In an interview with El Dia newspaper, National District Mayor Roberto Salcedo said that he might seek a fourth term, but this would depend on the decision of the PLD party leadership. He said that polls say he has a 70% acceptance after three terms.
As a bait to increase his popularity he is proposing the construction of bike routes in the city of Santo Domingo. He said that a study has already established where the routes could be established and a plan where companies would sponsor kilometers of the plan. “Bicycle routes are nothing more than the incorporation of the bicycle as a medium of transport.” He said this would contribute to the city government’s pro health policies that began with the construction of gym machines in public parks. He said this would reduce the negative impact of fuels on the environment.
He mentioned that they would initially use the commonly used bicycle routes such as those around the Botanical Garden, routes leading to the INTEC University and the Mirador del Sur route, as well as some routes linking the Santo Domingo Metro stations. The service would operate with a registration and tickets that would have minimum costs for users. Users will be able to ride their own bikes or bikes provided by the city program. The routes will have security cameras and medical assistance and the first could be installed by April 2015.
Salcedo defended his Bright Christmas Lights Park at the Parque Ibero-Americano, the Guibia artificial beach at Easter, the promotion of carnival. He said a city government is more than collecting garbage, transport and organization of the territory or public spaces.
He criticized the fact that the budget of next year is only RD$4 billion for a million people.
He said that challenges ahead include the organization of transport. “We cannot continue to improvise, there should not be six or more entities in charge of organizing transport,” he said, saying that the government needed to redefine who is in charge of transport. He called for the decentralization of transport.
For next year, he announced the recovery of the Avenida Duarte con Paris intersection to end the chaos of the vendors who have been allowed to take over. Salcedo said he has secured economic support from the Medina government to resolve the situation.
Salcedo proyecta crear sistema de ciclo rutas a partir de 2015