Our very own Jack Madden wrote the following letter to the editor of the Projo
The frustrating gridlock that has resulted from the recent opening of Phase 1 of the “Iway” project should be no surprise to those who plan our roads and spend our tax dollars. Large civil projects such as this are great for bringing federal money into the state and for making our skyline more impressive to gaze upon, but do nothing for the future of Rhode Island but guarantee future traffic jams and poor air quality.
The single-occupancy vehicle, which many of us rely on to get from our homes in the suburbs to our offices in the city, is a mode of transportation that cannot be sustained for the long term. When will the State House shed this 1950s mentality and promote a balanced transportation system, including light rail, bicycles and a RIPTA bus system with sufficient funds?
The hundreds of millions of dollars that we have spent on this one-mile section of roadway is a case of putting all of our eggs in the same old basket. From the failures of other such projects across the U.S. to alleviate the increase in congestion and fossil-fuel consumption, we should know better than to think this huge investment will have any lasting benefit to future generations of Rhode Islanders.
JACK MADDEN
Providence