The Caribbean's first underground rail system will open in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on February 27th, 2008. The 9-mile, 16 stop train hopes to transport nearly 1 million commuters a day and will offer transportation alternatives to tourists.

Although critics pan the cost of building a subway instead of putting it towards fighting poverty or eliminating power outages, President Leonel Fernandez says the $710 million subway line will help modernize the capital city and keep locals from emigrating to other cities. Fernandez was raised in Manhattan and hopes to bring some of that New York accessibility to the Dominican Republic. Others hope the new subway will help curb pollution and traffic and offer affordable alternatives to taxis.

The subway will run from the Northern part of the city, across the Isabela River, to the downtown area near the coast.

Read more about the Dominican Republic and Santo Domingo here.

by Susan Finch