Let's Build Gonave, Haiti!

Remember late last year when we mentioned how bike paths could be a major step forward for La Gonave?  Well we haven't forgotten how this simple path could be a way for the rural parts of the island to reach major areas such as Anse-a-Galets. While these paths can be made from concrete, asphalt, to even gravel, the costs of such a system is much cheaper and faster to build than say a road.  These paths will allow for greater access to economic development and access to services.  Even tourist can use these paths as a way to go from place to place. It makes sense to build bikeways that can be part of the urban and rural landscape.  Incorporating these bikeways with new development is one way to go about this.  Planning where these bikeways could be will be key where future housing could even be placed. Purchasing a bike is much cheaper for island residents as there are less maintenance cost and no fuel expenses.  Also having a bike lessens the pollut...

Gonave Transpark I've talked with a few people who built the Kentucky Tranpark in Bowling Green.  This project has brought about 1,300 jobs, with only 4 facilities.  It also has a training facility that helps train staff at the various industrial companies.  The project was to include an airstrip, but that idea was shot down.  The park itself is ever evolving, and actually didn't cost the city a large sum of money.   The park sells land to companies, which in turn will build their facility, and possibly get incentives for locating to the park and holding a specific number of employees.   So would this type of thing work on Gonave?  Consider if the entire island was a Special Administrative Region of Haiti .  This plan would be the start of developing an economic base on Gonave.  Consider the idea of farms as well. I mentioned the transpark idea before, click here. When you consider the contacts I have been getting a...

This video is of the Matsuura Rail Line in Japan, via Japan Railway.  The trainset (rolling stock) is a DMU, or a diesel multiple unit.  This line while going though some small communities use one to two trains (coupled together).  This line is how I envision some of the first transportation methods on Gonave using trains of a similar size.  Like in this video, the system would use a single track in most areas, and some double track where needed for bi-directional use.  Given the vast number of communities and villages on Gonave, something like this could be very viable.  Not only would it connect those communites together, but also it can encourage more development around train stops (stations). Just an idea, but I see this working vs building several highways throughout the island.  Not saying roads shouldn't be built, I think that is very important, but I think that linking the entire island with rail will be a better option given the small a...