11th Post - Reflection and Connections

To understand the urban spaces you must also understand it's transportation systems. The transport infrastructure within urban spaces serves as a backbone, without it the social interaction and economics within the ever vibrant city would not be the same. In this blog we attempted to highlight the development of transportation over the years and its relation to the development of the city. The effects of developing transportation was looked at as well as the benefits of some of transportation's negative effects. Transportation has branched out into many forms, air, land and sea and who knows what other forms may arise in the future. The value of transportation to the city and the way it connects people around the world was also highlighted. The blogs of some of our colleagues were viewed and some of these blogs related their urban topics to transportation. Some critics and relations made to our blog can be observed below.


Anthem of the Streetz Blog by: Stephen and Mikel
The Anthem of the Streetz focuses on the culture of streets within urban cities, mainly Port of Spain. I enjoyed that at the start of every blog a beautiful poem on the street culture was done but would have liked if each poem maybe would start differently rather than all starting the same. During the blog they looked at all aspects of street culture, music, pollution and even carnival. In our transportation blog we mentioned the value of human space in comparison to space for vehicles and what the cause of the uneven distribution of space between the two was. the Anthem of the Streetz had a particular post "Life in Urban and Sub-Urban Streetz" where they touched on traffic congestion and the limited space for pedestrians due to poor planning. They spoke about street vendors setting up on the sidewalks as one of the reasons sidewalk space is limited. I wish however that they had mentioned that the space on the sidewalk is originally limited and that the vendors add to the existing problem.

To visit this blog click the link below:
http://anthemofthestreets.blogspot.com/


Urban Paradox Blog by: Waseem and Samantha
This blog focused on a number of  factors within urban areas such as housing, homelessness, pollution as well as other topics. It would have been nice if some theory or relation to other readings could have been made in the blog posts so that further reading and research could be done after the blog. The reflections of the pictures however were well done and the pictures were beautiful. The Urban Paradox blog did a post entitled Transportation" that looked at the fast ferry terminal which was a topic that was covered on the Urban Transportation blog. They discussed how this advancement in transportation technology allows for greater access across distances and the way in which this development aids businesses.

To visit this blog click the link below:
http://wsgeo.blogspot.com/


On the Move In Trinidad by: Michala and Hannah

On the Move in Trinidad looked at transportation in the Cities Port of Spain and San Fernando. They looked at Traffic congestion and the public transport system for both for both transport purposes as well as income. In their blog post "Traffic Jam" they spoke about the frustrations of going into the urban city of Port of Spain as well as touching on the environmental effects of traffic congestion which was mentioned in our "Benefits of Traffic congestion posts," where we stated that it was a negative effect of transport. "Different Face Different Places" blog post talked about transportation use and its value to the lower income citizen of Trinidad which was also mentioned in our post"Value of Transport." The pictures on this blog and relation to other readings were very well done.

To visit this blog click the link below:
http://trinitransport.blogspot.com/







"The key word of transportation in the 21st century is choice." - Anthony Foxx.  

Value of the Transport Industry and the People within it

The use of transportation can be seen everyday in the lives of each individual. It may be the bus ride you talk to school, the car you drive to work, the bike you peddle through the streets for leisure or the plane take to a new and exciting definition. Transportation can be viewed as one of the backbones of the urban cities. It makes our everyday lives easier and gives us the convenience of travelling to and from cities. Can you imagine a world without any form of transportation? It may come to a complete stand still. Praise is given to these amazing and impressive pieces of technology that allow us the convenience of transportation but the person responsible for for operating this technology sometimes goes unrecognized.

People getting into a maxi -Photo by E.D

 How many times have you ever been waiting for a mode of transportation for a long time and when it finally arrives you think to yourself "Yes ah maxi finally reach," as though the maxi made it there on its own. Why don't we instead say "Yes a maxi driver has finally reached with his maxi." We have to remember that the way most technology is designed happens to be for it to be controlled or operated by human beings. Without human intelligence and labor these automobiles and other technological devices would not operate the same. Imagine taking a bus that was driving itself, maybe one day technology may become that advanced but for now that is not the reality of the situation.

