Transit Systems: Wrightson Road

Image of Wrightson Road

  Another major roadway is Wrightson Road, which is the western end of another major transit line running the east-west corridor. After the lighthouse in Port-of-Spain (POS), it is know as the Beetham highway then after the Uriah Butler intersection, it is known as the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, which continues into the east. Wrightson Road as such, also facilitates, like the Priority Bus Route, a high concentration of vehicles, cars, buses and freight as it is an additional means, especially for private and hired transport. Based on theories in Vukan's Urban Public Transport, Wrightson Road would fall under the ategory ROW-C, public streets and general traffic. 

  Urban transport infrastructure such as roads and transit systems, and their capacity and requirements have shaped the expansion of demography and mobility. Hence the relationship between urban transport systems and the variations in urban form and structure. (Rodrigue et al 2013) Based on the theories put forward by Rodrigue et al (2013), it is understood that the Wrightson Road facilitates the clustered form of Port-of-Spain  as it links downtown POS to the decentralized suburban economic nodes such as Woodbrook and St.Clair. The following link: http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/nodeslinkages.html illustrates a diagram of nodes, links and urban form which suits the clustered form of POS previously pointed out. However there is a deviation pertaining to the links seen in this diagram as the road networks in POS take on a grid pattern, unlike that shown. Here is a link to accurately show what the transport network looks like: https://maps.google.tt/maps?q=port+of+spain+trinidad&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x8c360812949e7641:0x96eca5e86b177c3a,Port+of+Spain&gl=tt&ei=2FtHU__tOcu80AG-s4GQAg&ved=0CLABELYD. According to Rodrigue et al (2013) grid patterns have not changed in contemporary cities from that used in 1st century Roman cities, due to its optimization of accessibility and available real estate.
 The reason why I chose to convey Wrightson Road in this post was due to it's importance to suburban economic areas. These areas seat an important sector of Port-of-Spain, and to a wider extent the country, therefore facilitators such as the transport network to the area holds just as must importance as the activities adjacent to them.

Reference

• Rodrigue, J., C. Comtois, B. Slack.2013.The geography of transport systems.3rd ed. London and New York: Routledge. http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c1en.html. (accessed February 10, 2014).
• Vuchic, V. R.1981. Urban public transport: systems and technology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/assets/Uploads/20020114urbanpubtrsysVuchic.pdf (accessed April 10, 2014)