Location of the United States Embassy involves more transit, services and parking lot. The lack of road planning has affected that area of the capital.
Santo Domingo.-In 2014, the Embassy and the United States Consulate in the Dominican Republic were transferred to a modern building located on Republic of Colombia Avenue, in Santo Domingo, attracting a significant increase in vehicular traffic, the influx of visitors and the demand for consular services and parking.
The American Visa dream takes hundreds of Dominicans to visit this building daily, which constitutes greater economic dynamism in the area.
The consulate for many years was on César Nicolás Avenue thought with Máximo Gómez Avenue, while the embassy was on Leopoldo Navarro Avenue, but the demand for services overflowed its premises. Hence the offices moved to this area that was expanding.
That transfer was seen with hope by residents because before its construction, it was announced that the arrival of the embassy would be accompanied by road solutions to mitigate traffic, but more than a decade later, they did not arrive.
More caps
The presence of the embassy implies a high flow of vehicles and people. From early hours, hundreds of citizens line up to request American visas or other consular services, which intensifies traffic in the area, which is already affected by the plugs of their residents and those who use it as an alternate route.
Private cars, collective transport and heavy vehicles, often pass in both directions of that avenue during the day, but the traffic intensifies in peak hours, in the morning and in the afternoon, although according to workers and residents in the area there is a decrease due to the closing of the school year.
For the consular services offered by the United States Embassy, long lines are made from early in the morning, which are decreasing as the hours pass, so schedules between 10:00 and 11:00 in the morning the presence of people who seek to opt for a visa or access other assistance is reduced.
Parking demands
Another direct effect of the transfer has been the growth of the demand for parking near the United States embassy, which entails an additional weight of vehicles.
In the surroundings dozens of informal parking lots are observed with posters that offer the availability of spaces to leave the vehicles, whose cost represents an additional expense for service applicants, and if they carry companions, in some places they must pay for the chairs.
Danilo Lora, a parking lot in the immediate vicinity, said that many people receive every day, so much so that they do not supply the parking lots, although there are several who already offer this service.
He pointed out that “the extension is necessary because too many caps are assembled here, since they open the consulate until 12 noon. The area collapses for the number of people who attend daily and a pressure is generated here.”
On the part, Junior Paula is a taxi driver from the Embassy area, who works there since he opened its doors more than 10 years ago.
“One is tired of the caps that are formed here,” said Paula, explaining the road expansion that is currently executed could relieve the situation a bit.
He said that in his case he has seen a decrease in people who require their services because many come in their vehicles, while others ask for application taxis for their cell phones.
Pending solution
The Republic of Colombia Avenue has become a key axis for its connection with sectors of the capital. However, the impact of the transfer of the embassy has evidenced the lack of road planning and adequate infrastructure to sustain this growth.
Meanwhile, residents and workers in the area are confident that the expansion of five kilometers will relieve bottles and improve the quality of life.
More details
—1— Transit
Traffic on Republic of Colombia Avenue has become a daily headache for thousands of drivers and residents.
—2— Development
The area has had a growth of its density with several housing projects, supermarkets, banks and others.
