Joe your own way
A Beaconite appreciates that the government is working to ease traffic in Road Town, but he’s not so sure about the recent decision to allow two-way traffic along Main Street between Joes Hill and Flemming Street. Government announced the change May 9, explaining that it would “enhance mobility throughout the capital.” The Beaconite believes that this goal has been achieved to a degree — and new signage has also helped address the traffic that often clogged the bottom of Joes Hill. But he’s not sure that the benefits have outweighed the drawbacks. Even when traffic was limited to a single direction on the Main Street section, motorists struggled to navigate parked cars and the many pedestrians in the area. Now, such issues are greatly exacerbated, creating a dangerous stretch where the doors of several businesses open directly onto a street with no sidewalk and little or no shoulder. Sometimes, tour buses pass through the area, and they barely fit. The Beaconite believes that pedestrians deserve more consideration. Ultimately, the capital’s traffic problems need comprehensive solutions — not one-off Band-aids.
Grille thrill
Most Tortola drivers know about the massive metal grille in the middle of the road at the bottom of Johnsons Ghut. And most refuse to drive across it. A Beaconite who passes the area daily has noticed that the great majority of vehicles swing into the opposite lane to avoid the grille entirely. In fact, the only vehicles he has seen drive across it in recent months carried rental licence plates, and he assumes they were driven by tourists who didn’t know better. The Beaconite gives the grille a wide berth too. And he believes he has good reason. Frequently during heavy floods, the various parts of the grille are washed out of place and pushed down the road — doubtlessly receiving a severe battering along the way. They usually remain out of place for days until someone comes to fix them. Sometimes at that stage, welders can be seen using torches to repair the grille on site. The Beaconite isn’t questioning the quality of the welders’ work, but the ad hoc nature of the whole system troubles him greatly. He is not at all confident that the grilles are safe to drive across. As soon as possible, the government should find a sustainable solution that will give drivers confidence and allow them to stay in their lane as they drive up Johnsons Ghut. And that’s only a small part of what is needed to address the egregious flooding in the area.
Graduations
The more graduation ceremonies a Beaconite attends, the more she is convinced that the events need not be so long. Of course, enough time should be allowed for each graduate to walk across the stage, receive a degree or diploma, and pose for a photograph. And certainly, a student respondent or two should get a chance to deliver a speech. However, this does not mean a graduation ceremony should exceed three hours. Really, it is the Beaconite’s opinion that any graduation ceremony should be a maximum of two hours. And ideally, they should be even shorter than that. It is not that the reporter believes that ample celebration and accolades should not be given to graduates. Quite the opposite. But no teenager or 20-something wants to sit through a seemingly never-ending ceremony while government officials drone on and repeat self-serving platitudes. While she was watching last week’s college graduation, the Beaconite noticed that many graduates got up from their seats throughout the ceremony. Most sat with blank stares or were scrolling on their phones. She suspects that they would readily agree with her call for short and sweet graduation ceremonies.
