More than 400 residents of Aquidneck Island and surrounding communities rolled in on the morning of Saturday, September 9th to enjoy three glorious hours of car-free enjoyment along the scenic coastal route through Island Park & The Hummocks in Portsmouth, RI.
The Sakonnet Coastal Bike & Stroll was hosted by Bike Newport and Island Park Preservation Society, and made possible by a Rhode Island Streets Transformation grant to the Town of Portsmouth by the RI Department of Health, Grow Smart RI, and Providence Streets Coalition. The above video offers a brief taste of an experience that can be difficult to describe in words: a shared community experience of freedom, safety, relaxation, empowerment, and exhilaration.
The car-free route encompassed a two-mile stretch of Park Ave and the Hummocks, featured not one but two bridges including the separated bike path crossing the Sakonnet River Bridge to Tiverton, and connected through to the entrance to Common Fence Point (see route map below). The event was conceived to showcase what it’s like to have a connected network of bike and pedestrian-safe infrastructure that’s separated from cars, and to demonstrate the public demand for more safe places to ride and walk away from motor vehicle traffic.
Bike Newport’s Director of Development Chris Barker commented: “By turning out in droves to enjoy this car-free opportunity, the public at large very clearly demonstrated the significant demand that exists for connected and separated infrastructure for riding and walking. We’ve seen how it enhances quality of life in nearby communities, and we need to get this done on Aquidneck Island”
