PATHWAYS TO RESILIENCY

“CONNECTING PEOPLE TO PLACES IN THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS”

AARP LIVABLE COMMUNITIES

PLACEMAKING WORKSHOP

DENVER CO

NOV. 11-14, 2019

vitails.org

ST. CROIX USVI:

2017: GOVERNMENT & LOCAL LEADERS MERGE INTERESTSFOR COMMON GOOD DUE TO NEED

VITAL BOARD CREATED: TRAIL BUILDERS, PARK BUILDERS, CONSERVATIONIST,

HISTORIANS

DPW PROJECT ENGINEER

COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE

SENATOR NEVILLE JAMES

ALMA WINKFIELD PARK BUILDER

TOWN HALL MEETING MAY 2016

June 2017 - NPS RTCA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE APPLICATION –

REQUIRED A WIDE BASED, COMMUNITY SUPPORTED INITIATIVE

• GREAT WORK BEING DONE IN ISOLATION FOR YEARS:

• CONSERVATION LANDS

• PARK BUILDING

• TRAIL BUILDING

2017 - COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH COMMISSIONED A WALKABILITY STUDY FOR THE TERRITORY:

WALKABILITY STUDY 2016 RESULTS

POOR HEALTH AMONG RESIDENTS

THE USVI WALKABILITY INSTITUTE ESTABLISHED

88.6% OF STREET LENGTHS HAVE

NO SIDEWALKS

46.7% OF STREET LENGTHS HAVE

NO LIGHTING

78.2% OF STREET LENGTHS HAVE

NO DESTINATIONS

THE DEPT. OF HEALTH COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONED THE STUDY DUE TO THE INCREASED INCIDENCE OF ADVANCED DISEASE IN THE TERRITORY

DOCUMENTED INCREASE IN CASES OF HYPERTENSION, CARDIAC DISEASE, DIABETES AND OBESITY IN ALL AGE GROUPS.

THE SURGEON GENERAL ADVOCATES WALKING TO COMBAT THESE DESEASES

PROMOTING SAFE, CONTINUOUS PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTUREFOR THE TERRITORY.

SPONSORED EARLY ACTION DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS FOR EACH ISLAND.

SUPPORTS VITAL AND PARTNERS WORK TO CREATE PATHWAYS, TRAILS AND PARKS FOR ALL AGE GROUPS.

WORKING TO ADVANCE COMPLETE STREETS LEGISLATION FOR THE TERRITORY WITH VITAL AND AARP AND PARTNERS.

ISLAND-WIDE CONCEPT PLAN DEVELOPED BY VITAL & PARTNERS:THE PLAN DIVIDES PROJECTS INTO WORKABLE SEGMENTS. WHEN SEGMENTS ARE COMPLETED AN

ISLAND-WIDE SPINE OF PATHWAYS, TRAILS AND PARKS WILL BE CREATED

AUG. 2017

SEPTEMBER 2017HURICANES IRMA & MARIA DEVASTATION:

VITAL & PARTNERS GET TO WORK:

• - REVIVE AWARD WON FOR CONCEPT PLAN AS ECONOMIC STIMULUS

• - ARCHEOLOGY GRANT AWARD ADVANCES 14 MILE SOUTH SHORE MULTI-USE PROJECT

• - WELL PLACED STRONG PARTNERS ESTABLISHED

• - VITAL ACHIEVES FIDUCIARY SUPPORT & 501C3 STATUS

• - AWARDED AARP NATIONAL COMMUNITY CHALLENGE GRANT 2019

• - AWARDED FEMA HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT FOR 50 LAND ACQUISTION FOR PUBLIC PARK & CONSERVATION March 2019

• - WEBSITE VITRAILS.ORG LAUNCHED & BOARD STRENGTENING

• - PENDING OTHER GRANT OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Opportunities Emerge:

• Oct. 2017: DOI AWARDS NPS, RTCA TECH. GRANT

RIVER, TRAILS & CONSERVATION TECH. ASSISTANCE

• VITAL COMPETED WITH 50 STATES & EMERGED AS TOP PICK

• ASSISTANCE PROVIDED X 2 YRS.

