Parking: The Blue Zone is back in effect in Marigot
First come, first served. That’s the rule in downtown Marigot. Parking spots are taken by drivers who arrive early in the morning, and few of them become available again quickly during the day. To improve “turnover,” the local government has decided to reinstate the blue zone system.
The principle is simple: drivers who park are not allowed to stay in the same spot for more than 1 hour and 30 minutes. They must place a blue parking disc on the vehicle’s dashboard indicating their arrival time. Failure to comply will result in a fine from the local police.
This rule was first implemented in 2016 during Aline Hanson’s term with the same goal: to facilitate vehicle turnover and the sharing of parking spaces in the city center. All streets in the city center were included in the blue zone.
While the initiative was welcomed by shop owners and drivers, the success of the blue zone was nevertheless mixed. The first criticism concerned the parking time limit. For many users, it was too short. Some explained that 1 hour and 30 minutes wasn’t enough time to run errands and have lunch in town. For others, 1 hour and 30 minutes wasn’t long enough to see a doctor without an appointment (since wait times at the doctor’s office are often longer).
The system has undergone a major change: today, the zone is smaller, giving drivers the choice of whether to park in a blue zone or not. This affects 166 parking spaces on Rue de la République, Rue du Général de Gaulle, and Rue du Président Kennedy, as well as Boulevard Hubert Petit across from the West Indies Mall and Boulevard de France (only on the side with stores). Note that Rue de la Liberté, Rue Saint-James, and Rue Victor Maurasse are excluded from the zone, even though they were included in 2016. However, the permitted parking duration remains the same.
Saint-Martin residents must pick up a parking disc themselves. Parking discs are available at the Collectivité’s headquarters, the territorial police station in Marigot, as well as at Cadisco gas stations and the Blue Point station in Galisbay.
Blue Zone parking spaces are marked by specific road markings and traffic signs. Parking is regulated between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. From 6 p.m. to 9 a.m., as well as on Sundays and holidays, parking is free without a parking disc. Starting September 1, failure to display a parking disc will constitute a violation punishable by a fixed fine of €17 and the towing of the vehicle.
When the executive council reviewed the system last December, there was discussion of replacing the parking discs with parking meters. However, the idea was not pursued.
