Some Providence workers jokingly refer to the morning and afternoon congestion as a “rush minute,” since it doesn’t compare with the mind-bending, hours-long commutes that suburban New Yorkers, Bostonians and Atlantans endure.
Nonetheless, as successful downtown development creates more office space filled with more office workers, some of those workers are going to need to get downtown from suburban locations.
But in a report to be released today, a special public transit study group convened by Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline says the region cannot count on the highway system to handle that increased traffic. In fact, the study group concludes that if nothing is done, the current system – even with the long-anticipated new bridge for Interstate 195 over the Providence River complete – will turn into a parking lot for long stretches of the day, creating a drag on the local economy.
The answer is the creation of a robust public transit system, which would more tightly interconnect the region’s economic hubs and Providence while continuing to bring the vitality of downtown’s revitalization out to the city’s neighborhoods. It would also help the region meet its carbon emissions goals.
The only foreseeable obstacle to the plan is cost, and it is not an inconsiderable one. The mayor has cited the success of new streetcar systems in Portland, Ore., and Salt Lake City when talking about what such a change can do for a metropolitan area. But no one is discussing just yet how to finance a new transit system.
We certainly endorse rethinking the region’s public transit system. But we are wary of any effort to build consensus for a new plan that doesn’t take place within the context of cost and financing options both during construction and operation phases. With so much riding on the state’s getting its fiscal house in order, we do not need a boondoggle.
