Robert,
I appreciate the response. I knew I would be swimming upstream on this one, but decided to jump in anyway. I don't want to appear naive, I have my doubts about the validity of the project, too. I've just learned that sometimes the general public (myself included) doesn't think long term and prefers to knock a project. Lord knows it's a lot more fun.
I'm hoping Leonel's vision of the benefits for the city are on target. My personal belief is he does have the best interest of the country and its people in mind as opposed to his own personal wealth. Unfortunately the same can't be said for the rest of the government.
On your other post you mention whether NY would have become the city that it has if it's metro was never constructed. The answer is NO.
The metro (or subway) is the most efficient way to travel across that metropolis. Of course, the upper classes don't use the metro, but then again it's the lower classes who can't afford to live in the core of the city and yet, are the one's filling the menial job positions which exist in the core of such city.
Another thing that helped the NYC metro area become what it has become was the expansion of its commuter rail lines into long island, northern New Jersey and into Westchester County as well as far into Fairfield County in Connecticut. Every morning commuters stuck on bumper to bumper traffic on I-95 southbound heading towards NYC have to "suffer" the misery of seeing several Metro North rail trains bypass them on the rail lines adjacent to the highway.
Drive time into the city (midtown Manhattan) from Fairfield County, CT: Around 60 minutes without traffic (hardly the case). Often it easily becomes a 2 hour ride for a plus/minus 30 mile stretch oneway. And once in Manhattan, it could take hours to reach your destination, pay exortibant parking fees, do your business/personal matter, and drive back to Connecticut!
Yet, train ride into Manhattan from CT: 30 minutes on the express train which goes straight to Grand Central. From there, can hop into the subway and the time it takes to arrive to your destination is cut tremendously. Only flying by helicopter will be quicker!
Now, referring to Santo Domingo; the city is going to need a metro. Many may not see the need or may not have faith in the project, but it's obvious the city will need a fast and efficient transit project that will not burden the roadways that already are clogged in rush hour.
Santo Domingo is growing fast, it's changing fast. It's already a major city and half the country's population still lives in the COUNTRYSIDE. Not to mention that 80% of Haiti's population still lives in the country and with the current rate of illegal migration from Haiti to DR, it may not be too far fetched to believe that a good chunck of Haiti's rural population (certainly many of the children who will grow up to become working age adults) might just end up in Santo Domingo anyway.
So, today Santo Domingo has especially horrible traffic during rush hour, but tomorrow it could be at all hours.
Remember the complaints about the tunnels and expressways? Hard to imagine traveling through Santo Domingo without them, eh?
-NALs