Benque Viejo del Carmen Transportation Assessment Report

Transcription

Report
Benque Viejo del Carmen Transportation Assessment
Inception Report
Prepared for Social Investment Fund(Client)
By Beca International Consultants Ltd (Beca)
28 November 2010
© Beca 2010 (unless Beca has expressly agreed otherwise with the Client in writing).
This report has been prepared by Beca on the specific instructions of our Client. It is solely
for our Client’s use for the purpose for which it is intended in accordance with the agreed
scope of work. Any use or reliance by any person contrary to the above, to which Beca has
not given its prior written consent, is at that person's own risk.
Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
Introduction .......................................................................................................... 3
1.1
Background ............................................................................................................. 3
1.2
Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3
1.3
Project Identification and Prioritisation Process ........................................................ 4
1.4
Study Area Overview ............................................................................................... 4
1.5
Regional Significance............................................................................................... 5
Transportation System ......................................................................................... 5
2.1
Highways ................................................................................................................. 5
2.2
Bus Services............................................................................................................ 6
2.3
Taxi Services ........................................................................................................... 6
Roadways ............................................................................................................. 7
3.1
Overview ................................................................................................................. 7
3.2
Functional Classification........................................................................................... 7
3.3
Traffic Operations .................................................................................................... 8
3.4
Specific Areas of Interest ......................................................................................... 9
Transportation Municipality Capacity................................................................ 22
4.1
Overview ............................................................................................................... 22
4.2
Maintenance .......................................................................................................... 22
4.3
Liaison with the Ministry of Works .......................................................................... 22
5
Transportation Management Department ......................................................... 22
6
Risk Management ............................................................................................... 23
6.1
7
8
Environmental ........................................................................................................ 23
Land Development and Short-Term Growth Management............................... 23
7.1
Population.............................................................................................................. 23
7.2
Integration with Transport ....................................................................................... 24
Summary ............................................................................................................. 25
Beca // 28 November 2010 // Page ii
6010148 // 0.25
Town of Benque Viejo del Carmen Transportation Assessment
1
Introduction
1.1
Background
The Government of Belize (GoB) through financing from The World Bank has embarked on the
preparatory phase of a Municipal Development Project (MDP) aimed at ‘improving municipal service
delivery and maintenance capacity across Belize’. The GoB Social Investment Fund and the
Ministry of Economic Development are currently managing several studies for this purpose
including this study being Traffic Management Study (TMS).
The purpose of the municipal TMS is to:
n
Identify key traffic management constraints/issues (i.e. shortcomings, vehicular traffic
bottlenecks and constraints, traffic signage and infrastructure needs, and pedestrian and traffic
flow issues, etc.) facing the six municipalities selected under the Municipal Development Project,
n
Make recommendations for addressing those constraints and issues and to set out traffic
management improvements necessary, to be implemented under the responsibility of the
respective municipal governments within Belize, that can support future growth and development
in these municipalities.
n
Design for two municipality pilot projects for traffic management improvements, to be
implementation under the Project Preparatory Facility (PPF) phase of the MDP.
n
Set out concepts, likely future projects, and order of magnitude costs for transportation projects
to be implemented in the Phase 1 and Phase 2 infrastructure funding rounds of the MDP.
n
Assist in the creation of reference documentation and standardisation of procedures and
operations to assist capacity building.
The six municipalities included in the Transportation Management Study within the MDP include:
n
Belmopan
n
San Ignacio/Santa Elena
n
Orange Walk
n
Corozal
n
Benque Viejo del Carmen
n
Punta Gorda
1.2
Introduction
This report summarizes the existing conditions and observed state of the traffic and transportation
system within the Town of Benque Viejo del Carmen.
This report is one of a series of Inception Reports documenting the findings and observations of the
existing state of the transportation infrastructure in six of the seven study municipalities of the MDP
receiving infrastructure assistance. Each study area has an individual report that documents
findings specific to that municipality.
Stand alone reports on Gravel Roads and Transportation Planning will be prepared as part of the
Transportation Management Study and are referred to in this report.
Beca // 28 November 2010 // Page 3
Observations were made on 31 May, 7 June and 8 June by consultant staff with the assistance of
the Social Investment Fund. The consultant staff met with the Mayor Nicholas Ruiz, Traffic Manager
Ms. Carmensita Sosa, Town Councillor Ms. Constance Hyde, and US Peace Corp Volunteer Mr.
Roger German.
