BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, May 3, CMC — Tackling the growing economic and social impact of traffic congestion across the Caribbean will be a key focus of the 56th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank(CDB).
The meeting, scheduled for June 1 to 5 in Nassau, Bahamas, will spotlight how data-driven solutions can help governments better understand and respond to transportation challenges affecting productivity, quality of life and sustainable development across the region.
Central to the discussions will be the launch of EDGE X by CDB: Analytics Unlocked, a new platform designed to transform research and data into practical insights to guide policy and investment decisions across the Bank’s borrowing member countries.
A featured session titled “Stuck in Traffic: What Congestion Is Costing the Caribbean” will examine how road congestion continues to strain economies, while also highlighting the need for more reliable and timely data to support effective planning.
Acting Division Chief in the Bank’s Economic Infrastructure Division, William Ashby, underscored the importance of the issue.
“Traffic congestion represents a measurable productivity loss that remains underrepresented in regional policy discussions,” he said. “Strengthening access to data enables policymakers to prioritise investments, design integrated mobility systems and implement practical, context-specific solutions.”
Ashby will be joined by transportation planner Rae Furlonge, with both experts expected to demonstrate how improved access to mobility data—such as travel times, delays and user behaviour—can support more informed decision-making.
The discussion will also explore how governments can move beyond short-term fixes toward integrated transport systems that link mobility with land use, climate resilience and economic growth, supported by initiatives such as enhanced public transportation and smart traffic management.
The focus on congestion and data innovation aligns with the meeting’s broader theme, “Forging the Caribbean’s Future: Strategic Solutions for Uncertain Times,” which will address how countries can build resilience, strengthen financing and respond to global and climate-related challenges.
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