WHAT IS THE SAI?!?!
The U.S. Virgin Islands is missing a standardized street address grid and related street name signage, these missing important pieces of critical infrastructure have historically been problematic for the Territory. The major needs that the Street Addressing Initiative will satisfy are navigation, disaster recovery and emergency management efficiency, utility operations, and delivery services.
The Beginning.
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor (OLG), as the administrator of the Territory’s GIS (Geographic Information Systems) data, maintains the data for use by the public and private sectors as a tool for infrastructure planning and community development. In 2009, the OLG commenced efforts to bring the USVI into compliance with Federal Guideline Data Standard STD-016-2011 and cease reliance on the current addressing of a Lot number/Estate name combination. Title 3 Section 74 (Government research projects) of the Virgin Islands Code allows any Government Agency to seek assistance from the University of the Virgin Islands for specialized Projects. The Office of Lieutenant Governor formed a partnership with the University to successfully complete three (3) phases of the SAI: the Implementation Plan, the Pilot Phase, & the Bridge Phase.
In 2012, by contracting the services of the University of the Virgin Islands Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) Division, the OLG created the Strategic Implementation Plan for Addressing and a principal recommendation was to test the feasibility of developing street addresses for the USVI. The contract was fully paid thru a Department of Interior (DOI-OIA) Technical Assistance Grant. The Strategic Implementation Plan for Addressing laid the foundation and criteria to establish a Territory wide standardized addressing system via the Street Addressing Initiative.
Download USVI SAI Implementation Plan here.
On the Road (Pilot Phase).
Due to the size and scale of the task, the OLG understood the need to complete the Initiative in phases. Thus, between January and August of 2013, the SAI – PILOT PHASE was funded and executed by the Government of the Virgin Islands to test and perfect methodologies established in the Strategic Implementation Plan for Addressing. This phase consisted of developing three pilot areas (one for each island), setting up Address Reference Systems, address repository databases, assigning street names to unnamed roads within the areas, and new addresses to each structure. The Pilot Phase addressed the areas of the Eastern portion of Charlotte Amalie, Mon Bijou, and the Western portion of Cruz Bay.
During the SAI Pilot Phase the OLG created an efficient process for USVI Residents and Property Owners to be able to name the roadways in their neighborhoods and communities. This is called the Community Naming Protocols.
The OLG provides continual support to neighborhood organizations, home owners associations, communities, and individual residents in walking them step-by-step through the Community Naming Protocol process.
Build a Bridge (Bridge Phase)
In 2019, the OLG commenced the SAI Bridge Phase. The purpose of the Bridge Phase was to develop the Territory’s Master Address Repository (MAR), formalize the Address Reference System, and fine tune the procedures and tools needed to manage addressing throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands into the future. During this Phase over 4,000 new addresses were created and ALL urban areas of the Territory have been addressed (Christiansted, Frederiksted, Charlotte Amalie, and Cruz Bay).
St. John Bridge Phase Address Creation Timeline below.
Christiansted, St. Croix Bridge Phase Address Creation Timeline below.
Frederiksted, St. Croix Bridge Phase Address Creation Timeline below.
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Bridge Phase Address Creation Timeline below.