1.3
Project Identification and Prioritisation Process
The Town of Benque Viejo has identified areas in which the Town seeks to utilise funds from the
Municipal Development Project. A detailed pubic consultation process conducted by the BEST
(Belize Enterprise for Sustainable Technology) Consultant team in conjunction with the Social
Investment Fund with participation from the Town and public stakeholders was completed in March
of 2010. As an outcome from this process the Town listed the following projects as priorities for the
MDP:
n
Rehabilitation and resurfacing of Streets;
n
Rehabilitation and upgrade of Coronation Park; and
n
Construction of the Town Cemetery Fence.
These projects in conjunction with the interview and meeting with the Town Staff have informed the
preliminary review of transportation infrastructure within Benque Viejo.
1.4
Study Area Overview
The Town of Benque Viejo del Carmen is the western most town in the Cayo District with an
estimated population of 9,300. The Town lies on the western border of Belize with Guatemala.
The Town is significantly impacted by the Western Highway which passes though it as it connects
the Belize/Guatemala border crossing area to the Belize interior. This main entry point into the
country generates large numbers of trucks which pass through the town on the Western Highway
negatively affecting the community development and social cohesion.
The Town of Benque Viejo is built on rolling hill topography, with the historic town centre extending
from Mopan River south to the adjacent hill top/historic river terrace/ridge line
Figure 1.1 provides an aerial overview of Benque Viejo.
Figure 1.1 – Benque Viejo del Carmen Study area
source: Google Earth
1.5
Regional Significance
The Town of Benque Viejo is the westernmost development in Belize sitting on the main land entry
border point with Guatemala. The border town is able to charge an Axle fee for truck and freight
traffic passing through the town generating $67,570 in revenue in 2009. This revenue is shown in
Table 5.1.
2
Transportation System
2.1
Highways
The Belize Western Highway provides access to the town from Guatemala to the west and to all
points east and the rest of the Cayo District. The Western Highway was constructed as a wide
boulevard bypassing the central old core of Town passing on the south side of the historic village
centre. However, growth in Benque continued with development to the south of the bypass route
has changed the functional nature of the highway through the town.
The Ministry of Works (MoW) maintains two
count stations on the Western Highway, one
between Benque and San Ignacio and one
between Benque Viejo and the Guatemala
border. The detail of the count location map
(Figure 2.1) provides limited guidance on
exact count location.
Figure 2.1 - MoW Count Station Map
Table 2.1 summaries the average daily
vehicle traffic and estimated peak hour
vehicle traffic flow at the two count locations.
Table 2.1 - Western Highway Traffic Data
Counter
Midway between San Ignacio and Benque
Viejo
Midway between Benque Viejo and the
39
Western Border
24
Counter
Midway between San Ignacio and Benque
Viejo
Midway between Benque Viejo and the
39
Western Border
24
2.2
2002
2009
Average Daily Traffic (7 day)
Total
Light
Heavy
Average Daily Traffic (7 day)
Total
Light
Heavy
1961
1850
111
2484
2343
141
1,311
1,249
62
1,661
1,582
79
2002
2009
Estimated Peak Hour
Total
Light
Heavy
Estimated Peak Hour
Total
Light
Heavy
235
222
13
298
281
17
157
150
7
199
190
9
Bus Services
Benque Viejo has two bus terminals, one for the National Transport bus services and one for all
other bus services (BBOC). All major bus companies provide frequent daily services to Benque
Viejo along the Western Highway. Both terminals are located at the eastern end of George Street.
2.3
Taxi Services
The Town of Benque Viejo has six Taxi Associations represented in town. It has been noted that
one association has negotiated a parking arrangement where it parks at the BBOC Bus Terminal,
while the five others park at the border (just outside the Benque boundary). Approximately one
hundred taxis were registered in 2009 in the Town of Benque Viejo.
Field observations suggested that the taxis do park in many places around the town and there may
be room for additional formality in parking arrangements and taxi stand locations within the town.
The Belize – Guatemala generates the vast majority of taxi trips within the Town. Taxis provide
service from the border to points within Benque and points further east such as San Ignacio. The
parking area for the taxis at the border is outside the municipal boundaries of the Town.
3
Roadways
3.1
Overview
The Benque Viejo transportation system consists of approximately 29 miles of streets and
roadways. Limited sidewalk and other multi-modal facilities exist. Of the 29 miles, 5.8 miles are
paved with 63% in good condition and 23.7 miles are unpaved with 29% listed in good condition.
These roads exclude the Western Highway which is a national highway controlled and maintained
by the Ministry of Works.
The historic Town Centre between the Western Highway and the Mopan River includes the majority
of roadway miles and all of the paved roads.
Many of the streets are narrow with very little road reserve width, travel lane width and little width
available for dedicated pedestrian footpaths. Generally pedestrian facilities are extremely limited
with sidewalks only noted along some lengths of the Western Highway, George Street, and
sporadic bits of covered drains elsewhere in town such as Dias Street, St. and Joseph Street.
