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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesFREE PARKING TO END AT GOVERNMENT’S C'STED LOT

FREE PARKING TO END AT GOVERNMENT’S C'STED LOT

Two years of free parking in the V.I. government’s Christiansted Strand Street lot will come to an end next Monday.
The cost to park in the government lot on St. Croix and the Fort Christian lot on St. Thomas will be $1 for the first hour and 75 cents for each additional hour with a maximum charge of $5 a day, said Wayne Callwood, acting Public Works commissioner. The lot will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except weekends and holidays.
Callwood said vehicles using the Christiansted lot will be required to pay for the remainder of the day when parking after 2 p.m. A monthly discount rate will be available at both the St. Thomas and St. Croix lots, $60 per month in Christiansted and $80 at the Fort Christian lot on St. Thomas.
"Customers are encouraged to pay in advance for parking in an effort to make the operation run smoother," Callwood said.
Parking in downtown Christiansted has been scarce since the National Park Service removed the 70-space King’s Wharf lot more than two years ago to put in a grassy park. To make up for the lack of spaces, the V.I. government made the underused Strand Street lot free.
But the condition of –– and lack of security at –– the 100-space lot has long been a bone of contention between downtown business owners and the government.
The business owners have suggested that a private firm manage the lot for a fee to ensure a well-lit, secure area that would quell fears of many island residents who now shy away from venturing downtown after dark.
Last March the government closed the lot for several weeks to patch potholes, improve drainage, mend fences, and improve lighting.
More information: 773-0590 on St. Croix and 774-7046 on St. Thomas.

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