We received the below invitation from the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission: The Aquidneck Island Planning Commission invites you to celebrate the launch of its 18 mile Aquidneck Island Bikeway project Join our Congressional Delegation, appointed and elected officials, state agencies, its generous funder and bike enthusiasts July 15th – former Midway Pier on Narragansett… read more
Southeast and Islands - Bristol and Newport County
Join AIPC and Bike Newport to celebrate the initial funding for the Aquidneck Island Bikeway!
We hope you will join us on July 15th as we celebrate the initial funding for the building of the Aquidneck Island Bikeway! This is a major step toward enhancing Newport’s
Details via Tina Dolen, Executive Director of the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission.
AIPC invites you to celebrate the launch of the Aquidneck Island Bikeway
with our Congressional Delegation, appointed and elected officials,
state agencies, our funder and bike enthusiasts
July 15th – former Midway Pier on Narragansett Bay
(on Burma Road opposite Greene Lane)
10:00 a.m. to noon
We’ll gather under the tent for light refreshments, a few words from bikeway supporters, and for those interested, a short bike ride along Burma Road
(Please bring your bike or use one of a few provided by AIPC)
The launch celebrates the van Beuren Charitable Foundation’s generous gift to put the bikeway in motion by underwriting a design study review, the first step in moving the bikeway closer to completion. This bikeway can be finished in as little as 3 to 4 years.
Much of the 18 mile route is either already in place or will soon be completed, thanks to
support from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.
The Bikeway will consist of dedicated lanes plus a 1.2 mile rail with trail on Narragansett Bay. It will connect with 55 miles of off-island bike trails. Riders can explore the island in a manner that is safe, reduces traffic congestion, celebrates the island’s natural beauty, provides healthy exercise and above all creates an unparalleled recreational asset.
Signing up in advance will help us plan for refreshments.
The post Join AIPC and Bike Newport to celebrate the initial funding for the Aquidneck Island Bikeway! appeared first on Bike Newport.
Let’s Rally Rhode Islanders to the National Bike Challenge
The National Bike Challenge starts tomorrow! From May 1st to September 30 bicyclists from across the country will be joining a friendly competition amongst riders who voluntarily track their miles.
Let’s ‘up’ Rhode Island participation this year! It’s crazy easy to join – simply follow this LINK to set up your account and then post your miles whenever you have the time. No stress. No new apps. No pressure. Lots of fun. Sign up on your own, or click HERE to join the statewide RIBIKE team.
Together we’ll rack up the miles and burn some calories. We’ll show the world the Ocean State has the numbers!
Spread the word! Invite your friends, family and colleagues to join. Post the link on your Facebook page, and tweet away, if that’s your thing. The sign up and reporting process is simple. There’s even a smartphone app to take it with you.
Click HERE for the 2013 National Bike Challenge site.
The post Let’s Rally Rhode Islanders to the National Bike Challenge appeared first on Bike Newport.
National Bike to School Day – May 8th
Bike Month is just around the corner and right at the beginning of the festivities is the National Bike to School Day on May 8th! We’d love to hear from our readers, does your local school participate in Bike to School Day? Are there plans in place at your local school district? We are organizing… read more
Most of the Detour Signs are Up!
We are pleased to announce that James Toomey, of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, worked with the various towns last week to get the majority of detour signs posted. These signs will guide cyclists trying to find their way around the closed Washington Bridge, between the North end of the East Bay Bike Path and… read more
Detour Signs Coming
A quick update from James Toomey of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council on the status of the Washington Bridge detour signs: The authorization letters from the affected cities and RIDOT have all been granted. The signs have been ordered and right now I’m just waiting on a date for installation. Hopefully this means the signs… read more
30% Mode Share Shift
The Tauton Daily Gazette posted an article with a quick update on the South Coast Bikeway. Started in 2011, the South Coast Bikeway Committee was formed with a goal of creating a bikeway from the Rhode Island border to Cape Cod. For those in the East Bay, this would be huge boon. The current plans… read more
Thanks to Reps for supporting roadway safety measures
Back on February 21st in a post title “Not enough cyclists killed to count“, we passed along a request to take action in asking Secretary LaHood at USDOT to include bicycles and their users in developing safety goals and performance measures. At this time USDOT was not considering any inclusion of non-motorized goals and measures.… read more
Detour Signs Likely
It’s only taken six months, but thanks in a large part to the efforts of James Toomey of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, it looks like we are going to be allowed to post a sanctioned detour guiding people around the closed Washington Bridge. James received a letter from Kazem Farhourmand (Chief Engineer with RIDOT),… read more
Advancing an Interim Bikeway Plan
News from AIPC:
Advancing an Interim Bikeway Plan
While support is gathering for the planning, funding and building of a Shoreline Bikeway on Aquidneck Island, the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission (AIPC) is advancing an interim plan that addresses roads and routes to carry cyclists more safely the full length of the Island – as an immediate step in advance of the Bikeway.
Based on recommendations made in the 2011 Aquidneck Island Transportation Study, the interim Island bike route is a combination of bike lanes and off-road bike paths comprising 18 miles of safer cycling from Portsmouth to Easton’s Beach in Newport.
Read the AIPC announcement HERE. See the map and read about the proposed plan in this weekend’s Newport Daily News, or click HERE.
The benefits of the proposed Shoreline Bikeway are numerous and convincing – bringing more people to enjoy the magnificent coastline and all that Aquidneck Island has to offer along a safe and beautiful bike route that connects with the rest of the state’s miles of bike paths. The interim plan is a first step toward the ultimate goal of a “Rail with Trail” Bikeway along the existing rail corridor.
Working to improve conditions for cycling on roads island-wide and creating safer routes for both transportation and recreation are priorities for Bike Newport. We celebrate the steps that AIPC is taking to advance this interim plan. We’re excited and motivated to work with AIPC to make it happen. We also see this Interim Bikeway route as an added incentive to improve a network of marked roads and routes island-wide that will contribute to the ability for more of our residents and visitors to confidently traverse and explore the island on bicycle.
THANK YOU to AIPC Executive Director Tina Dolen and the AIPC for advancing our shared goals: more and better cycling in the best interest of our residents, visitors, environment and economy.
And on that note – Wishing you health, happiness and safe and frequent cycling in the new year! Thanks to all for making 2012 a banner year for bicycling in Newport!
From your friends at Bike Newport
ABC6 Coverage of Middletown Ghost Bike
ABC6 last night had some good coverage of the ghost bike placed on Memorial Blvd in Middletown as a memorial to Elliot Kaminitz. ABC6 – Providence, RI and New Bedford, MA News, Weather This is the first television coverage in our area that I’ve ever seen.
Bristol’s Hope Street Returns to Two-way Traffic Pattern
RIDOT announces that Hope Street (Route 114) in the Town of Bristol will return to two-way traffic tomorrow, Friday, September 21, 2012. This milestone marks the completion of work accomplished on Hope Street through a $3 million contract with LAL Construction. RIDOT worked closely with the Town throughout the entire project to temporarily rearrange the… read more