A bicycle route instead of Metro and against the construction of Atlantica?

[Mr_DR]

Is this Penalosa guy for real?

See, people like those are the people that are always against another country getting ahead.

"Bicycle route would help ease up on the crime rate because supposely criminals would be spending more time with their family members in the park..yeah right!!!

He states that crime cames came down 22 from 100,000.
by doing this when he was the Mator of Medellin?
How significant is 22 from 100,000

I think that a bicycle route would just give criminals better access to would be victims in these bike routes.

Yes, He was right when he said these criminals would be spending more time in these parks but only robbing people.

[NALs]

Is this Penalosa guy for real?

Well, there are all sorts of weirder things in this world...

See, people like those are the people that are always against another country getting ahead.

I thought of that too. I always wonder when foreigners protest some project if they are saying it with the Dominican's best interest or simply out of jealousy.

Don't get me wrong, Penalosa did pointed out a few interesting point, but criticizing the Autopista Las Americas for being by the sea is a little too much. I mean, that has to be the most beautiful introduction to the city of Santo Domingo any tourist probably has seen for any capital city in this world. Besides, that highway has been there since Trujillo's time, were we going to destroy it an rebuild another one away from the sea? I don't think so.

With the island, everybody is saying that the island is going to be "exclusive" for the few. The developers are planning the island to be an enjoyment for everybody. Sure, everybody will not be able to just walk into the private residences there, but they will be allowed to enjoy the new malecon to be built, a malecon that will promote walks by the sea in a clean and friendly atmosphere I might add. I'm sure the investors of Malecon Center would love to see their towers splashed all over the world once this project is completed. Afterall, you will not be able to take aerial or sea shots of the "new skyline" without the Malecon Center towers poping up. I'm sure alot more people will be interested in buying up the remaining spaces available there in apartments and shopping mall spaces and the island will become a major curiosity in the middle of the Caribbean that everybody and their mother will want to stop by, at least just to look at it.

"Bicycle route would help ease up on the crime rate because supposely criminals would be spending more time with their family members in the park..yeah right!!!

It would be more of a blessing for criminals. Imagine, they no longer have to spend money on gasoline on their pasolas or anything. Just push the victim off the bike and voila, a crime could not be any easier.

The last time I checked, the Miradores parks are wonderful places to ride a bike, especially when they shut down the avenue that cuts through Mirador del Sur.

He states that crime cames came down 22 from 100,000.
by doing this when he was the Mator of Medellin?
How significant is 22 from 100,000

If we should be copying Medellin then I'm scared. My my my...

I think that a bicycle route would just give criminals better access to would be victims in these bike routes.

I know.

Yes, He was right when he said these criminals would be spending more time in these parks but only robbing people.

Maybe you should send a letter to local newspapers and try to get your opinion going? This will make a fascinating debate in most homes, guaranteed.

Penalosa probably had good intentions when he made his remarks, but that was nothing more than good intentioned words. The island will get built, will get the attention, will become a major attraction in it self and businesses in this city (especially along the coast and in the Colonial Zone) will benefit tremendously from the extra tourist flow.

Unfortunately, the Metro will be built.

This reminds me, he stated that Medellins' metro only services 300,000 while Bogota's buses service alot more. I think Bogota is much bigger than Medellin in population and land area.

Maybe that has something to do with it? Just a thought.

I find Santo Domingo to be better than either Medellin or Bogota. Just my thought, but those cities are just ough... No offense to anyone.

[FuegoAzul21]

I ve never been to La Capital (wierd, right ?),But i ve heard alot of good and bad things about it .Now, many of you might think of this guy as a hater and doesnt wanna see SD succeed .However , it could be vice versa .What if he is just warning the congress on the negative effects it can have and showing them how SD could solve its problem .Maybe he doesnt want them to make the same mistake others have made. It also could be that he is looking at it in a way that government can save alot of money .Then again he could be full of crap and not want SD to have a metro becuase he knows that SD will have better luck with it then some other large cities . Im not saying this niether do i beleive it but it it a possibility. I just hope that whatever decision they make, is the best one.

[NotLurking]

Maybe he is pitching his idealistic views to insure P. T. Barnum's prophecy is fulfilled! Just think of how idealistic and poetic you would be for say a 5% consulting fee on that mammoth of a project. For less than 2% of the whole ball of wax I'll become a smooth tongue devil too. In fact, for 0.01% commission on a project of this magnitude ya can slap me 'round and call me Susan! Things that make you go hmmm....

NotLurking

[gringito]

Originally Posted by NotLurking

Maybe he is pitching his idealistic views to insure P. T. Barnum's prophecy is fulfilled! Just think of how idealistic and poetic you would be for say a 5% consulting fee on that mammoth of a project. For less than 2% of the whole ball of wax I'll become a smooth tongue devil too. In fact, for 0.01% commission on a project of this magnitude ya can slap me 'round and call me Susan! Things that make you go hmmm....

NotLurking

Maybe we should partner with Penalosa in a bicycle dealership here. With the money from the proposed Metro budget we could sell a bike to every man, woman and child in SD and 4 bikes to every member of the Congress. Can you imagine the bicycle thiefs licking their chops over the very idea? I might start importing bicycle locks from China tomorrow just to get a jump on things, hehe.

[Mr_DR]

Originally Posted by Nal0whs

Well, there are all sorts of weirder things in this world...


I thought of that too. I always wonder when foreigners protest some project if they are saying it with the Dominican's best interest or simply out of jealousy.

Don't get me wrong, Penalosa did pointed out a few interesting point, but criticizing the Autopista Las Americas for being by the sea is a little too much. I mean, that has to be the most beautiful introduction to the city of Santo Domingo any tourist probably has seen for any capital city in this world. Besides, that highway has been there since Trujillo's time, were we going to destroy it an rebuild another one away from the sea? I don't think so.

