Candidates for the 36th Legislature have begun campaigns to raise their profiles in the public awareness, and one aspiring senator from St. Croix has embarked on a community project to map problematic potholes on the Big Island.
Troy Williams is spearheading the Pothole Mapping Project, which uses Google Maps in a quest to identify and document potholes in order to provide authorities with precise locations for prompt repairs. Mr. Williams and his family have thus far spent holidays and weekends mapping out potholes, and he is appealing to the wider public to join in the effort.
"Potholes affect all aspects of our lives, and smooth roads are not a luxury but should be a necessity. Before we can even talk about bringing in new investors, ride shares, or enhancing our tourism product, we must take care of our most critical infrastructure, which are our roads and communications," he said in a press statement issued on Sunday.
The project has also highlighted some significant issues with current mapping systems. “Locations, for example, like some areas in Frederiksted are erroneously listed as Kingshill,” Mr. Williams noted. “Roads are not appropriately named, and it is evident that there is minimal coordination between the government and the company that conducted our mapping locally,” he continued. “If we are going to improve our island, we must address these quality-of-life issues."
According to Mr. Williams, the data collected from this project will be shared with local government officials to facilitate timely repairs and maintenance, aiming to create a safer driving environment and reduce vehicle damage from poorly maintained roads. He hopes this initiative will encourage others to act similarly. "I want this to be a stepping stone where citizens eventually will be able to report other quality of life issues and hazards by using technology such as dead carcasses on the roadway, traffic light outages, and any other miscellaneous issues,” he said. “This can be beneficial for all stakeholders and lead to better accountability on all sides."
Residents interested in participating can contact Mr. Williams for more information.