• GIS INTERACTIVE MAP RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

• GRANT WRITING ASSISTANCE

• ASSISTANCE WITH STAKE HOLDER MEETINGS

• STRENGTHENING LOCAL, FEDERAL & NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

FEB 2019 - VITAL & PARTNERS BRINGS CONCEPT PLAN TO COMMUNITY:

• BOOTH AT AGRICULTURAL 3 DAY FAIR

MAP SURVEY – THEN RESULT PAMPHLET

• AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER SIGNS

MOU WITH VITAL

PUBLIC USE OF 14 MILES OF TRAILS

• VITAL AT ISLAND WELLNESS FAIR

VITAL PROMOTES WALKABILITY

• COMMISSIONER OF DEPT. OF PUBLIC WORKS ADDS PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS TO 4 MAJOR ROAD DESIGNS

22 MILLION DOLLAR VALUE OF PATHWAYS

2019 FEMA HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT AWARD:50 ACRE LAND ACQUISITION FOR PUBLIC PARK & CONSERVATION LANDS

$2 MILLION

PROJECT

COMPLETE STREETS LEGISLATION WORK

GIS MAP GENERATED THROUGH

NPS, RTCA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE –

COMPILES DATA LOCATION OF SCHOOLS,

PARKS, RECREATIONAL SITES, NPS

LOCATIONS, PATHWAYS, TRAILS & PARKS

FOR PUBLIC USE & TO FACILITATE PROJECT

COORDINATION ACROSS THE ISLAND

JUNE 2019 - AARP NATIONAL COMMUNITY CHALLENGE GRANT AWARDED TO VITAL

- 1ST BIKE LANES IN THE TERRITORY

INCLUDES:

• 1-MILE BIKE LANES ALONG THE CHRISTIANSTED BYPASS

• BENCHES ALONG ROUTE

• LOOK OUT IMPROVEMENTS

- BENCHES

- 2 FLAGS

- INFORMATION WAY-SIGN

• STORY TELLING CIRCLE PLACE MAKING SPACE, AT BALL PARK

• 4 GAME TABLES UNDER TAMARIND TREE

PLACE MAKING PROJECT ON ST. CROIX

KNOWLEDGE TO BE SHARED TO DATE:

• 1. MAINTAIN A STRONG VISION

• 2. PLAN WELL

• 3. CONTINUALLY REASSESS

• 4. ENSURE THE VISION REFLECTS THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE

• 5. CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSES AND PREPARE TO BE DISAPPOINTED

• 6. ASK ONLY WHAT PEOPLE CAN GIVE & DRAW FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES

• 7. MAINTAIN YOUR ENTHUSIASUM, COMMITMENT & PASSION

• 8. FIND A WAY TO INCLUDE EVERYONE

• 9. ALWAYS SAY “THANK YOU” & GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

• 10. BE PREPARED TO DO ALL TASKS THAT OTHERS CAN NOT ACCOMPLISH

VITAL’S VISION OF CREATING MULTI-USE PATHWAYS, TRAILS & PARKS ACROSS ST. CROIX & THE USVI

TERRITORY WITH LOCAL PARTNERS, GOVERNMENT LEADERS & RESIDENTS IN A CONTINUOUS

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WILL:

“POSITIVELY AFFECT THE LIVES OF EVERY PERSON, EACH DAY OF THEIR LIVES

FOR GENERATIONS TO COME REGARDLESS OF THEIR INCOME, AGE OR ABILITY”

Alma Winkfield

Disaster Resilience: Thank You!

Connecting People to Places in US Virgin Islands

Barbara Walsh (Barbaraleewalsh@gmail.com)