With the island, everybody is saying that the island is going to be "exclusive" for the few. The developers are planning the island to be an enjoyment for everybody. Sure, everybody will not be able to just walk into the private residences there, but they will be allowed to enjoy the new malecon to be built, a malecon that will promote walks by the sea in a clean and friendly atmosphere I might add. I'm sure the investors of Malecon Center would love to see their towers splashed all over the world once this project is completed. Afterall, you will not be able to take aerial or sea shots of the "new skyline" without the Malecon Center towers poping up. I'm sure alot more people will be interested in buying up the remaining spaces available there in apartments and shopping mall spaces and the island will become a major curiosity in the middle of the Caribbean that everybody and their mother will want to stop by, at least just to look at it.


It would be more of a blessing for criminals. Imagine, they no longer have to spend money on gasoline on their pasolas or anything. Just push the victim off the bike and voila, a crime could not be any easier.

The last time I checked, the Miradores parks are wonderful places to ride a bike, especially when they shut down the avenue that cuts through Mirador del Sur.


If we should be copying Medellin then I'm scared. My my my...


I know.


Maybe you should send a letter to local newspapers and try to get your opinion going? This will make a fascinating debate in most homes, guaranteed.

Penalosa probably had good intentions when he made his remarks, but that was nothing more than good intentioned words. The island will get built, will get the attention, will become a major attraction in it self and businesses in this city (especially along the coast and in the Colonial Zone) will benefit tremendously from the extra tourist flow.

Unfortunately, the Metro will be built.

This reminds me, he stated that Medellins' metro only services 300,000 while Bogota's buses service alot more. I think Bogota is much bigger than Medellin in population and land area.

Maybe that has something to do with it? Just a thought.

I find Santo Domingo to be better than either Medellin or Bogota. Just my thought, but those cities are just ough... No offense to anyone.

Now i see why some countries never get ahead......It is because of people like him influencing others leaders as a form to always keep them down.

I bet if these investors were to do this in Colombia he would not oppose at all.

These project is going to lauch DR into a whole different ball park, it is gonna create many jobs for the locals and it is gonna be a beautiful view no matter what he sais. Arriva con los projectos.

[NALs]

Originally Posted by Mr_DR

Now i see why some countries never get ahead......It is because of people like him influencing others leaders as a form to always keep them down.

I bet if these investors were to do this in Colombia he would not oppose at all.

These project is going to lauch DR into a whole different ball park, it is gonna create many jobs for the locals and it is gonna be a beautiful view no matter what he sais. Arriva con los projectos.

That's the point!

Most other projects (even the Faro A Colon) have succeeded beyond their expectations.

All the resorts and attractions made us number one tourist destination.

All the new shops make us the largest economy in Central America/Caribbean.

All the new investments are leaping us into modernity and forward.

Any country in the world would love that, but the DR is living proof of that.

Now, if we want to devoid any investment, all we have to do is look at Haiti. That is what a country with near 0 foreign investment looks like.

It's not a pretty situation to be in. Let the projects begin (the privately founded projects at least)!

[Mr_DR]

Originally Posted by Nal0whs

That's the point!

Most other projects (even the Faro A Colon) have succeeded beyond their expectations.

All the resorts and attractions made us number one tourist destination.

All the new shops make us the largest economy in Central America/Caribbean.

All the new investments are leaping us into modernity and forward.

Any country in the world would love that, but the DR is living proof of that.

Now, if we want to devoid any investment, all we have to do is look at Haiti. That is what a country with near 0 foreign investment looks like.

It's not a pretty situation to be in. Let the projects begin (the privately founded projects at least)!

I agree with you 100% on that.

I wonder how come he did not propose more bicycle routes when they were thinking about about building their metro system in Medellin?

I think he was high on cocaine when his turn came to speak,

Can you imagine? the country is here trying to resolve it's traffic issues and invite this guy to the conference because of his expertise and when it is his turn to open his mouth the first thing he sais is "Build more parks and bicycle routes"

I can see his idea of a cosmopolitan SD
People taxiing on tricycles, people that have never set foot on a bike (dando bandazos) trying to get to work, a husband on his bike with his pregnant wife on their rushing to the hospital, or a complete family hanging on a bicycle to a picnic location which i don't know how he has not seeing this happening yet but through a little more modernized way that is called "pasola"

Was he too stoned not to see the buzzings of the pasolas and the motoconchos when passing through which still has not solve the problem ?
Now how much more effective can bicycles be?

He would not even mention buiding special pasola/motoconchos routes instead of bicycle routes because that to him is still too modern for us.
He wants to see a 16th century Italy bicycle mode of tranportation style in the DR.

I am surprised he did not mention roller skates as a transportation solution instead.

[Naufrago]

As a person who is already walking around SD as much as possible, I can attest that the problem is not the 3 foot wide sidewalks. Unlike NYC there is no sidewalk congestion here. The problem here is the glaring Sun. What we need is more shade. More trees lining the pathways, or overhangs, or a giant umbrella to cover the city. A simple 3 mile walk in the midday sun will fry you. I always try to plan my route according to the shade factor. But when I need to cross the city center, the options are limited.

[Chirimoya]

In hot Spanish cities like Seville where summer temperatures routinely exceed 40ºC (well over 100ºF) they hang tarps across some streets from roof to roof to add to the shade. Simple but effective.

Some pedestrianised shopping streets with outdoor cafes even have 'exterior air-conditioning' - but that is a more expensive solution.

People in Spain and Italy have preserved the tradition of the evening 'paseo' or 'passeggiata' despite the summer heat and the modernisation their countries have experienced. Pity their descendants on this side of the Atlantic seem to have abandoned this tradition.