St. Maarten Private Eye

3 SIMPLE SOLUTIONS FOR SIMPSONBAY TRAFFIC

Dear Commissioners,

I have always been the first one to criticize those who complain about the traffic. "Yeah, yeah," I would tell the whiners,"just drive between 10:00am and 3:00pm and you'll be fine." "Don't worry, just enjoy the time in your car with your kids." or my very unpopular advice of "Just buy yourself a motorbike and stop whining".

Well, now I have reached my limit of patience and imagination.

I now have to leave my home almost two hours in advance to drop my boys at Tae Kwan Do class TWICE A WEEK! No big deal is what I would have said before; just tell stories in the car, or sing or discuss school... I invite any of you on the EXCO to sit in a car with my two boys for two hours. I bet you don't last 10 minutes.

The worst of it is that IT'S ONLY 7 MILES FROM MY HOME!

I also used to be the one who would tell people to stop complaining and give suggestions instead. Well, I've had it with suggestions. This is your job. Not mine. Mine is running a bicycle business. Yours is making sure that your citizens, those who elected you, are content with the quality of life offered in St. Maarten.
And I am very sorry to say, but I'm going to say it anyway: you are doing a really really bad job.

So, I am going to give you some very practical and easy to understand suggestions on how you can fix one area which is sending tourists home daily (and yes, I know because I listen to them every day of the week!) claiming that they WILL NEVER VISIT ST. MAARTEN AGAIN!

If you would drive from Simpsonbay to Colebay at 5pm ANY DAY OF THE WEEK INCLUDING SUNDAY, you will so easily see what the problems are.

1) The Simsponbay Corner road which every Tom, Dick and Harry, races through from the Pelican Keys road (Billy Folly Road) to take a short cut to avoid traffic. They come out at the Fed Ex building and filter in ever so gently (HA!). This is your first major traffic hindrance. So, easy to fix (Simsponbay residents did it!); make this a one way road with traffic only allowed to exit at Pelican. For two weeks post a police officer of VKS officer at the Fed Ex end of this road and have him collect fines from all those who "missed" the sign.

2) The hole right opposite Pineapple Pete's restaurant (you're welcome Pierre) is causing cars to slow down and swerve into the road. I witnessed a scooter rider almost get hit by a swerving car yesterday. Fix this road and you will have solved Problem #2.

3) The terrible condition of the road right opposite Tropicana Casino building. Everyone slows down here right at the small supermarket with all of the lovely sewage water running along its entrance. This road needs fixing,plain and simple.

Once you pass this third area, the traffic is wide open and flows beautifully.
Please tell me and the rest of St. Maarten that you can fix a mere 1 Km of road to alleviate our aggravation. Our quality of life in St. Maarten is deteriorating and you have the power to do something. So, please, do it.

Susy Piscione