RIDOT wants to divert $27 million away from projects intended to make biking and walking in the state better. State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) Major Amendment 11 proposes to reduce the Transportation Alternatives program by nearly $27 million in the next 10 years, which funds bicycle, pedestrian, and road safety projects. Your voice matters.… read more
News Archive
Portsmouth to Vote on Resolutions Rejecting STIP Major Amendment #11
The Town of Portsmouth, RI, is planning to vote on a resolution at the next town council meeting in response to RIDOT’s proposed Statewide Transportation Improvement Program Major Amendment #11. The Amendment proposes to cut $26.52M from the Transportation Alternatives Program , including the elimination 31.6 miles of on- and off-road bicycle infrastructure across the… read more
A Call to Action
Update: RIDOT has withdrawn the amendment. Original post continues below. Are you outraged about the proposal to steal money away from bicycle and pedestrian projects? Here’s what you can do: Read the proposed amendment. It is a long slog, but it is useful to familiarize yourself. Pages 5-8 summarize the proposed changes in an easy-to-read… read more
ALERT: RIDOT Proposal Slashes Bike Funding
Rhode Island Department of Transportation Proposal Slashes Bicycle and Pedestrian Project Funding Statewide (Jan 26, 2019) The “Major Amendment to the State Transportation Improvement Plan” presented by RIDOT to the State Transportation Advisory Committee on January 24th includes 33% cut to the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) over four years. TAP is the primary source of funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects statewide. According to a press release from the RI Bicycle Coalition: “While RIDOT asserts that shortfalls from the General Assembly’s Capital Budget, delays in constructing toll infrastructure, and deteriorating bridges are the cause of the amendment, very little of the proposed change will fund bridge work. Instead, one new $28.8 million highway project in western Cranston is one of the biggest proposed changes, along with large allocations to build toll gantries ($61.6 million) and ‘Headquarters Operations’ which includes more than doubling the ‘Legal’ line item to $24.9 million.” The $27 million in proposed cuts includes eliminating the $5 million Bicycle Improvements Contingency Account funded by the 2016 Green Economy Bond. Bike Newport’s Executive Director, Bari Freeman, sits on the state’s Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) and Bicycle Mobility Plan Committee, and is a member of the statewide coalition Paths to Progress that advises the state on bicycle and pedestrian project planning and funding. “The TAC created the contingency fund in response to these statewide coalitions and in order to ensure assignment of those funds to align with the statewide Bicycle Mobility Plan priorities. Those funds are untouchable. Our state electorate resoundingly voted those funds for bicycle and pedestrian projects by 79%,” Freeman stated. “That’s not approval – that’s a mandate, and they will not be redirected to highway or any project other than those for which they were intended.” The proposed amendment eliminates, cuts or delays funding to 35 bicycle and pedestrian projects statewide, including separated bike paths, sidewalks, and critical on-road connections. On Aquidneck Island, the Melville Connector and the Mount Hope Bay Path in Portsmouth will be eliminated; the shared use path and sidewalks on East Main Road in Portsmouth and Middletown will be eliminated; and scheduled improvements to Thames Street, Spring Street, Farewell Street, Bellevue Avenue, and Marlborough Street in Newport will be delayed to 2023 and beyond. Portsmouth Town Councilor Daniela Abbott is one of many bicycle and pedestrian advocates opposed to the cuts, “East Main Road is finally getting the sidewalks and bike paths so desperately overdue for transportation safety. These cuts are not considering people’s safety, connectivity, or economy. RIDOT needs to, and will be, better informed by the people of this state who intend to walk and ride to get where we’re going.” Bike Newport and Aquidneck Island Planning Commission are planning community information and discussion meetings to take place in addition to the upcoming public meetings scheduled by RIDOT. These meeting dates will be announced next week. For more information and updates, please follow Bike Newport online at www.bikenewportri.org and @bikenewportri on social media. The post ALERT: RIDOT Proposal Slashes Bike Funding appeared first on Bike Newport.
