Connecting People to Places in the U.S. Virgin Islands...Connecting People to Places in the U.S....
Transcript of Connecting People to Places in the U.S. Virgin Islands...Connecting People to Places in the U.S....
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 ([email protected])