The low degree of overall vehicle traffic throughout the central core of the town was noted and
partly attributed to the poor state of many of the local streets. Those streets that remained in fair to
good condition did receive a much higher degree of the overall traffic flow. However, it is also a sign
of the economic and community design of the town, where many of the economic and daily
activities shifting to occur along the Western Highway and points outside of the historic Town
Centre.
Vehicle and pedestrian activity near the bus terminals remained constant due to passenger drop off
and pick-up and taxi services along George Street and the Western Highway.
The central historic town centre area has not been signed for a one-way system and the overall low
volume of vehicle traffic reduced the potential for any conflicts, but the narrow roads combined with
parking and drainage channels could be grounds for future operational alterations in traffic flow
through this area.
Traffic management is very limited within the town. Very few signs for traffic control are present and
off the Western Highway, paint markings and other forms of traffic guidance are absent. Within the
historic town centre core, sight distance is extremely limited and priority is unclear as to who has the
right of way.
Traffic speeds are slow due to the condition of the streets, thereby reducing the probability and
severity of any conflicts.
Within the newer and developing areas of the town the roadway system has developed without the
full compliment of infrastructure found in the older, more established areas. Inadequate signage for
street names, lack of street addresses, inadequate coordination with drainage systems, and lack of
clarity on roadway hierarchy are all leading to inefficient and potentially unsafe uses of the roadway
network.
3.2
Functional Classification
The agreement of which streets are priority streets for the movement of goods and people, as well
as designations for trucks and buses can assist in the prioritisation of limited funds. This study has
identified the following types and example streets as a first stage investigation of functional
classification. This list is not comprehensive; rather the streets shown are simply example
representative streets helpful for comparison. These include:
State Highways
Major Collectors
n
Western Highway
n
George Street
n
George Price Boulevard
n
Wyatt Street
n
Church Street
Principle Collectors
n
Arenal Road
City Streets
n
Juanito Gongora Street
n
Burns Street
n
Leon Street
n
Kennedy Road
3.3
Traffic Operations
The village core of Benque Viejo primarily serves local traffic primarily pedestrian and vehicles.
Significantly less bicycle use was observed relative to other study municipalities. Because of the
configuration of the Western Highway routing south of the village core, much of the through traffic is
diverted past and does not entre this area.
Few conflicts were observed simply due to the low traffic volumes on the village streets. However,
the potential for conflict is high as many of the streets are unsigned with uncontrolled intersections.
The narrow width limits the capacity of the system for all modes, increasing safety conflicts between
all modes, notably vehicles and pedestrians.
The newer areas of town have a higher number of vehicles based on general observations and
additional roadway reserve width and faster traffic speeds.
While near-misses abound through the town, there is a common distinction between the historic
town core and the new growth areas mainly due to the travel speeds and clarity of priorities. The
denser and older village portion, with many equal streets in terms of perceived functional hierarchy,
slow speeds, and limited signage, many vehicles are confused as the priority and simply treat every
intersection as an All-Way Stop (or at least All-Way Give-Way). In the newer western areas, while
vehicle speeds are higher and signage remains absent priorities are clearer due to the configuration
of the roads and enhanced visibility to better acknowledge right-of-way.
Pedestrians were observed to treat the two areas similar, much as shared use areas. The low
number of vehicles overall allows the large number of pedestrians during school peaks to ‘take
control’ of the streets. Outside of the school peaks, the pedestrians in the newer areas of town do
tend to stick to the shoulders and minimise potential conflicts with motor vehicles.
Unsafe crossing behaviour was observed during the school peak period when many pedestrians
would treat the Western Highway as a local city street rather than a higher speed arterial. Limited
crossing opportunities (at pedestrian ramps) and sidewalk facilities encouraged informal crossing
and walking in the road.
3.3.1
Congestion
The Town of Benque experiences congestion along the Western Highway during periods of school
peaks (8am, 15;30) and at the George Street intersection consistently.
Two schools are located along the Western Highway and release students at the same time.
Parents picking up students, school buses, and general traffic all meet along the Western Highway.
School peak period congestion was highlighted by numerous close calls and many students cross
the Highway in ways that would be considered unsafe and resulted in many near-misses. In
addition, because of the sporadic crossing behaviour of some of the pedestrians, motorists were
forced to wait longer than what would normally be necessary.
