Santo Domingo Metro

President Leonel Fernández proposed and started the construction of the first subway system in the Dominican Republic and second in the Caribbean. The actual first phase of the overall "Master Plan" for the Metro of Santo Domingo, took place once Fernandez proposed the construction of the Juan Bosch bridge. This bridge was built with support for two heavy rail lines on the deck, which until the third line of the system gets built are used for regular vehicle traffic today. This phase took place on Fernandez first administration, and with very little public knowledge of the "Master Plan".

The project was prompted by the need to reduce the continually rising heavy road traffic congestion, as well as the current disorganized and inefficient public transportation system, and air pollution which severely affects productive time and health of the citizens of the city. The system will complement other forms of public transportation such as OMSA (Metropolitan Office of Buses Services) buses, with the government estimating that around 100 feeder buses will be in service. The first line of the mass-transit system has sixteen stations; 6 elevated, 10 underground and a total route length of 14.5 km (9.0 mi). It connects Villa Mella in Santo Domingo Norte with La Feria in Santo Domingo, which is expected to bring relief to the current public transport system of Santo Domingo. Daily ridership is expected to be about 200,000 passengers for the first line, once other lines are integrated or at least the feeder bus system. The first line opened for commercial service on January 30, 2009.

On September 23, 2007, President Leonel Fernández while on a trip to the east coast of the United States announced that stations on the Santo Domingo Metro were not to be named by the streets it intercepted, but instead named in honor of important historical people of the Dominican Republic. On February 25, 2008, during the final testing before the official inauguration of the line by President Fernández, Ing. Diandino Peña announced the official names for the stations.[11]

In the presidential elections that took place on May 16, 2008, President Leonel Fernández was re-elected for his second consecutive term. However, long before his re-election companies that specializes in studying land composition began drilling holes specifically around the area where Line 2 (along Avenida John F. Kennedy, a major through-way in the city that converts into Duarte Highway connecting Santo Domingo with Santiago) is being built.

Line 2 runs east-west under Avenida John F. Kennedy, from the westernmost metropolitan stretch of the city to the eastern part of the city. This line would be underground in its entire 22 kilometer course intersecting line 1 of the metro in the heart of the city. Due to its length this line will be about twice the cost the completion of Line 1 and due to the economic burden it would place in the national budget it was decided that it would be constructed in two phases.

In September 2009, it was officially announced that Line 2 was divided into two phases. The first phase is going to be from Los Alcarrizos to Puente de la 17,[12] intercepting with the first line. A second phase will then complete this line from Puente de la 17 [12] to San Isidro located in the eastern portion of Santo Domingo Este. Images gathered in news sites, and forums show that the construction is more advanced than what the government was initially interested to inform the press. Ultimately, the project has been reduced to ensure the conclusion and operation of a second line by the end of the 2008-2012 presidential term. Line 2 will operate from a station at Avenida Gregorio Luperón to a station before Puente de la 17, at Avenida Francisco del Rosario Sánchez.

Line 2 opened on April 1, 2013.[8] An approval for an expansion of the second line was issued January 2014,[9] and construction began on April 1, 2014.[10] The extension was completed and officially opened on August 8, 2018.[13]