The Fourth District Representative criticized the double lanes on Waterfront Drive and DeCastro Street and the traffic which now goes west on Main Street.

The traffic turnaround was implemented in June 2020.

“It was presented to me when I was there and I didn’t like it…I don’t like the double lane without traffic lights…that’s how a double lane in a city works, but it cannot work without that. We will get some accidents; they (pedestrians) will get knock over,” he said in the House of Assembly last Thursday August 19.

He emphasized that double lane traffic must have traffic lights to make it pedestrian friendly, noting that its confusing for some pedestrians, especially the elderly.

“You have to remember the senior citizens who traverse the city on foot or maybe with a stick or maybe in a wheelchair…I am still not in favour of two lanes in the city, unless you are going to put streetlights where people can cross over comfortably, where the
traffic stops and allow people to cross over,” he said.

The opposition member said, “I don’t mind change, but not when change does not satisfy the public and the needs of the people. Road Town is no longer a pedestrian friendly town, it’s not so. You cannot cross, always two vehicles coming in one direction.”

Main Street A Tramway

Meanwhile, he said that Main Street has become dangerous.

“We turn it into a tramway. I am not in favour of the road coming down Main Street where people cannot even walk pass, people coming down full speed. I had to beg for some speed bumps around it, but it’s still the wrong way,” he bemoaned.

He said, “we were trying to turn Main Street into a more pedestrian friendly street rather than a traffic street, you afraid to walk across. I am not agreeing to that.”

Hon. Vanterpool said as the representative for the district, he told Hon. Kye Rymer, Minister for Transportation, Works and Utilities that he doesn’t mind him putting the idea to test but if it doesn’t work, change it.

“Main Street you cannot walk across the place you frighten, you jumping on the side all the time. That is not what a city supposed to be. Yes, if you want to go out of the city and drive how you want that’s fine but when you are in the city people should be able to walk across and go to businesses as they wish comfortably,” the District Four Representative stated.

In response, Minister Rymer said the new traffic initiative is working well.

“We cry about rush hour; we go through town, and it takes you hours to get to one point to another. Based on a twenty-year-old conversation about this traffic turn around we decided to do it. There will be a bit of hiccups here and there but for the most part, the traffic turnaround has been quite efficient, the traffic continues to flow,” the minister said.

He said that the issue on Main Street has been there for quite some time.

“This is not a new issue. The traffic flow is so much better it seems that the few things that would be spoken about would be
deemed an issue for some, but overall, the flow has been quite efficient. The motorists they have been quite pleased with this traffic turnaround,” he stated.

Minister Rymer also assured that there will be additional changes coming to complement the traffic turnaround. He said that the pedestrian crossing is slated to be purchased soon, where it will control the traffic for pedestrians.