This picture was taken while on my way to Port of Spain in a taxi. Normally I would take for granted the fact that this person driving is part of the reason that I could get to my destination. A drivers job may not seem like anything special or something that you need to be educated to do but take into consideration that every time you get into a taxi you are trusting your life in the hands of the person driving. Another thing to take into consideration is what being transported and transporting means to different people. It may be the difference between you seen someone that you have not seen in a long time. It maybe the only means of transportation for people of the lower classes within Trinidad and Tobago that can't afford to own a private vehicle. The way you get to school to obtain and education or most importantly the livelihood of someone. These drivers of the buses, cars, maxi taxis, pilots all rely on transportation as a source of income.So in addition to the fact that transportation makes lives more convenient for persons it also creates a job market that can be/is just as important as every other existing job market.
     Next time you take any form of transport think the things that make up this industry and the importance of it. Without transport distances would seem further and we would not be able to indulge in the benefits of its role in the compression of time and space and the market that it provides for employment for members of society.

Here is a little Riddle 
Riddle: Which Vehicle is spelled the same way forwards and backwards?







           Answer. RACECAR

The Benefits of Traffic Congestion

  Automobiles being the most used form of transportation in our everyday lives. Whether it be cars we own privately or a taxi that we pay a fare to be transported from point A to B by a driver. The number of cars presently within the urban cities are great.  With constrained amounts of space available for the continuously increasing numbers of automobiles the result is traffic congestion. According to Wikipedia, "Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queuing." There are great amount of negative factors associated with traffic congestion. Firstly it wastes time, tests patience of the individual forced to wait in the congestion. It puts a strain on the drivers pocket, while sitting in traffic for long periods of time the idling car burns a significant amount of gas. So more gas is being used to go less of a distance and the driver now has to purchase gas sooner than they would have originally planned to. Another factor is the car exhaust emissions that persons are exposed to during traffic. "Recently, a committee of experts summarized the epidemiological literature available on the exposure to traffic generated air pollution and adverse health effects. They found strong evidence for the causative role for traffic- related air pollution on morality, particularly from cardiovascular events," (Levy 2010).

 According to Taylor "Cities exist because they promote social interactions and the economic transactions. Traffic congestion occurs where lots of people pursue these ends simultaneously in limited spaces.” This is true for Port of Spain which can be referred to as the CBD Central Business District of Trinidad and Tobago. Yes traffic congestion has a wide range of negative factors but amidst all of the negative must lie some form of positive.

While sitting in traffic I took this picture because I wanted to discuss maybe the only positive thing that comes out of it, socialization. Traffic congestion encourages socialization amongst individuals. While sitting the car on your way to your destination on an even longer journey than you intended for it to be it can get pretty boring. This is where socialization comes in. Whether it be in the car with people you know or in a maxi/bus with a stranger people are encouraged to socialize. The long journey persuades persons to indulge in conversations with strangers which they normally would not have done in a situation where the traffic slow was fast paced. On a number of occasions while travelling I have had persons start conversations with me and actually enjoyed some of the conversations. In a developed world where most people have their heads buried in their cellular devices or some other form of hand held technology at all times it seems as though no one really takes the time to meet new people and have conversations in real life anymore. The city is so vibrant with a constant hustle and bustle and no time in between for people to get to know one another even though the city is supposed to be built for social interaction.The traffic jam may just be the ideal location to meet someone new. So next time you are sitting in traffic try putting down the phone and saying hi to the person next to you.

Reference:

Taylor, B. D. (n.d.). Rethinking Traffic Congestion. Retrieved April 2, 2016, from http://www.bibme.org/apa/website-citation/new

 Levy, J. I., Bounocore, J. J., & Stackelberg, K. V. (2010). Evaluation of the public health impacts of traffic congestion: A health risk assessment. Environmental Health, 9(65). doi:doi: 10.1186/1476-069X-9-65 

Commuting in Buses and Maxis in Trinidad and Tobago

Both buses and maxis play an important role in the transport system. That is, to transport citizens from one area to another. In Trinidad, two main transport services that are involved are the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) which conducts the bus service and the maxi taxi associations. The Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) was established in 1965 and was the main bus service in the country. Presently the main routes of the service includes from Port of Spain to Arima on the old train line now converted to the Priority Bus Route and on the southern route along the Uriah Butler and Solomon Hochoy Highways to San Fernando and a few route arteries to towns inside and outside of the major cities. The routes consist of the main station at City Gate, Port of Spain, transfer stations at the major towns of Curepe, Tunapuna, Arima, Chaguanas, Couva and San Fernando. They also have smaller hubs along the route between stations. The bus fleet includes the International, Ciao, Articulated and the super deluxe to name a few with exceptional forms of comfort and one of its benefits is that it can occupy a large number of commuters. However one of the downturns of the bus service is that it only drops and receives passengers at the designated bus stops. Another disadvantage is that the buses are very costly to maintain and the buses are at times, running behind schedule. I had the experience when waiting for the bus at UWI. It would tend to run late for hours that by the time it arrives or a replacement is sent, the bus stop would be overcrowded ad when a bus comes, some persons would not be able to get a seat as it will get full. What would make it even worse is if the 29 seater arrives instead of the usual super deluxe.

