The Virgin Islands Police Department’s Office of Highway Safety joined forces with its federal partner, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), to conduct a Walking Safety Assessment of Veterans Drive.
The initiative engaged several community stakeholders across agencies, organizations, and personal interests to identify pedestrian safety concerns on the roadway. Walks were conducted on the afternoon of Oct. 29 and the morning of Oct. 30 to observe traffic nuances at various times of day. The VI Source was there too.
Participant teams, donning safety vests, walked west from the VI Legislature Building to Seaborne Airlines and back, recording observations along the way. Sidewalks blocked by parked vehicles, poles, and planters forced the group to interact with traffic. In many areas, sidewalks, uneven and muddy, presented slip and trip hazards. Pedestrian crossing lights were sparsely available and provided an insufficient 10-seconds to cross the four-lane street.
One wheelchair bound participant required assistance to safely navigate several curbs with ramps ending higher than street level.
“Our roads must be safe for everyone, despite mode of transportation or ability,” said VIOHS Director Daphne O’Neal. “This initiative sought perspectives from individuals with varied professional backgrounds and personal experiences for a holistic solution.”
Participants hailed from the Offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, the Disability Rights Center, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Departments of Police and Public Works, State Office of Emergency Medical Services, the Methodist Training and Outreach Center, the University of the Virgin Islands, the VI Source, and DaVybe Radio Station 107.9FM.
NHTSA will assist in preparing a detailed report which will be submitted to relevant changemakers, and the model will be utilized for future Walking Safety Assessments in other high pedestrian-motor vehicle crash zones throughout the territory.
Data shared at the event revealed that 143 pedestrians on St. Thomas/St. John were involved in motor vehicle crashes in the past 3 years. These crashes resulted in five fatalities and 118 pedestrian injuries. Territory wide, during the same period, there were 193 pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes, 9 pedestrian fatalities, and 152 pedestrian injuries. In fiscal year 2024, there were 7 pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes on Veterans Drive.
