The Virgin Islands Department of Public Works (VIDPW) applied for a competitive grant from the Federal Transit Administration in May 2016. Transit departments throughout the United States were eligible to apply. In September 2016, DPW’s Office of Transportation was informed that it had been awarded $1.6 million in funding to replace the dated La Reine Transit Facility on St. Croix.
Commissioner James said, “The La Reine Bus Facility replacement project is an investment in our infrastructure. It will have a positive impact on St. Croix’s economy and our transit system.”
Replacement of the La Reine Facility is a part of a larger initiative to improve VITRAN, the territory’s public transportation system. Notable improvements include:
1.) revising the bus schedule for time efficiency;
2.) procuring new buses equipped with the latest technology, including Wi-Fi and
3.) launching a more user friendly website featuring an interactive Territorial map, schedules, bus routes and bus stop/shelter locations.
DPW partnered with the Department of Tourism and the Lieutenant Governor’s Cadastral Office to create the territory’s most comprehensive mapping to date.
Meetings concerning the construction of the La Reine Transit Facility are scheduled to begin in the coming weeks. The facility will serve as a transfer station and a mid-point hub of information relevant to the public transit system. It will reduce the wait-time/ride-time of patrons as well as congestion, especially at peak times, while providing enclosed shelter to residents and visitors during inclement weather. Notably, the facility, in concert with several ongoing road, port and procurement projects territory-wide, will link surface, air and future ferry transportation that will provide a seamless transit system linking St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John.
“The Department of Public Works’ Office of Transportation is making steady advances. We intend to produce a reliable, time-efficient and modern public transportation system that will better serve the public connecting them to educational, career, medical, social and other travel needs. Our transit system has outgrown the dated La Reine facility. In the coming year, it will be replaced by a modern facility suited to the needs of our system and riders,” said James.
The commissioner anticipates that the project will increase ridership, thus revitalizing the surrounding area and attracting small business opportunities.
