Busy period
With the cruise season well underway and the high season for stay-over tourism fast approaching, questions are again being raised as to why certain projects could not have been completed before the busy period.
The beautification of Front Street, for example, while undoubtedly a positive step, is not finished, despite the fact that there are already days with up to seven cruise ships. Especially the section known as “the lower end of town” still looks somewhat like a war zone. While part of the new street and sidewalks are ready, the sand still lying all over the place creates a messy situation. The lack of garbage cans in that area only contributes to the problem.
There are always factors that determine when certain projects can be executed, including the end of the previous season, vacation periods, the rainy (hurricane) season, etc. Still, as an island with a one-pillar economy, one would like to think it possible to start certain projects at especially tourism areas in time, so they can be finished before it gets too busy.
The construction of new roundabout at Maho, for example, has led to quite a bit of inconvenience in the last few weeks, although it appears the end result will help alleviate the traffic situation there somewhat.
It is also important to remember that while the stay-over tourism season officially starts on December 15, the vast majority of stay-over guests are timeshare and vacation home owners, who come in considerable numbers long before and after the official high season, starting around Thanksgiving. In the timeshare sector this phenomenon has been described as “shoulder seasons.”
All that does not make planning and executing road works and other projects any easier. On the other hand, it is the reality of the current tourist product and the island will have to cater to it as best it can.
Hopefully there won’t be any more work that affects traffic especially in the Simpson Bay area going into the season, because the lines there are already extremely long at times. And with more and more boats coming into the lagoon, some of which pay extra to have the bridge opened at irregular hours, the situation will only become worse in the next weeks and months.
It is, to some extent, the price local residents and visitors alike have to pay for the continued popularity of the island. But with several new projects underway in the Cupecoy area, combined with the construction on the airport expansion project, the traffic situation on that side of the island continues to be a matter of concern in the long run.
Note to our readers:
Because most, if not all, of the Internet service in St. Maarten was down all weekend, our Editorial Department was unable to access any e-mails from local news sources or those in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, or from our correspondents on the surrounding islands where The Daily Herald is published. The staff tried to do what it could by telephone and fax, but obviously there was not the usual amount of news for the Islands pages. Since our Reuters satellite receiver for international news continued to function, it was decided to expand the international section and limit the local section. On Friday night, when the problems started, we were also unable to download The Miami Herald, which consequently did not appear on Saturday.
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