Jeffrey D. Wagner
MIDDLETOWN – City Council final week voted to have a listening to on April 15 on whether or not to show a stretch of East Fundamental Highway right into a three-lane path to decelerate site visitors as a part of a proposed repaving challenge on that part of the highway.
The transfer comes after the Rhode Island Division of Transportation argued in opposition to the transfer and City Administrator Shawn Brown mentioned RIDOT may not conduct the scheduled paving challenge except the city decides by April 19.
Council members hope to render a choice earlier than April 19 and plan to get extra site visitors knowledge for the April 15 listening to.
On the final two City Council conferences, members of Bike Newport and different highway weight loss program proponents complained that paving that approximate 2-mile stretch between Mitchell’s Lane and Wyatt Drive can be a chance to enhance security, particularly for pedestrians and bicycle riders.
“My concern with delaying the challenge is that if we do delay, there is no such thing as a sure date when the challenge would transfer ahead and it’s seemingly it will stumble upon different initiatives like repaving of West Fundamental Highway and interrupting initiatives on Aquidneck Island,” Brown instructed the council at its final assembly.
He mentioned with the Washington Bridge concern in Windfall, in addition to litigation over tolls, there is no such thing as a telling when the repaving would transfer ahead.
“Funding for transportation initiatives within the state is extremely aggressive. There may be not some huge cash on the market,” Brown added.
Brown referenced the issues for many who journey bicycles however mentioned there is no such thing as a bike plan but in place.
In a letter to Brown, RIDOT engineer Robert Rocchio mentioned that placing that stretch of East Fundamental Highway on a “weight loss program” by trimming a driving lane would trigger site visitors congestion through the summer season months, particularly throughout peak journey hours, and trigger site visitors to spill over to Mitchell Lane and Wyatt Drive. He additionally talked about how it will be tougher for motorists turning onto East Fundamental Highway from unsignalized facet streets, in addition to driveways on East Fundamental Highway.
In his letter, Rocchio referenced a letter and a site visitors examine performed by VHB, a design and engineering firm that collaborates with RIDOT. That letter from final July highlighted the professionals and cons of trimming that stretch of East Fundamental Highway. The professionals embody fewer lanes to cross. The cons embody the problems cited by Rocchio.
VHB additionally mentioned that it recommends these “diets” for areas the place the site visitors is beneath 20,000 automobiles per day for the state’s highway weight loss program program. In accordance with VHB’s knowledge, that stretch of city logs 21,500 automobiles per day through the summer season months and 17,500 through the spring.
VHB talked about that RIDOT doesn’t suggest it and that the site visitors places the realm on the excessive finish of the highway weight-reduction plan threshold.
Although RIDOT doesn’t suggest a highway trim, it has left the ultimate determination to the City Council.
Bari Freeman, government director of Bike Newport, mentioned that VHB’s knowledge is outdated and from 2018.
Referencing her group’s conferences with state and different officers, she mentioned that knowledge from 2023 would reveal that the brand new site visitors quantity can be extra inside RIDOT’s really useful vary for a highway weight loss program.
Freeman additionally mentioned that VHB didn’t checklist bicycle and pedestrian security as certainly one of its professionals as a result of its security enchancment is an computerized professional.
“It’s already accepted because the primary method,” she mentioned.
Freeman additionally talked about different positives. She mentioned a slowdown can be good for native companies alongside that stretch, inflicting extra vehicles to cease and store there.
Councilwoman Emily Tessier, a frequent bike rider, mentioned each constituents and her personal work shoppers have instructed her that they really feel their security and lives are in peril when driving or strolling on that stretch of highway.
Tessier mentioned nationwide knowledge reveals that highway diets enhance security and there must be extra infrastructure to assist pedestrians and bike riders.
“I do not see how we are able to argue info. This clearly works somewhere else all through the nation. I can not see how we are able to’t strive it right here, even for one week, and see if it really works,” she mentioned.
Tessier referenced a proposal to part within the weight loss program plan. Below that plan, the state would start its first spherical of paving after which strains can be drawn to generate a three-way thoroughfare earlier than finalizing the final part of paving.
Brown mentioned such a plan isn’t a part of the preliminary challenge and would change the scope on the final minute.
Council Vice President Thomas Welch III additionally argued closely in favor of the weight loss program plan.
“I’m prepared to present this a whirl to gradual all people down,” he mentioned. “That is our likelihood. If we do not do that, it’ll by no means come once more.”
Council President Paul M. Rodrigues argued in opposition to it and mentioned that Portsmouth, which shares East Fundamental Highway, isn’t in favor of such a decelerate.
He and others mentioned it will be exhausting to maneuver ahead with out the assist of Middletown’s neighbor.
Others additionally argued in opposition to it, together with Invoice Robertson, who lives on one of many unsignalized facet streets.
Robertson mentioned that site visitors there already makes it troublesome to activate to East Fundamental Highway. He mentioned strolling throughout additionally it is a troublesome activity.
“I take exception to it being known as a highway weight loss program. It’s going to turn into a highway bloat and mainly it’ll create two miles of continuous site visitors jams,” Robertson mentioned.