Press release: STIP Major Amendment decimates the Transportation Alternatives Plan
Rhode Island’s Department of Transportation proposes to slash funding for bicycle projects, despite 78.9% approval for the recent Green Economy Bond. The major amendment to the State Transportation Improvement Plan was presented to the State Planning Council’s Transportation Advisory Committee on January 24. RIDOT is proposing to reduce the Transportation Alternatives program by $27 million… read more
TAC Meeting – Letter to Members re: Major Amendment to the TIP
The post below first appeared on the Bike Newport blog. Jump to original: TAC Meeting – Letter to Members re: Major Amendment to the TIP
Letter to the Public: Major Amendment to the TIP
Dear Friends, Thanks to all who are following the situation with the DOT recommendation for a “Major Amendment to the TIP” aka Major Amendment #11. This amendment proposes major reduction to Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) funding to make up for shortfalls in pavement and bridge funding. TAP funding is the primary source for bicycle, pedestrian, and transit projects. The first presentation of this proposal took place at the monthly meeting of the Rhode Island Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) on Thursday, January 24, 2019 at 5:30pm – Department of Administration, One Capitol Hill, Conference Room A. The meeting was open to the public. We’re all in this together! Everyone’s participation at meetings, discussions, and online in social media is always valuable. Let’s keep awareness high and information flowing. More public meetings coming soon. I am a member of the TAC but was unfortunately out of town for this important meeting. I asked my colleagues on the TAC to consider these requests at the meeting: 1) Please consider and honor the concerns of those community members in attendance. The proposed reduction to TAP funding included in RIDOT’s recommendations is staggering and has long-term and ominous implications to TAP projects already funded, and to the statewide progress on all things active transportation. Specifically, please consider the urgent request to extend the period of community comment from 30 days to 90 days to ensure that everyone affected has time to receive, process, and respond to the Amendment content and for DOT to gather and process that response for our informed consideration. 2) Although the State Bicycle Mobility Plan is not yet adopted, it contains information and recommendations culled and developed over many months by a statewide coalition of expert stakeholders which are significant to improved planning. These recommendations should be considered valuable and relevant by state and municipalities alike even in advance of formal adoption of the plan. 3) Additionally: Considering bicycle, pedestrian, and transit projects as “alternative” – as in “Transportation Alternative Program” – and separating them in planning and funding is an outdated practice that inherently maintains a car-centric culture which is cost-inefficient in planning, design and building our transportation network. While we are beholden to the language of federal funding, there may be ways for us to use this time to demonstrate what is possible when we look at bicycle, pedestrian and transit planning/accommodation as part of pavement and bridge planning. Is this a time when we as a state can demonstrate the budgetary efficiencies of complete streets planning – ie considering all road users in every road plan. We need assurance of due diligence to serve the public interest and solicit their input. Public meetings should include presentations of the proposed changes and the public’s board – the TAC – needs to weigh these interests before making recommendations to the State Planning Council. With thanks to all for your commitment to better roads and transportation planning for all road users. Feel free to contact me if you have any thoughts or questions. Sincerely, Bari Freeman Executive Director The post Letter to the Public: Major Amendment to the TIP appeared first on Bike Newport.
Transportation Advisory Committee Public Notice – State Transportation Improvement Program Major Amendment #11
From the Transportation Advisory Committee STATE PLANNING COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE Public Notice State Transportation Improvement Program Major Amendment #11 The State Planning Council’s Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) is accepting comments on a proposed Major Amendment, classified as Amendment #11, to the FFY 2018-2027 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for the State of Rhode Island. The… read more
Concern regarding lawsuit over Kennedy Plaza redesign
We at the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition are dismayed the to read about the lawsuit filed by a group of downtown property owners against the City over the Kennedy Plaza redesign. In particular, we object to the lawsuit’s contention that “increased bicycle traffic” was a negative by-product of the proposed plan. We believe that diversifying… read more
STIP Major Amendment Includes Drastic Reduction in Bike Funding
The post below first appeared on the Bike Newport blog. This post has been edited to correct the proposed cuts to Transportation, which is 17% (not the previously reported 47%.) Bike Newport A major amendment to the STIP (State Transportation Improvement Plan) was presented by RIDOT (Rhode Island Department of Transportation) to the State Planning… read more
Statewide Bicycle Planning Guides
Did you know Rhode Island and Massachusetts have draft statewide Bicycle Planning Guides? Massachusetts Department of Transportation has a ‘Draft Municipal Resource Guide For Bikeability,’ and Rhode Island has a draft ‘Bicycle Mobility Plan.’ Give them a read and see the future when all road users are treated equally and we leave car-centric planning behind. These plans share missions: Biking will be a safe, comfortable, and convenient (MA) and safe, fun, and practical (RI) option for everyday travel. They are encouraging and informative documents that assist people in choosing bicycles, and municipalities in planning for bikeable places. Well done, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. We hope to see them adopted soon! The post Statewide Bicycle Planning Guides appeared first on Bike Newport.
2018 RIBike Annual Member Meeting
Saturday, October 6, 5pm-7pm 186 Carpenter St, PVD It’s once again time to come together, celebrate what has been accomplished and meet kindred spirits working for better bicycling throughout Rhode Island. We’ll talk about the accomplishments made for the year as well as unexpected challenges. As always, the membership meeting is also an opportunity to… read more