The local press has been giving front page coverage to the transformation of Santo Domingo’s principal avenues. In the meantime, Santo Domingo residents are suffering through the chaos of the expansion of several of the city’s key avenues. For instance, everyone’s life is affected by the underpasses that are being built under the 27 de Febrero at the intersections of Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and Máximo Gómez avenues. Just recently, the government began the reconstruction of the Gustavo Mejía Ricart Avenue, starting at the intersection of that East-West way with Núñez de Cáceres, and the widening of the John F. Kennedy avenue, both north of 27 de Febrero. Works will continue well through the end of this year. On the positive side, relief from the diminishing number of makeshift taxis, or conchos, is already being felt on Santo Domingo streets. Passengers have preferred the new modern buses part of the public transport program implemented by the new Metropolitan Transport Authority (AMET). AMET recently announced that secondary feeder routes would be created and minibuses on these would enter into operation as soon as the six principal bus routes that will cross the city north-south and east-west are operational. The organization of traffic in Santo Domingo is seen as a major achievement of the Fernández administration.
