A number of residential and commercial interests have filed suit to stop work on one piece of a series of projects aimed at improving public transit in Providence.
In addition, soon after the suit was filed in Superior Court, legislation with a similar aim was introduced in the General Assembly.
The issues raised by both the lawsuit and the legislation can be boiled down to NIMBY-ism, the Not In My Backyard approach to economic development.
The ostensible objection presented by the lawsuit is that the proposed train and bus intermodal center to be located at the Providence rail station violates city zoning rules. It also contends that $35 million of voter-approved transit bonds cannot be used as part of a larger public-private development that connects to the transit hub next to the train station.
One early version of this new development – the current request for proposal for the project has yet to be made public at this point – included using some of the current Statehouse lawn for this mixed-use development, although leaving the vast majority of that lawn intact and symmetrical in relation to the structure.
Another objection of the lawsuit revolves around the increased bus traffic through the city that happens to drive by properties owned by the plaintiffs. Don’t we want city centers to be vibrant and active?
The city needs to move forward with these important improvements, and time is of the essence given Providence’s needs. It’s time to make things happen in Providence, not continue endless (and pointless) debate.