Portmore Prioritises Pedestrian Safety With Labour Day Sidewalk Project

The Portmore City Municipality has targeted pedestrian safety and improved accessibility for persons with disabilities as its primary focus for Labour Day 2026, through the construction of a sidewalk outside the Municipality Building.

The initiative is part of a multi-year infrastructural project to retrofit the municipality with proper pedestrian sidewalks to address a historical design gap.

“For the last three years, we have been focusing on sidewalks across the municipality because Portmore was built without any sidewalks… . We have completed the stretch from the [Resilience] Park, down to Waterford on George Lee Boulevard,” Mayor of Portmore, Councillor Leon Thomas, explained.

He was speaking at the site of this year’s project on Monday (May 25), where he was joined by employees from the Portmore City Municipality, members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and some residents from nearby communities who volunteered.

The Mayor noted that the Municipal office zone was strategically chosen due to the rapid commercial development and heavy foot traffic in the area.

“Because of the development that is taking place within this area, where we have PriceSmart, Hung Way Mall, [and] Ibex, this area is being used heavily by pedestrians. So, we see fit to put in the sidewalk and also build sidewalk ramps to facilitate our physically challenged people who normally traverse this area,” Mayor Thomas explained.

He emphasised that the sidewalks are crucial for the security of the citizens, especially as ongoing road expansion works in the zone will soon alter traffic.

“The intersections are being widened, so you are going to have free flow of traffic, and they will be moving much faster than what they are doing now. So, we are making certain that we secure our residents by [ensuring] that we put them on the sidewalk to prevent any loss of life,” Mayor Thomas stated.

He urged motorists, however, to exercise caution and resist the temptation to speed despite the widened roadways.

Echoing the Mayor’s sentiments, Councillor for the Greater Portmore North Division, Gary Nicholson noted that the project directly addresses the daily vulnerabilities of commuters.

“We have observed that pedestrians often, I’m going to use the term, fight for space with the motoring public… . Now that our office is located right here and the Hundred Man Police Station is right here, there is heavy pedestrian in this space, so we decided that this year, 2026, Labour Day project, we will instal sidewalks,” Councillor Nicholson said.

He noted that it will “ease the stress on the pedestrians and even the disabled community will have easier travel”.

Councillor Nicholson expressed confidence that the public will warmly welcome the new infrastructure.

While a temporary shortage of cement hampered the municipality’s ability to fully extend the concrete sidewalk to the nearby community of One North on Labour Day, Mayor Thomas has assured residents that the work will continue after the holiday.

He further committed to identifying other areas where sidewalks are needed to enhance the safety of the citizens.