Primarily the deficiencies noted by the investigation team revolve around the following:
n
Safety concern at specific junctions;
n
School Peak hour congestion and pedestrian safety;
n
Poor roadway condition in important areas of the town;
n
Lack of clarity on roadway priorities at junctions;
n
Poor maintenance of existing roads leading to water ponding, roadway damage, and potholes;
n
Inadequate drainage and coordination with roadway network; and
n
Inadequate guidance and regulations to ensure setbacks and intersection sight distances are
maintained.
3.4
Specific Areas of Interest
This section highlights the specific areas within the Town that illustrate the above mentioned
deficiencies. This section is not a comprehensive review of the entire municipal transportation
system; rather it uses examples of identified problem areas within the town.
The specific examples include:
n
Town Centre Street Rehabilitation
n
Bus Terminal and Bus Operations
n
School Peak Period Safety
n
Lack of Signage and Clear Priorities
n
George Street – Western Highway
n
Western Highway – Arenal Road
n
Taxi Management
3.4.1
Town Centre Street Rehabilitation
The Benque Viejo Town centre is comprised of the key east-west streets of George Street, Churchill
Street, Church Street and St. Joseph Street and the key north-south streets of Burns Street, Victoria
Street, and Wyatt Street.
Many of these streets are in extremely poor condition. The chip seal surfacing in many instances
has pot holed and with lack of proper maintenance to repair the chipseal pot holed areas have
continued to experience edge-break with some streets having large areas missing the chip seal
surfacing. Once the surfacing has going the unbound bound aggregate pavement is once trafficked
is quick to rut or corrugate and wet conditions pot hole. The significant deterioration of an asphalt
surface can in many ways be much worse for vehicles than a poor gravel surface for wear and tear
on vehicles because of the sharp edges and significant roadway elevation differential created by
potholes. Often potholes in gravel roads are less sharp and don’t lead to punctured tires.
The historic town core streets provide primary access to and from the Town Hall area, the Police
Station, the medical clinic, and the bus terminals. These critical town service providers are all
jeopardized and hampered by poor access.
George Street
Burns Street
Chipseal surfacing has pot
holed and has not been properly
repaired, (i.e. base repaired and
chipeal patch put down )
Pot holes have likely simply
been filled and the broken edge
of the chip seal has continued to
fritter away and the hole in the
chipseal has become larger and
in some instances joined up
with other holes until the
majority of the chipseal has
gone.
Victoria Street
St. Joseph Street
Church Street
Probably a case of edge break
or potholes along the edge. The
chipseal has not been repaired
and the edge has continued to
break is slowly migrating across
the road
Village Centre Streets The streets in the village core of Benque Viejo are shown below in Table 3.1. The table provides a
conceptual review of the limited road right-of-way (road reserve) and the existing width of travel
way, drains, and verges (grass or shoulder area).
All the streets are configured similarly with general consistent width and layout.
Table 3.1 - Village Core General Dimensions
Street Name
Right of
Way (ft)
Existing Road
Width (ft)
Configuration
George Street
24’ – 27’
15’-18’
Verge, travel way, drain
Churchill Street
24’
15’-18’
Church Street
24;
18’
Drain, travel way, drain
St. Joseph Street
21’
15’
Drain, travel way, verge
24 – 27’
15’
Victoria Street
21’
15’
Wyatt Street
24’
18’
Burns Street
3.4.2
Bus Terminal and Bus Operations
The two Benque Viejo bus terminals are located along the western edge of George Street in the
historic town centre.
The bus terminals themselves are located on private property off the road reserve; however, they
significantly impact the operation of George Street and traffic within the town core.
The key issues caused by the location and configuration of the buses include:
n
Traffic congestion along George Street caused by Buses, Taxi, and Passenger drop off;
n
Inadequate pedestrian waiting areas;
n
Inadequate pedestrian facilities to and from and within bus terminals; and
n
Large, flat areas with poorly maintained accesses.
Traffic congestion along George Street
Figure 3.1 – George Street
All buses access the terminal from
the Western Highway and travel
into George Street at the 3-way
intersection.
The configuration of the George
Street – Western Highway
intersection leads to some driver
confusion and experiences a high
number of near-misses.
Figure 3.1 shows a conflict at the
George Street – Western Highway
intersection.
George Street meets the Western Highway on a horizontal curve from at stop controlled
intersection. The majority of traffic passing through the intersection continues along the Western
Highway, but due to the configuration, the east approach from the Highway aligns more clearly with
entering George Street than continuing westbound along the Western Highway alignment.
The narrow 15-16 foot roadway carriage width provides inadequate two-way traffic flow for buses
and other vehicles.
Associated taxis and passenger drop off which are timed to coincide with the bus arrivals and
departures cause additional congestion in the George Street area. Parking occurs at the terminal
and drop-offs on the side of the road. The narrow width then makes traffic movement nearly
impossible if taxis and other personal cars are parked along George Street. Many taxis park on the
Riverside Street which intersects George Street.
