By John Myers Jr, Staff ReporterTHE INTRODUCTION of no-stopping zones at some of the major intersections in the Corporate Area are proving effective in reducing traffic congestion, the National Works Agency (NWA), has said.
According to Michael Saunderson, manager of the NWA's Traffic Department, since the implementation of the grids, "we have fewer incidents of the intersections where the boxes (grids) are located being blocked by motorists."
The grids were implemented as part of a pilot test by the NWA to eliminate blockings at intersections in an effort to improve traffic flow. They can be found at intersections at Molynes and Eastwood Park roads, South Odeon Avenue and Constant Spring Road, Hagley Park Road and Maxfield Avenue, and Hope and Half-Way Tree roads in St. Andrew.
Mr. Saunderson explained that "the idea of marking the intersections was to define a sterile area within the intersections for the motorists to be aware of as well as for law enforcement so there is no mistake as to where you were (or) what your position was in the intersection."
MARKINGS
The grids or yellow boxes are identified by bright yellow markings in box shape across the intersections. Motorists are not allowed to stop within these markings, and if caught by the police, can be fined for disobeying the road traffic law.
The NWA traffic manager said the works agency had received numerous requests from motorists and the police for grids to be implemented at other intersections in and outside the Corporate Area.
"We get requests to put them in Mandeville, we get requests to put them in Montego Bay, anywhere the motorists perceive a similar problem..."
But, Mr. Saunderson indicated that the NWA would not be moving in that direction anytime soon. "Doing (that) is treating the symptoms (of traffic pile-up)." Furthermore, he noted that implementing the grids on a wide scale would reduce their effectiveness as they would become too common. He said a more ideal solution to control traffic congestion was the development of an effective traffic signal cycle which would better control the flow of traffic.
In the next couple of months, the NWA will be installing system detectors which collect data on the volume of traffic traversing a particular intersection. The data will be analysed and traffic signals programmed to regulate the traffic flow.
