Alexandra Cedeño, the director of Sustainable Mobility at the National Transport and Transit Institute (Intrant), is on a media tour to explain to the population in Greater Santo Domingo the new traffic measures. The measures seek to reduce traffic jams in Santo Domingo city (the National District), with its population of about one million inhabitants, and the populations in the surrounding Santo Domingo province, with a population of around two million who mostly work and study in the National District.
The new RD Se Mueve (DR Moves) strategy is being rolled out in phases in the National District and has four key components. These are the scheduled management of 11 main avenues, optimized traffic light network at 100 intersections, parking regulation, and left-turn restrictions at 25 intersections in the National District.
The main intention of the traffic reform is to reduce accidents and shorten commute times in Greater Santo Domingo.
Engineer Alexandra Cedeño, the mobility specialist at the National Transit and Transport Institute (Intrant), has been explaining actions that will be taken to reduce the generalized 6 km an hour mobility on major traffic streets and avenues throughout Greater Santo Domingo during the extended peak hours. The new measures are intended to reduce commuter times by 20%.
The traffic jams mean long commutes for people to and from their daily activities. The new actions are intended to impact the lives of around three million vehicle drivers that enter and leave the capital city every day mainly for work or study purposes.
The measures were announced recently by the Presidency. One of the key measures is the ban on left turns at key intersections. These are aimed to prevent crashes and most importantly keep steady the flow of traffic.
Phased rollout of left-turn ban
• Phase 1: Left turns will be prohibited at intersections along Av. Lope de Vega with Padre Fantino Falco, Max Henríquez Ureña, and Gustavo Mejía Ricart.
• Phase 2: Restrictions expand to Av. Tiradentes at Carlos Sánchez, Frank Feliz Miranda, Rafael Augusto Sánchez, Roberto Pastoriza, and Salvador Sturla.
• Phase 3: Ban continues on Av. Abraham Lincoln at Andrés Julio Aybar, and on Av. Máximo Gómez with Pedro Livio Cedeño.
• Phase 4: Left turns will be blocked on Lincoln at John F. Kennedy, Núñez de Cáceres at 27 de Febrero, Máximo Gómez at JFK, and Núñez de Cáceres at JFK.
Broader traffic management plan
The pilot plan is part of a broader set of strategies aimed at improving mobility across Greater Santo Domingo, where peak traffic hours occur between 7-8am and 4-7pm daily.
Cedeño has been explaining that the goal is to prioritize movement on secondary and tertiary roads to better handle the over three million daily trips, one-third of which take place within the capital alone.
Other strategies to ease congestion include:
• Traffic light optimization: Eleven major corridors will have synchronized traffic lights, with 110- to 120-second cycles controlled by a central command center.
• Temporary flow management devices: Used on key roads to allow for reversible lanes during peak hours, increasing road capacity.
• Towing for illegally parked vehicles: Digesett tow trucks will enforce parking laws in areas such as Piantini, Naco, Evaristo Morales, and Ensanche Quisqueya.
Staggered work schedules for public sector
To further reduce congestion, the Ministry of Public Administration (MAP) has introduced staggered working hours for public employees, starting 1 July 2025:
• Group A: 7am to 3pm
• Group B: 7:30am to 3:30pm
• Agencies receiving over 2,000 public visits per month must operate on two shifts: 7am to 2pm and 2pm to 9pm
Cedeño clarified that although work hours will vary for government employees, citizens will still be able to access services until 4pm. “About 30% of staff will maintain the standard 8am to 4pm schedule,” she added.
Read more in Spanish:
RD Se Mueve
Listin Diario
El Despertador Channel 9
Esta Noche con Mariasela
26 June 2025