Inadequate Facilities for Patrons
The two bus terminals both have inadequate waiting space for bus patrons. It was observed that
many bus patrons elect to wait in:
•
The ‘pocket park’ created at the junction of the Riverside Street and George Street.
•
The centre island area shown Error! Not a valid bookmark self-reference.. This space is the
primary waiting location and should be enhanced by either adding kerbs to delineate the
error and discourage errant vehicles striking the island, and/or find other options for shaded
resting. The benches were observed to be under utilised since they were in the direct
sunlight.
Figure 3.2 – George Street Inadequate Waiting Areas for Patrons
Inadequate Pedestrian Facilities to and from
Figure 3.3 – George Street looking East
George Street leading to the bus terminals lacks
any sidewalk or sufficient shoulder width for safe
pedestrian travel to and from the bus terminals.
Vehicles enter George Street at a high rate of
speed from the Western Highway where
pedestrians and bus patrons using the George
Street travel way.
Pedestrian drop offs are common along the
Western Highway and then pedestrians walk the
short distance along George Street. Figure 3.3
shows a common situation of pedestrians walking
from the Western Highway into the George Street
bus terminal area.
Large, Flat Poorly Maintained Access
The two bus terminals both have large parking areas. Both terminals have short and long-term bus
parking available. These areas have a variety of surfacing treatments including gravel, concrete and
chipseal.
The National Transport bus terminal has good access management with two entrances controlled
by gates and a walled off perimeter. The limited access to the site then reinforces informal parking
and waiting areas elsewhere in town.
The other terminal has a very long open frontage directly onto George Street. Poor access
management at this site allows taxi parking, passenger drop off and bus activities all to occur within
this access area. While this provides a relief for George Street traffic, the open area leads to
confusion and is potentially dangerous for wandering pedestrians as there are no defined footpaths
or waiting and loading areas.
It appears that drainage of the large, flat bus parking areas could be enhanced. Possible erosion of
surfacing and premature chipseal deterioration occurs due to inadequate drainage designs.
Channels need improvement and regular cleaning maintenance.
Figure 3.4 and Figure 3.5 show the two Benque Bus terminals
Figure 3.4 - Benque Viejo Bus Terminals
Figure 3.5 - Large Open Access of Bus Terminal along George Street
Changes to the bus terminals could provide better definition to the bus parking areas, could reduce
the overall parking area, provide trees and more landscaping to better treat on-site storm water and
provide pedestrian refuge and shaded waiting areas. The terminals can also improve the separation
between passenger drop-offs, taxis, and bus parking. Improved definition can enhance bus
operations by making access points and priorities clear to other users of the space.
3.4.3
School Peak Period Safety
Two primary schools within Benque Viejo along the Western Highway create significant numbers of
students who cross the Highway several times of day. The Highway has limited sidewalks and two
pedestrian ramps across the street. One school is located on the eastern end of the town near the
location where the Western Highway transitions from a rural highway configuration into a boulevard
type street. The second school is located at the bottom of the hill approximately mid way along the
boulevard street.
Visual observations suggested that many students walked with very few being picked up by private
vehicle. Few students cycled compared to other study municipalities. This could be partially
attributed to the hilly nature of Benque Viejo.
The observed issues include:
n
The inadequate sidewalks lead many students to walk in the road, especially during the rainy
season;
n
Students cross the highway in many locations, not only at the pedestrian ramps; and
n
Vehicle speeds are in excess what would be considered safe for a school environment.
Figure 3.6 - Western Highway Pedestrian Crossings
Western Highway looking west
at a primary school at a
pedestrian ramp.
This is just west of a large
sweeping horizontal curve.
Western Highway looking west.
Within the boulevard segment of
the highway.
A primary school is located at
the low point of the hill, creating
a desire line in the sag of the
vertical curve.
Western Highway looking west.
Within the boulevard segment of
the highway.
3.4.4
Lack of Signage and Clear Priorities
The Town of Benque Viejo has few traffic control devices to assist the general public travel safely
on the road network. Stop signs are
Figure 3.7 – St. Joseph Street Looking West
limited to a few key locations such as
the George Street entrance to the
Western Highway and a few locations
within the village core.
The lack of traffic control devices, such
as signs, can cause confusion as to
who has the right-of-way. The potential
for confusion increases especially in
situations like those shown in Figure
3.7 where two streets of the same
perceived hierarchy and functional
nature cross. Nothing from visual cues
indicates roadway hierarchy or priority.
Each motorist or user could expect that
they have the right-of-way.
