Thanks to the Newport City Council for consistently approving plans that prioritize bicycle and pedestrian safety and related infrastructure, including most recently the Newport Transportation Master Plan, the Green and Complete Streets (G&CS) Ordinance, the Ride Island Bicycle Plan, and the Vision Zero: Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan.
Yet, with all of these directives in place, we are not seeing related progress. The G&CS ordinance states that “Projects involving the creation of new streets and public rights of way or improvement to existing streets and public rights of way” shall consider all road users, including bicycles and pedestrians.
Still, street projects take place citywide without the requisite consideration of all road users.
Recent paving of Wellington Avenue, the primary route for biking to Fort Adams and the Ocean Loop, includes no indication, accommodation, or awareness for people on bicycles.
Improvements are currently underway on Kay Street, likewise a primary route for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. Will the improvements adhere to the G&CS ordinance?
In the context of the FY2026 budget hearings, the Board of Directors of Bike Newport recently posed these questions to the City Council:
What is the process for reviewing road improvement projects for adherence to the G&CS ordinance?
- Is this process being followed?
- How is a project determined to be exempt, how is that decision documented?
- What are the City’s plans to prioritize bike lanes, and other road safety accommodations, in this budget?
Incredibly, bicycles are mentioned only one time in the 453 pages of the budget, unrelated to infrastructure.
References that cite roads and sidewalks and omit bike infrastructure need to be corrected. For example, the duties of Public Services staff should read “road, sidewalk, and bicycle infrastructure maintenance.” The budget’s Physiography report includes miles of streets and sidewalks but not bicycle lanes and paths. The language of the Budget needs to reflect the City’s policies.
The City should be prepared to use the anticipated increase in tourism tax funds to address issues identified by the community as priorities – including the Transportation Master Plan. Only then will we be building for the future.
Elliot Kaminitz died in 2012 when he was hit by a car while riding his bicycle on Memorial Blvd. Following his death, the City established a bike lane there.
In 2014, Robert Silvia was killed when he was hit by a car while crossing Memorial Blvd in his wheelchair in a crosswalk. Since then, flashing beacons have been added to the location.
In 2023, Kayla Watson lost her life when she was hit by a truck riding her bicycle on Admiral Kalbfus Avenue. The City is now asking RIDOT for a bike lane and other traffic calming on that road.
In 2024, Timothy Gillespie lost his life in a crosswalk on Broadway. Faded paint and poor lighting are cited at this location and dozens of other crosswalks in the City.
Sharon Gerlach (2014), Donald Ritter (2017), Michael Strickland (2020), and Elias Valasquez Valdez (2020) also all lost their lives on our roads.
Road safety will improve when the City prioritizes safe road design and improved driver behavior in advance of tragedies. The obvious start is to ensure adherence to the City’s existing policies and ordinances with adequate budget.
The Board of Directors of Bike Newport respectfully requests that the City of Newport’s FY2026 budget include funding for maintenance of existing bicycle infrastructure, the addition of bicycle infrastructure in all scheduled road improvement projects, reports regarding any exceptions to the Green and Complete Streets ordinance, and the annual report of progress and compliance as stated in the Green and Complete Streets policy.Peter Coriander, Bike Newport Board Chair
Bari Freeman, Founder & Executive Director
