Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza rolled out his Great Streets Initiative master plan on Jan. 27, but it didn’t take long for some residents to voice opposition, complaining about a lack of public input as the plan was crafted and the safety concerns the initiative could cause.
The 100-page master plan proposes 75 miles of new projects, centered around a network of connected paths – called “urban trails” – designed to make the city more accessible and safe for cyclists, pedestrians, skateboarders and others. The plan also includes streetscape and intersection improvements and traffic-calming measures across 25 neighborhoods.
But a day after the finalized Great Streets plan was unveiled, Mount Pleasant neighborhood residents turned out in droves to a public information session to protest a two-way bike lane planned on Mount Pleasant Avenue.
The Great Streets plan details a public input process based on 12 neighborhood meetings in the spring of 2019, during which 180 residents shared comments incorporated into the final plan. The city offered other opportunities for public comment and information in English and Spanish, Elorza said in an emailed statement.
But City Councilwoman JoAnn Ryan, who represents the Mount Pleasant neighborhood, criticized the city for failing to engage people in her neighborhood, many of whom were unaware of the proposed projects.
“If you’re going to engage somebody about a design that’s going to happen on a street, don’t you think you’d get 100% participation, or darn close to it?” she said.
Ryan said she plans to introduce a measure that would require the administration to engage 100% of affected residents on specific street changes. She also created a petition opposing the bike lane on Mount Pleasant Avenue.
The protected bike lane has proven to be the main sticking point among residents, who say narrowing car lanes on the high-traffic street poses safety risks. A similar battle broke out in the fall over a bike lane on Eaton Street near Providence College, and it was quickly dismantled.
Yet safety for cyclists and other multi-modal transportation users is at the heart of the plan, said Martina Haggerty, the city’s director of special projects. Two-way bicycle lanes, separated from car traffic, are designed to be more comfortable for cyclists, she said. She also noted that many of the overly wide streets in Providence encourage drivers to speed.
Liza Burkin, organizer of Our Streets Providence and an avid cyclist, commended the plan for attempting to make the city more accessible and safer for cyclists of all abilities.
“These urban trails are really not for me as a 30-year-old athletic person who bikes every day,” Burkin said. “… They’re also to encourage those who don’t feel safe right now.”
Asked whether the city will reconsider including the controversial bike lane on Mount Pleasant Avenue, Elorza said the city plans to “continue engaging our residents in upcoming plans and shifting focus, when needed.”
The opportunity for public input is not over yet, Elorza said. The city has scheduled a series of upcoming information sessions in neighborhoods where the first batch of projects are targeted and will welcome feedback.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Lavin@PBN.com.