Even though the traffic flow is quite low in many of these situations within the Town of Benque
Viejo, the potential for accidents remains and should be noted. Vehicle traffic has been growing
throughout Belize and as roadways are improved, some streets will increase in demand and in use
by vehicles.
Inadequate, sub-standard, and missing traffic control devices such as signs can prevent sound
management and enforcement of the traffic rules within the town.
3.4.5
George Street – Western Highway Intersection
The George Street intersection with the Western Highway is the first intersection motorists travelling
westbound on the highway have in the Town of Benque. The Highway is the through road, making a
90 degree bend from westbound to southbound. Motorists can travel straight continuing into George
Street (see Figure 3.3). The intersection is very large and can lead to some vehicles overestimating
the vehicle speed through the curve, specifically those travelling eastbound.
A speed hump is placed just east of the intersection, significantly slowing approaching vehicles
entering from Succotz and points east.
Lack of definition in the intersection shape and
layout can lead to some confusion as to priorities
at the intersection. For example, as shown in
Figure 3.8, when a car desires to turn left into
George Street and a large truck required
additional tracking space to make the 90 degree
turn on the Western Highway.
Figure 3.8 – George Street looking East
The following issues were observed at the
intersection:
n
Wide pavement width lead to fast travel
speeds and many vehicles punching brakes
hard into the curve indicating their entry speed
was in excess of the design speed;
n
Wide shoulders at the intersection provided opportunity for bus passengers to be dropped off at
the intersection affecting the normal flow through the junction;
n
Loose gravel accumulation in the centre of the intersection not used by turning vehicles;
n
The design and layout of the junction discouraged use of George Street and any of the other
local village streets; and
n
Significant travel speed differential between the narrow George Street and the faster Highway
design speed.
3.4.6
Arenal Road - Western Highway Intersection
The intersection of Arenal Road and the Western Highway is located within the western vicinity of
the Boulevard portion of the Western Highway. The Highway is most likely at a grade in excess of
8% with a major pedestrian speed hump located just uphill of the intersection slowing vehicles
entering from the west.
Arenal Road provides access to the growing eastern fridge of the Town of Benque as well as the
largest trucking company in town and the service road to the hydroelectric dam.
The intersection has a large open kerb cut, about 44 feet. A bus stop and informal taxi stand are
located on the southwest corner of the intersection, shown in the top of Figure 3.9.
The approach from Arenal is very wide and undefined consisting of a parking area for the adjacent
store, taxi parking, bus drop loading and unloading, and access for a local street. The large
approach area is shown in Figure 3.10.
Defincies identified include:
n
Long wide kerb cut leads to vehicles cutting corners and tracking into opposing lanes;
n
Lack of definition for store parking interferes with Arenal Road operations and the local street;
n
No pedestrian or cycle area for safe crossings of either the Western Highway or the Arenal
approach. Many students use Arenal as their primary route to and from schools.
n
The lack of managed taxi parking encouraged random and sporadic parking affecting traffic flow
through the junction.
Figure 3.9 - Western Highway - Arenal Road
Figure 3.10 - Wide Area of the Arenal Approach
3.4.7
Taxi Management
The Town of Benque Viejo has a sizable taxi fleet relative to the size of the town. This could be
attributed to several things including current fees charged, taxi association agreements with the bus
terminal(s) for parking, the lack of regulation and parking restrictions within the town, and free
parking at the Guatemala border crossing. Taxi traffic to and from the border is significant and
encourages many taxi drivers to register in Benque but primarily only serve the border traffic
market.
Parking is a difficult and scarce resource to manage, particularly in the village core highlighted
earlier. Currently, few restrictions or regulations on parking are in place. The Town aims to provide
more oversight and management on parking locations in the coming months. The narrow streets
and lack of available off-street parking areas create a demand that in many times exceed the
available supply for quality parking.
The needs of taxis within the town should be balanced with those of the general public by
developing a parking and taxi management strategy for particular locations of large taxi activity.
Issues identified include the following:
n
Informal parking around the bus terminals and side streets created unsafe traffic conditions,
reduced capacity, and generally poor utilisation of road space in the village core;
n
Limited parking space in the village core needs to be managed to provide a balanced supply for
personal use, business use, and taxi use; and
n
Ad-hoc taxi stands that are developing in places such as by schools, Arenal Road, and bus
terminals contributing to lack of the definition of roadway space and parking limitations in specific
areas.
3.4.8
Inadequate Roadway Drainage
Many of the streets investigated within the village historic core contained a mixture of on-street
drainage channels, under sidewalk drains, or surface flows to larger drainage channels. Many of the
streets with poor pavement surfaces reflected lined drains that have collapsed, become clogged, or
have become otherwise marginalised in their capacity and use.
