samiya
82 posts
samiya
@sdottins
she/they. most thoughts are mine. || writing about small islands over here: @planningsmall
Halifax, Nova Scotia Katılım Mart 2017
147 Takip Edilen50 Takipçiler
@Tinkzella Oh I hear it, we can be very change resistant society but I will say Bajans aren’t unique in that sense. But that’s why it takes the effort, you know? I just quite believe if we meet people where they’re at, they’d be open to alternatives that might better in the long run
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@sdottins The problem isnt transformation as much as it is the fact that people in this country HATE transformation! We complain but the vex when changes are being made. But yea I pray we can implement something quickly with the least backlash!
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I stand corrected but I believe he said discussions will begin and plans relooked so there is room fpr alternative options. This isnt cast in stone.
samiya@sdottins
I understand the desire here but multiple studies tell us that flyovers and road widening lead to more cars and more severe bottlenecks. Easy example: Malta (122sq mi vs Bim’s 166), has been building flyovers since 1957… and their traffic is getting worse
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@AllEyezonMon Mhmm. It’s hard too because it could be so good. Like this could’ve been a pivotal moment to begin to shift the way we treat public transit and use that money to build out the ideas already mapped out in development plans like transit hubs and connectors and the ferry system even
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the hurtful thing is that they are trying to fix our 20 year old problems with 20 year outdated solutions fam
samiya@sdottins
Here’s a 2024 article from Malta Today that actually covers some of the issues they’re facing if anyone is interested. maltatoday.com.mt/comment/opinio… Effective public transportation works. We don’t have to make the same mistakes other places are now desperately trying to correct.
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@Tinkzella (Replying to both your comments at once as I missed them yesterday)
The best part is we have the tools at hand, we just need to use them. The shift won’t be easy but if those leading transportation put a concerted effort behind it, we have a shot at transforming the country
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@sdottins I pray we can get past the political part so something can actually be completed so we can experience the benefits! The current environment speaks to halting what was started because it wasnt "our" idea! And it always happens as soon as there is progress!
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@Tinkzella I think that’s it’s more possible than we might think! I’ll say of the countries we see today with really robust transit systems, most of them didn’t begin like that. A lot of them faced incredible resistance when they made the changes but today we admire the results
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@sdottins I agree tbh. But i would be eager to see it being accepted. Foreigners who have good transit systems wouldnt mind. That is why tourists quite happily get on a van to move around, but it will be a cultural reshape to go back to catching bus. It would need to be efficient and cheap
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@Tinkzella Exactly! I just commented this elsewhere but it’s very much a case of what comes first. To put the flyovers first prioritises the approach that got us here in the first place
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@sdottins Fully agree! We will find more cars to put on it! You will see more children getting vehicles as soon as they get their license because dealerships will sell more at lower rates. Increased disposable income always opens more elaborate spending that wasnt there before!
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@KevonEdey I think the pushback is because it’s both the most expensive and least effective option but ahead of viable alternatives. Like choosing a colander to catch water when you have a pot in your hands. Spending on this 1st = less for transit now and less openness to change later
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All I’m saying is - we need a multi pronged approach to best represent our developmental realities - WFH, staggered school/work times, improve transport system etc I all support - just like you.
All I’m saying is why can’t be flyovers be included alongside these policy changes.
Ronnie Yearwood@RonnieYearwood
@KevonEdey so you can equally argue then that Tom like Thatcher prioritized cars and destroyed public transport. The focus was on the individual not the community. We can't imagine life without the highway because that's the life it built. Flyovers plaster not solve the problem
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@Tinkzella 5/ we can’t solve the problem without transit.
The thinking is not to force or demand ppl put down their car, just give them an alternative. I think we’d be surprised by the people that would be willing if it was reliable.
Wrapping here because this got out of hand 😅
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@Tinkzella 4/ at this point to get a car. Without alternatives, 180k will continue to grow along with traffic. By the time the flyover is built, it will likely only serve to ease traffic back to around current levels and the conversation will restart about what to do. All that to say…
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@Tinkzella Apologies, I tried to make this short but please stick with me for a little bit… Addressing traffic congestion is complicated and needs to be tailored to place for sure. One thing we do know about successfully addressing traffic long term is that because of induced demand… 1/
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samiya retweetledi
@Tinkzella For me, reengaging the company from 2008 signals a leaning towards that approach (which was also in the manifesto) without considering known effective and cheaper options.
I’ll definitely give it a more fulsome listen and stay tuned for updates as I’m open to being wrong
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@Tinkzella My comment was mainly going off the article and what was said during the election about flyovers and road widening. So moreso about the approach & misconception that adding lanes (in the sky or otherwise) eases traffic when research shows otherwise even for an island this small
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samiya retweetledi
Let’s help our Caribbean neighbours
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@ItsNotSheraton True on the population number but considering that there’s one car to every 1.3 people in Malta and one to every 1.6 in Barbados, the countries aren’t so far off that we can’t compare their traffic management approaches. In the last few years, Barbados’ vehicle numbers grew 50%
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Malta has just about double our population. So this is not the best example.
samiya@sdottins
I understand the desire here but multiple studies tell us that flyovers and road widening lead to more cars and more severe bottlenecks. Easy example: Malta (122sq mi vs Bim’s 166), has been building flyovers since 1957… and their traffic is getting worse
English
Here’s a 2024 article from Malta Today that actually covers some of the issues they’re facing if anyone is interested.
maltatoday.com.mt/comment/opinio…
Effective public transportation works. We don’t have to make the same mistakes other places are now desperately trying to correct.
English
I understand the desire here but multiple studies tell us that flyovers and road widening lead to more cars and more severe bottlenecks.
Easy example: Malta (122sq mi vs Bim’s 166), has been building flyovers since 1957… and their traffic is getting worse
Barbados Today@BarbadosToday
Flyovers in the works to ease traffic congestion, says Straughn barbadostoday.bb/2026/03/17/fly…
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