PTSC articulated bus at the Chaguanas Bus Station. Most likely this bus would be going to City Gate, Port of Spain.

Information of the PTSC can be found here:http://www.ptsc.co.tt/

The maxis taxi was introduced in 1981 as a privately owned minibus where citizen can transport passengers. They have their own colour code for each route in the country. For example, the main taxi routes include the Red Band route from Port of Spain to Sangre Grande, the Green Band from Port of Spain to San Fernando via the Chaguanas and Couva routes. There is also the Brown Band running to the south of San Fernando and the Blue Band in Tobago to name a few. The fleet comprise of maxis varying of 12 and 25 seater versions. One of the benefits of the maxi taxi is that unlike the bus that drops commuters at the station or designated stop, the maxi and drop a passenger anywhere along the route. Also, because they are privately run, they can be accessed at any time. However, the maxis lacked comfort especially with the 12 seaters. From my experience, I had a very difficult time in the small maxis as the leg space was not adequate (factoring I have long limbs) that you have to sit at the back of the maxi or if is not accessible, you have to occupy both seats in order to be comfortable on the smaller maxis. What also made it uncomfortable on the smaller ones from experience is that they usually keep the windows down, not a good idea when it is also a hot day. The 25 seaters are an improvement as they is some leg space to be comfortable and cooler with their air conditioners.

Rapid Rail Project – The Return of the Train

Future of Trinidad's Transport- The rapid rail
Taken from http://www.cpcstrans.com/en/projects/past-projects/project-direction-services-trinidad-rapid-rail-project/

In 2007, the government of the day proposed the introduction of a rapid rail system in Trinidad. The purpose of this project is to assist in the reduction of the current traffic situation as well as improving the present commute in and out of the major cities. It involves laying of rail from Port of Spain to Arima and San Fernando to the South and would provide jobs for the citizens of the country
However, there was opposition by persons who live and work in the affected areas. The residents complained that the construction will result in losing their properties and homes. Along with the residents affected, farmers were against the construction in that the construction would result in the destruction of agricultural lands thus affecting the farmer‘s livelihood. When the previous government acquired office in 2010, the project was scrapped due to high costs and would affect the citizen’s interest. However, with the increasing problem with traffic congestion, many citizens were agreeing to introduce the rapid rail in the country.

The video link below showcases the rapid rail project

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9KECyunSuU

Reflection

I believe that the rapid rail would be an alternative means of transport as it gives the commuter options of travel and it can to some extent, alleviate the traffic problem. However, efforts should be implemented to uses the resources present to reduce the traffic congestion as presently, the country is under recession where we have to wisely use the revenue we have until the recession is lifted. Therefore, though I agree on its implementation, it should be put on hold until the recession ends.

The Compression of Time and Space Through Urban Transport

  The term time space compression was first coined in 1989 by the Geographer and Social theorist David Harvey. The term was used to refer to the way the acceleration of economic activities leads to the destruction of spatial barriers and distances. Defining it in the simplest way possible time space compression is a number of processes that result in the distances between places shrinking and in turn makes places around the world seem closer together. According to Barney Warf the idea that the world is shrinking is not new, "in the face of rapid advances in travel, such as the jet airplane, and communications (especially the Internet), has entered into the public geographical imagination." The topic of space compression has long been an important part of work for geographers researching transportation and communication. Boats were the first mode of transportation that allowed humans to travel across seas to places far away. The first existing boat dates backs to somewhere between 8200 and 7600 BC. A journey by boat would take months or  even years but now with the invention of steam boats and planes the length of these journeys has been shortened by a great deal. People from all over the world can travel to other parts of the world that were not accessible to them in the past but is now in their reach within hours or days. Developed Urban areas around the world all include some mode of transport that makes another part of the world accessible and assists in compressing time and space.

