After the City announced plans to remove the South Water Street bike lane in early April, City Councilor John Goncalves 鈥�13 MA 鈥�15 (Ward-1) introduced an that would require the City Council to authorize the removal of any bike lanes within the city. At a City Council meeting this Thursday, the City Council voted to refer the ordinance to Committee with 14 in support and one abstention.
鈥淭he purpose of this ordinance is to safeguard our bike lanes in the city of Providence and to ensure that City Council approval is required for the removal of bike lanes,鈥� Goncalves said during the meeting.
The City announced the intended removal on April 3 as a measure to alleviate traffic congestion from the Washington Bridge closure, The Herald previously reported. According to a City , when the Washington Bridge closed unexpectedly in December 2023, many drivers opted to travel along local roads rather than the state highway, which led to increased traffic.
鈥淏y removing the two-way protected bike path along South Water Street, we are opening up that road to two lanes of travel which will significantly improve traffic congestion in this area,鈥� City Spokesperson Josh Estrella previously wrote in an email to The Herald.
鈥淣o data or traffic study has been shared by the administration to support why the Washington Bridge closure necessitates the removal of the South Water Street bike lane,鈥� Goncalves said in a press conference before Thursday鈥檚 meeting.
In an interview with The Herald, Founder of the Providence Streets Coalition Liza Burkin said that encouraging individuals to 鈥渕ode-shift鈥� 鈥� or to switch to commuting by bike or bus 鈥� would better mitigate traffic congestion.
鈥淓xpanding (bus) route service back and forth between the Bridge is the main solution鈥� to traffic issues, Burkin said.
At Thursday鈥檚 press conference, several families shared their opposition to the bike lane鈥檚 removal, citing safety and noise concerns.
Warren Alpert Medical School Professor Naz Firoz has lived near South Water Street for about a decade. 鈥淚 can tell you 100% that the bike lane has made the intersection 1000 times safer than it was before,鈥� Firoz said.
Burkin said that she was almost hit by a car on South Water Street before the bike lane was introduced. Since two-way protected bike lanes 鈥� like the one on South Water Street 鈥� were installed in Providence, pedestrian injuries have by over 50%.
Goncalves emphasized the importance of giving community members a voice in decisions about the city鈥檚 infrastructure. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not just fighting against removal, we鈥檙e fighting to uphold our values,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his law ensures that any changes to bike lanes in our city align with the views of our constituents.鈥�
鈥淭he city has been listening to feedback from neighbors and local businesses about the impact the Washington Bridge closure has had on our community, particularly involving the dramatic increase in traffic on our local roads,鈥� Estrella previously wrote to The Herald. Public feedback so far has overwhelmingly fallen in opposition to the removal of the bike lane.
Burkin also emphasized the financial impact associated with removing the bike lane. The City estimated the bike-lane removal and installation of a raised crosswalk on South Water Street would cost $750,000, The Herald previously reported.
At the press conference, Goncalves expressed gratitude for the community鈥檚 support. 鈥淭his is about us, this is about the city of Providence, this is about our neighborhoods. It鈥檚 not about the people that are trying to rush out of the city during rush hour,鈥� he said.
Some of the bike lanes鈥� youngest advocates kept their support short and sweet. 鈥淚t鈥檚 there for safety!鈥� said Firoz鈥檚 six-year-old daughter, Suraya Salganik. 鈥淚 want the bike lane to stay,鈥� said Bill Thomas鈥� daughter, Eleanora鈥嬧�� Thomas.
Ciara Meyer is a Senior Staff Writer covering the Beyond Brown beat. She is from Saratoga Springs, New York and plans on concentrating in Statistics and English nonfiction. In her free time, she loves scrapbooking and building lego flowers.