An increase in the level of maintenance of the town streets requires associated drainage
improvements and maintenance. Drainage improvements and maintenance need to consider
impacts of the current and future level of development make allowance for additional stormwater
loading and make necessary changes to the existing drainage system. Reconstruction of streets
need to consider the incorporation of under-sidewalk drains into the streetscape.
3.4.9
Safety Issues within Benque Viejo
Observations on the road transport safety indicated the following:
n
Pedestrian’s safety in the vicinity of the George Street-Western Highway and bus terminals.
Many vehicles are travelling in excess of safe speeds in this area for the number of potential
conflicts encountered.
n
Low traffic volumes and slow vehicle speeds allow the pedestrian to treat many of the town
roads and streets like a shared use space. However, the conflicts clearly arise where either the
volumes are higher and when the speeds are faster.
n
Speeding remains most likely the most difficult and most pervasive offense encountered. The
extent in which speeding is common throughout the country is significant, with many contributing
elements allowing its continued forgiveness.
4
Transportation Municipality Capacity
4.1
Overview
The Town of Benque has a traffic management team consisting of 2 traffic wardens and 4 staff in
the office who handle inspections, project management and administrative work.
The department has put together a comprehensive budget and approach in 2009 on improving the
management of the town transportation system. It is unclear as to the progress the town has made
on this.
It was noted that the town is close to purchasing a number of traffic control signs (regulatory and
warning) which will start to be put up in the coming weeks and months around the town. This will
immediately enhance the ability to educate and enforce some of the current traffic laws.
4.2
Maintenance
The Town does not have the current ability to pursue any maintenance of the town transportation
system. Some ad-hoc painting of pedestrian ramps has been done by independent contractors, but
has not been monitored or performed to a particular specification or design.
The Town owns a dump truck, but no other maintenance equipment at this time. The Town is
interested in exploring different purchasing and use options of such equipment as graders,
backhoes, and compactors.
4.3
Liaison with the Ministry of Works
The Town has operated as an autonomous entity infrequently interacting with the Ministry of Works.
The Town notifies the MoW when their facilities need improvement, but often the relationship has
been difficult and significant time elapses before proper response. There has been no discussion or
agreement about cost sharing or assistance from the MoW to aid with the local town streets.
5
Transportation Management Department
The Benque Viejo Traffic Management office was able to provide the latest 2009 vehicle registration
numbers for the municipality and the 2009 collected revenues from the department. The revenues
are contributed to the consolidated general fund for the municipality.
Table 5.1 - Traffic Management Revenues in Benque Viejo
Traffic Management Revenues
in Benque
Estimated Per Capita
in Benque
Licenses
$
26,450
$
2.84
Tickets
$
19,365
$
2.08
Vehicle Registration
$
112,571
$
12.10
Learners Permits
$
34,820
$
3.74
Plates
$
71,058
$
7.64
Axle Fee
$
67,570
$
7.27
Traffic Revenue $
331,834
$
35.68
Revenue Source
Table 5.2 - Vehicle Registrations in Punta Gorda
Benque Vehicle Types
Benque Registrations in
2009
Estimated Per Capita in
Benque
Estimated Per Household in
Benque
1,141
0.12
0.61
Public Service
Private Vehicles
340
0.04
0.18
Goods Vehicles
133
0.01
0.07
Government
1
0.0001
0.0005
Statutory
1
0.0001
0.0005
1,616
0.17
0.87
Total Vehicles
The Town of Benque has divided their vehicle types into different categories than the other study
municipalities. It does provide additional insight on how the vehicle will be used, but it is less helpful
to understand how vehicle types change over time.
6
Risk Management
6.1
Environmental
The principal components of environmental Risk Management that affect the Town of Benque Viejo
relate to water related events such as major storms and flooding. The transportation system should
be coordinating with the overall drainage plans and capacity for the town. As more roads are
constructed, additional storm water run off will occur and peak loading events can occur more
rapidly.
Drainage planning should account for the conversion of land into additional impervious surface and
efforts should be made to treat or retain a portion of any new run off generated by additional road
projects.
7
Land Development and Short-Term Growth Management
7.1
Population
The Town of Benque Viejo has seen strong and sustained growth and expansion of the town since
1991. Since data from 1991 the average annual growth has been between 4% and 9%. Benque
Viejo is the second fastest growing municipality in the TMS after Belmopan.
Figure 7.1 shows the population growth within Benque Viejo plotted with the average annual growth
rate.
