What if you had to pay to park at Hawksnest or Trunk Bay?
The money raised could go to fund a shuttle system of taxis and vans and ease the crowding and illegal parking along the North Shore roads.
Charging for parking is one of the ideas offered for consideration during a six-month study of transportation issues on the island. Beth Isler was funded by the National Park Foundation to study the island's transportation issues and develop a plan to "alleviate parking demand and improve mobility and access."Isler is a member of the Vermont Institute of Transportation Engineers. Her study ended at the end of the year, leaving her to prepare a report for the Park Service.
Other ideas heard at advisory committee meetings which included taxi drivers and representatives of the VI Taxi Cab Association were widening curves on the North Shore roads, preventing people from picnicking at the Park overlooks (to allow more people to use them), and eliminating taxi parking at Trunk Bay.
"A successful plan will benefit the economy of St. John by improving visitor experience," a National Park statement said, "preserving Park resources, reducing transportation impacts on the island, and creating business opportunities for the local community."- Read the minutes of the Transportation Plan committee meetings at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=412&projectId=27446&documentID=29409