Providence mayor will dismantle bike lanes to ease bridge traffic
PROVIDENCE — Despite an outcry of opposition from bicycle advocates and some city councilors, Mayor Brett Smiley announced April 3 a plan to remove the two-way bike path on South Water Street in an effort to relieve traffic congestion caused by the closure of the Washington Bridge on I-195 West.
Smiley said a bike lane would be added to the adjacent sidewalk, and the removal of the existing path this spring will open up a second lane for drivers on South Water Street.
The removal of the two-way bike path is part of a series of infrastructure changes Smiley announced in light of the bridge closure, which has had the ripple effect of causing gridlock on some city streets, especially during rush hour.
Smiley also said the bike path on South Water Street was “ill-conceived from the get-go” because the street is a major thoroughfare out of the city and onto the highway. He said it would cost $750,000 to remove the bike path and install a raised crosswalk on South Water Street near Plant City to slow down cars.
The bike path, championed by former mayor Jorge Elorza, was nearly scuttled by the R.I. Department of Transportation at the time, which tried to get the city to halt the project, citing the fact that it was a major connector to an interstate highway. The wide, protected bike path replaced a lane of car traffic when it was installed in 2021.
Ahead of Smiley’s potential announcement, cyclists staged a protest on April 1, holding a rally outside City Hall before riding bikes to South Water Street and down the bike path.
The Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition “vehemently opposes” the removal of the bike path, said Kathleen Gannon, the group’s board chair.
“It’s just not warranted in any way,” Gannon said. “We know that the bike lane has made South Water Street significantly safer” for cyclists, pedestrians, families pushing strollers, and others. Mayor Smiley has had the South Water Street bike lane in his sights since he took office.”
City Councilman John Goncalves, who represents South Water Street, questioned whether the decision to dismantle the bike lanes was backed by any data. In a letter to Smiley, he said the bike lanes have slowed traffic on the street, making it safer for pedestrians and cyclists alike.
“It’s disingenuous to claim that the recent issues with the Washington Bridge necessitate the bike lane removal,” Goncalves wrote in the letter. “The truth is, there have been attempts from businesses to erase these lanes long before any bridge problem surfaced.”
Following the decision, Goncalves said there are still “unanswered questions concerning the significant expenses involved, the financing sources, the detailed plan of action, and the absence of data to justify the removal of the bikes lanes.”
Goncalves introduced a nonbinding resolution to oppose the bike lane removal, which passed at an April 4 City Council meeting. The resolution also cites an amendment to a local law that took effect in December, requiring the removal of bike paths to be approved by the city’s Green and Complete Streets Advisory Council Smiley’s office said the plans would be submitted to that group “for their informational review,” but press secretary Josh Estrella said it does not require approval.