Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Bicycle Infrastructure

R.I. Takes Biking/Walking Funds for Highways

2:56 PM EST on January 31, 2019

Providence’s “City Walk” on-street biking and walking trails are one of the projects targeted for cuts by Rhode Island DOT. Photo: City of Providence

Almost one dozen biking and walking projects across the state of Rhode Island are in jeopardy after a state agency decided to transfer $27 million in federal money dedicated to active transportation to highways and administrative expenses over the next 10 years.

The money represents about 33 percent of the tiny pool of funding the Rhode Island Department of Transportation receives from the feds for walking and biking.

The state blamed the changes on a state law that requires roads to be in a "state of good repair." "We must use our limited funds for vital safety concerns [like] structurally deficient bridges," the agency said in a statement.

Rhode Island bridges have been ranked worst in the nation. But they're hardly the most immediate safety threat. In the last decade, 127 people have been killed while walking in the Ocean State and 10 were killed while biking. Zero people have been killed by falling bridges.

The Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition said the state has increased spending for a highway interchange project in Cranston, House Speaker's Nicholas Mattiello's district, as well as to add some highway tolling infrastructure. In addition, RIDOT also wants to double the amount of money it spends on "legal" expenses, for reasons that are unclear. (The agency has not responded to Streetsblog).

The transfer will rob funding from City Walk, the innovative on-road trail project underway in Providence aimed at increasing walking and biking rates and improving safety. Other trail projects, some of which provide the only safe connection for people on foot or bike, may be delayed or scrapped altogether.

The move comes when the Bicycle Coalition and other stakeholders were actually expecting the state to make a big policy commitment to encouraging walking and biking.

"We’re extremely disappointed," said Sarah Mitchell, board chair of the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition. The coalition is in the midst of a campaign aimed at fighting the changes. "These cuts aren’t really being equally distributed. Nearly every single bicycle project is being cut, delayed or eliminated.

"It feels like they’re deliberately targeting these projects," Mitchell added.

Another project that appears to be in trouble is the extension of the South County Bike Path, which would extend from the University of Rhode Island to — it was hoped —  Narragansett Town Beach.

“RIDOT dragged its feet, even as the Town of Narragansett voted three times in support of the extension," David Smith of the Friends of the William C. O’Neill South County Bike Path, said in a statement. "In 2018, RIDOT still did nothing, and now proposes arbitrarily changing the route, slashing the funding, and delaying the project further.”

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday’s Headlines Are Tired Out

Whether it's from degradation or the dust resulting from wear and tear, it's becoming increasingly clear that tire and brake emissions are harmful, perhaps even exceeding tailpipe emissions.

September 22, 2023

Study: What Road Diets Mean For Older Drivers

"After a road diet, all motorists seem to drive at a rate that feels comfortable to a mildly-impaired older adult."

September 22, 2023

Talking Headways Podcast: Local Culture and Development

We chat with Tim Sprague from Phoenix about supporting local culture through development projects and the importance of sustainable development and transportation.

September 21, 2023

How and Why to Start a Walking School Bus

Any caregiver for a kid in institutionalized education is familiar with the challenge of getting them where they’re going safely, on time, every single day, well before your own day’s assignments come into play. Here's how a walking school bus could help.

September 21, 2023

Thursday’s Headlines Have a New Pattern

Working from home may have killed the commute, but people are taking more frequent, shorter trips instead. Whether this adds up to less or more driving overall depends on the city.

September 21, 2023
See all posts