Let's Build Gonave, Haiti!

 Beach side cabins like these could be easily done on La Gonave to promote tourism.  This open bay window would be perfect to face out toward the beach.  Retail shops could also be located nearby which would serve both tourists and locals. The idea of building large hotel buildings on La Gonave is not one that can be done easily.  Yes there are actual hotels on the island, however building a highrise structure on La Gonave has it's own logistical problems.  Many travelers like the idea of having their own cottage on the beach.  The idea of having your own "mini house" is something that tourist usually seek when they go camping.  So having these type of small cottages is like a home away from home. These structures are seen all over Key West, FL.  Like Haiti, the Florida Keys are battered by hurricanes as well.  We can even design these structures to be movable as well and loaded on the back of wheeled trailers. The ide...

I talked a bit about mini bus transit in previous posts.  This type of transit is key to moving people on the island.  I also mentioned that bike paths (bikeways) are also important as they are faster, and cheaper to build than the roads that mini buses and vehicles will use. Dual Transit Connecting the mini bus line with bikeways is important as it will connecting different types of transit together.  Keep in mind that these bikeways will also have benches, restrooms along the route, bike stations, bike repair shops, vendors, and will connect to minibus transit stops.   This bike lane shows a bike crossing with another mode of transit.  The signage shows pedestrian crossing.  This lane allows for bi-directional bike direction, connection to bus line, and even a walking path.  This is something that could implemented on La Gonave with the minibus system.  Bike Stations   This bike station allows for indoor bike storage as we...

Building a mini bus line is something that I have been talking about for the last few posts.  One indication of when we are planning stuff here is when we put a lot of conversation into it. The mini bus line will allow for the island to have better transit, but also those who don't/won't use transit, it will build roads which will allow for more industry to enter into the market. So with that said, how much will the fares be for the minibus system?  I think that many things have to be considered when building a transit system, and the cost of fare and where the system will go are very important.  The idea is for the transit system to pay for itself.  Advertising banners can be added to the interior of the bus, either on a display screen, or ad banner on the wall.  The stations could also have advertising, as well as ads on the outside of the bus.  The other parts of financing will be building retail and residential units that are part of the bus stops....

I created an idea of the initial mini bus line that would be the full route.  The route connects the public wharf, to the public plaza, the outdoor market, and on to the airport.  This route takes into account the current paved sections of road that is in the city of Anse-a-Galets. This route connects the most nodes, or important areas of the city together.  If we were to pave the first 1 mile of road, it would connect from the wharf, all the way to the outdoor markets.  The route could either be done in concrete, or with concrete pavers.  The pavers are easy to replace, but very labor intensive. Depending on funding, the city could buy a large portable mixer that can help with the concrete option, but still this will be a labor intensive job.  What is really needed is a large concrete mixing truck that can pour a large amount of concrete at a time.  Since logistics make this nearly impossible for a concrete mixer truck, a large portable mixer tha...

So I mentioned a bit about how La Gonave could easily build a mini bus system that would mainly focus on Anse-a-Galets.  The hub of the entire network would be in Anse-a-Galets.  I mentioned the phases that would make logical sense and what the people of La Gonave must be willing to do.  Moving people from place to place will help build the economy of La Gonave.  I looked at the Country of Barbados.  That tiny country is a little bit smaller than the island of La Gonave.  So it peaked my interest since transit can be modeled after other places.  They have different types of buses there, but one type of bus, the Reggae Bus, is one that I will talk about today. This bus pictured below is a diesel powered manual bus.  These buses seat about 20 passengers per bus.  What makes these buses ideal is their size and capability.  So my opinion is to use a bus like this to connect Anse-a-Galets to Pointe-a-Raquettes as a commuter bus ...

Here are a few videos of electric vehicle that runs on solar.  The first video of the 15 passenger bus shows a handicap ramp, however La Gonave wouldn't need this ramp.  This video shows you how the vehicle operates and is driven around. The second video shows more of what will be on La Gonave.  In this video the bus is blue, but isn't driven. This video shows another manufacturer of electric buses and this bus is pulling up to a station stop.  This stop is similar to how La Gonave have their stops in an bus box in the road. Final video shows the electric bus in mixed traffic and how well it moves. The electric bus has many different names from minibus, shuttle, or simply an electric bus.  This vehicle will meet the needs of handling the commuter traffic on La Gonave. When it comes to connecting outside of Anse-a-Galets an alternative would have to be developed. What are your thoughts?  Do you think that a mini bus system is the way to ...

About 5 days ago I mentioned the idea of scheduled mini-bus system on La Gonave.  The importance of having such a system, and the benefits of this type of project are listed on that blog. One major thing to consider is the costs of the system.  While the buses can range from $20 - $40,000 per bus, the biggest issues are not the cost of the bus.  Road construction, stops, and maintenance buildings are the biggest issues.  In the post I made 5 days ago I mentioned the route could start from the public wharf or the airport.  While the wharf has some pavement, this is also very limited, but could prove to be a better starting point for the mini bus system.  The mini bus system would be an inner city system, but again, the infrastructure must be there.  How do you pay for all of this to get the system started. One idea, which maybe controversial, would be a tax on ferry and boat landings to and from the island of La Gonave per passenger.  While...

This rise of the mini bus.  This is a Poncho ADG-HX6JLAE mini bus, which is made in Japan.  The bus holds about 10 seats, and of course you can stand on it.  Now why a mini bus? Cost To purchase these mini buses cost a fraction of what a large city bus cost.  These vehicles offer an affordable way to move around certain parts of Gonave, and could be a vital link from the proposed Focus City to rural villages.  Operational costs should also be lower with these smaller buses. Size While these mini buses will not form the entire transit system, they will help with the initial transit line and as I mentioned connecting the Focus City to a village.  Given the small size of Gonave, and the small streets that are proposed by Hurko, these size buses make sense. Implementation These buses are practical in terms in implementation.  The hope is to have a rail line constructed that will connect many parts of Gonave.  These mini buses will serve...