion entrenched in the commuter’s memory. In this photo, I wanted to convey the aspect of the urban life from the outside, showing that congestion in not only found within the urban area, but is also an issue leading up toward the city. High densities of human in-low to the city is as a result of the concentration of activities centred in one location, whereby commuters must pay the price to obtain them; monetary or time. This by itself is a major cause for concern regarding the time spent by the country's workers waiting to arrive at their work place and even school children to their respective schools. 

 The following link directs you to a youtube video: Traffic Congestion in Trinidad and Tobago by Navin Lachee.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6V9nPAOols

REFERENCES:

Hall, Tim. and Heather Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge.

R. J. Smeed. 1968. Journal of Transport and Policy. Vol. 2, No. 1, pp.33-70. The London School of Economics and Political Science.

Accessed 9th February 2014.  http://www.jstor.org/stable/20052080

Short Video on Traffic Congestion

The following video gives an insight to the major topics of 

the issues revolving around one of the aspects of congestion; 

Traffic!

I will be looking into some of these,and I go hope that your this will

 capture your attention to this 

renown phenomenon of Urban Congestion.