 

Piarco International Airport
Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/striderv/926037754:

In Trinidad and Tobago for example the compression of time and space started in 1924 with the purchase of our first steam ship the SS Belize as mentioned in a previous post. And continued with the inception of the Piarco International Airport on January 8th 1931. Maurice Lange a local engineer chose Piarco as the site at which the airfield would be located. Construction on the 3000 feet Piarco Runway and Terminal was completed in approximately three months and on the 8th the terminal was able to receive its first aircraft. Since this date the Airport has become one of the most important modes of transport for Trinidad as well as the Caribbean.

Photo by-E.D

The picture shows the Piarco International airport on a Saturday night.A great number of changes can be noticed about the structure of the building since it's construction date 85 years ago. Maxi taxis can be seen parked outside either waiting to pick up persons coming into  the country or dropping off persons who plan to leave the country. Thanks to transport technologies such as this the process of time space compression can be accelerated. The airport allows a number of people to stay communication with each other, enjoy recreation such as vacations and a number of other positive things. In another 85 years the airport will no longer look like this and who knows maybe airports may no longer exists because of improved transportation. The generations that experienced the airport after its construction and that are still able to experience this form of transport can consider themselves lucky. The airport as well as other modes of transportation that remove geographical barriers should be appreciated. These little things must be taken into consideration. Being born into a time when these exists gives us little appreciation for the value of them because we did not experience what it was like without them. When you look at this picture or visit the airport will you now have view on it? Do you appreciate the compression of time and space in your life by means of transport?

If you Enjoyed the post and wanna know more about Time Space Compression check out the link below.  Happy Saturday!! :)

http://fields.eca.ac.uk/disruptivetechnologies/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Harvey-David-Time-space-compression-and-the-postmodern-condition.pdf

Reference:

Warf, Barney. "Time-Space Compression - Geography - Oxford Bibliographies - Obo." Oxford Bibliographies. March 10, 2013. Accessed April 04, 2016. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199874002/obo-9780199874002-0025.xml.

Evolution of Trinidad's Highways

End of the line of the still yet to be completed San Fernando
/Point Fortin Highway
Photo from B.F

Before there were highways which bypassed small villages, there were the main roads. In Trinidad, they are the Eastern Main Road which runs from Port of Spain to Sangre Grande and the Southern Main which runs from Curepe to Point Fortin. Until the 1940s and 1950s, they were the main thoroughfares in order to access both San Fernando and Port of Spain. As they also run alongside the now abandoned rail line, the towns running along the main roads like Arima, Tunapuna, and San Juan to the North and Cunupia, Chaguanas and Couva to the South were bustling with business and residential areas. In the 1940s, with the American presence on the island due to the war, they started construction of the Churchill Roosevelt Highway from Port of Spain to Wallers Air Force Base in Cumuto with the sole purpose of transporting war equipment without the hustle of the main road. Although a two lane road, the Churchill Roosevelt Highway replaces the Eastern Main Road as the main access route in and out of Port of Spain and in the early 1960s or 1970s the Highway was upgraded to a dual carriageway. In the 1950’s came the construction of the Princess Margret Highway which was constructed from Valsayn to Chaguanas to bypass the towns that the Southern Main Road occupy to save travel time. In the early 1970’s the North-South Highway network was expanded with the construction of the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway which links the Princess Margret Highway at Chaguanas to Toruba near the city of San Fernando which later was upgraded to a four lane dual carriageway. In the 1980s the Princess Margret Highway was upgraded to a four lane dual carriageway and expanded to Char Fleur and was renamed the Uriah Butler Highway.

In the early 2000’s the Solomon Hochoy Highway was expanded from Toruba to the village of Golconda, in the process of bypassing the city of San Fernando. With the increasing amount of traffic on the highways, in 2008 began the construction of the Churchill Roosevelt/Uriah Butler highway Interchange which replaces the intersection which proved to be a death trap for accidents and to maintain traffic flow. In early 2011 came the construction of the highway extension south from Golconda to the southern areas of Point Fortin and Penal.

Cross Crossing Interchange present day
Photo from B.F.

Churchill-Roosevelt/Uriah Butler Highway Interchange
Photo from B.F.

Reflection

Looking at the large interchange at Nestle, I can remember about a decade ago coming from Port of Spain there used to be a large intersection that crossed both the Uriah Butler and Churchill Roosevelt Highways. Sometimes it was stressing waiting for the traffic lights to change and the intersection at times proved to be a death trap to the speeding drivers that lose control. However the interchange is a measure put to decrease the traffic gridlocks leaving and coming into the capital.