Figure 7.1 - Population and Average Annual Growth Rate
10,000
9.0%
9,000
8.0%
8,000
7.0%
7,000
6.0%
Persons
6,000
5.0%
5,000
4.0%
4,000
3.0%
3,000
Population
2.0%
2,000
Avg. Annual Pop Growth
Rate
1,000
0
1990
Avg. Annual Population Growth Rate
Benque Viejo Population
1.0%
0.0%
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
Year
source: Statistical Institute of Belize
The Town of Benque has seen significant population growth, with almost a doubling of the town’s
population between the previous two censuses. The growth has occurred primarily to the east of the
Western Highway and has consisted of almost all residential growth.
The Town is investigating the potential for expansion of the official town boundary to expand further
east, north, and west across the Mopan River. Future growth management is being considered by
the recent appointment of a Peace Corp Volunteer (PCV) to assist with a long-term planning vision
for the town.
7.2
Integration with Transport
Transport plays a pivotal role with the development of land by providing access to and from the site
while also allowing overall greater mobility through the system. The core function of the
transportation system is to provide the ability for goods and services (and people) to efficiently
move from one place to another.
The decision to provide transport access to new areas of development can not be taken lightly. The
system should provide a net benefit to the municipality for every new increase in net increase in the
system. The marginal cost of increasing the system should be able to be accommodated over the
life-cycle of revenues obtained by providing that capacity.
In addition to the decision to provide the transport capacity to the local development, it becomes
important to specify how the system will be designed as to maximise the overall user safety,
minimise net energy use required to maintain and operate, and minimise the potential for
unintended consequences.
Benque is facing pressure to open up further areas for development, but without the financial
systems, asset management systems, rules and regulations, and future planning needed in order to
provide a sound transport system.
The basic components that should start to be considered by the City for improving the delivery of
transportation services to the City can include, but not limited to the following:
n
Land Use and Zoning plan;
n
Transportation Management Plan; and
n
Sub-division Regulations.
7.2.1
Important Local Considerations
The Town of Benque Viejo will continue to increase the traffic pressure on the Western Highway
with additional growth on the east side of the highway. The residential growth coupled with
enhancement of the village core creates desire lines in direct conflict with regional and national
trade routes between Belize and Guatemala.
Protection of the mobility of the Western Highway should become a key priority for both the
municipality and the Ministry of Works. The Town will then have to identify the best locations for key
points of access along the Highway and support those points of access with high quality intersection
designs such as roundabouts or traffic signals.
The town should acknowledge the inherent potential conflict of developing along a national highway
and develop potential mitigation strategies.
8
Summary
The Transportation Management Study conducted as part of the Belize Municipal Development
Project has completed the Town of Benque Viejo Inception Report summarising the existing
conditions and the state of the traffic and transportation system. This report is one of six reports on
the Inception Report stage evaluating the existing conditions.
The key findings from the Inception Report include the following:
n
Benque Viejo is the second fastest growing study municipality after Belmopan. The estimated
population is 9,300 residents in 2009, just below the Town of Corozal at 9,400.
n
The average annual population growth of the Town is double that of the national average, with a
growth rate between six and nine three percent per annum over the last ten years.
n
The Western Highway connects Benque Viejo to points east and Guatemala to the west. The
Highway effectively cuts the town in half, with the Town Centre on the north side bounded by the
highway and the river and the rest of the town to the south of the highway.
n
The low degree of overall vehicle traffic throughout the central core of the town was noted and
partly attributed to the poor state of many of the local streets. Those streets that remained in fair
to good condition did receive a much higher degree of the overall traffic flow. However, it is also
a sign of the economic and community design of the town, where many of the economic and
daily activities shifting to occur along the Western Highway and points outside of the historic
Town Centre.
n
The Town of Benque Viejo has registered 1,616 vehicles during the 2009 calendar year. This
represents an average vehicle ownership rate of 0.9 vehicles per Benque Viejo household.
n
The Benque Viejo transportation system consists of approximately 29 miles of streets and
roadways. Limited sidewalk and other multi-modal facilities exist. Of the 29 miles, 5.8 miles are
paved with 63% in good condition and 23.7 miles are unpaved with 29% listed in good condition.
Primarily the deficiencies noted by the investigation team revolve around the following:
n
Safety concern at specific junctions;
n
School Peak hour congestion and pedestrian safety;
n
Poor roadway condition in important areas of the town;
n
Lack of clarity on roadway priorities at junctions;
n
Poor maintenance of existing roads leading to water ponding, roadway damage, and potholes;
n
Inadequate drainage and coordination with roadway network; and
n
Inadequate guidance and regulations to ensure setbacks and intersection sight distances are
maintained.

Benque Viejo del Carmen Transportation Assessment Report

Transcription

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