RIPTA
Photo provided by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) Credit: RIPTA

Good morning, Newport! Today is Thursday, July 3, the 184th day of 2025. There are 181 days left in the year.

🚨 You need to know

Getting around Newport just got easier for summer visitors. The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) recently announced that it will offer additional weekend shuttle service between the Newport Gateway Transportation Center and the new Newport Park & Ride lot located near the Newport Pell Bridge.

The new service will run every 15 minutes from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer season. The shuttle is designed to encourage motorists to park at the new lot and take advantage of Newport’s existing transportation options, including the popular free hop-on, hop-off Route 67 and 68 trolleys that connect visitors to the city’s top attractions.

Once at the Gateway Center, visitors can easily access the free trolley services that run to Newport’s must-see destinations like the Newport Mansions, Cliff Walk, International Tennis Hall of Fame, and First Beach. The Route 67 trolley, which operates from May 23 through October 31 in partnership with Discover Newport, saw record ridership in 2024 with over 178,000 passengers.

The new park-and-ride shuttle service represents another step in Newport’s efforts to reduce traffic congestion during the busy summer and fall tourist seasons. However, RIPTA notes that the weekend shuttle service may be subject to cancellation during inclement weather conditions.

Here’s what else you should know

👉 Passing a new law restricting assault weapons took Rhode Island lawmakers more than 10 years, but it may offer a road map to other states looking to ease the proliferation of such firearms.

📺 Newport’s International Tennis Hall of Fame will serve as the backdrop for a national television spotlight next week as ESPN’s flagship program SportsCenter makes a stop in the City by the Sea as part of its ambitious “50 States in 50 Days” summer tour.

🚨 The Newport Police Department issued a traffic advisory Tuesday afternoon ahead of the city’s annual Independence Day fireworks celebration, warning drivers of parking restrictions designed to ease congestion during the popular event.

❓ Where have all the children gone? While the nationwide under-18 population fell by 1.4 percent from 2010 to 2020, and in Rhode Island, it dropped by 6 percent, the numbers are dramatically higher for the Newport area.

🗓️ On tap this week/weekend: Fourth of July festivities, Newport Classical, Newport Gulls, Newport Polo, and more. Here’s a look at what’s on tap for events, live music, and entertainment this week and weekend.

📰 The Latest from What’sUpNewp

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📈 Yesterday’s most-read

The following were yesterday’s most-read What’sUpNewp articles.

  1. Morning Notes: Queen Mary 2 graces Newport Harbor today
  2. Fort Adams Trust opens historic underground listening tunnels to self-guided tours
  3. Newport area’s under-18 population declining significantly
  4. Listing of the Week: 45 Houston Avenue, Newport
  5. Obituary: Richard Morgan
  6. Umbrella Sky returns to Newport with groovy tie-dye theme for third year
  7. What’s Up in Newport County this week and weekend: June 30 – July 6
  8. Obituary: Paula Raposo
  9. Middletown gears up for Summer Concert Series
  10. ‘Antiques Roadshow’ expert to share stories of hidden treasures at Rosecliff

📅 What’s Up Today

Weather Forecast

  • Today: Patchy fog before 8 am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 82. Southwest wind 5 to 11 mph.
  • Tonight: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. West wind 6 to 8 mph becoming north after midnight. The chance of precipitation is 20%.

Marine Forecast

  • Today: Variable winds less than 5 kt becoming SSW 5 to 10 kt in the morning. Patchy fog before 8 am. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • Tonight: W wind 5 to 7 kt becoming N after midnight. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 pm. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • The coastal water temperature is 65 degrees.

Sun, Moon & Tide

  • Sunrise at 5:16 am. Sunset at 8:22 pm. 15 hours & 5 minutes of sun.
  • High tide at 2:26 am & 3:02 pm. Low tide at 7:52 am & 9:13 pm.
  • The lunar phase is a First Quarter Moon.

Things To Do

Live Music & Entertainment

Newport County Public Meetings

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...