Newport police will implement significant traffic restrictions around Fort Adams during the sold-out Newport Folk Festival, creating a dedicated bicycle lane that will limit vehicle access on Harrison Avenue.
The festival runs July 25-27, with traffic pattern changes in effect from 8 a.m. to approximately 9 p.m. each day, according to a police advisory released Wednesday.
The northbound lane of Harrison Avenue between the Fort Adams entrance and Beacon Hill Road intersection will be closed to motor vehicle traffic during those hours. Only bicycles will be permitted in that section, while vehicles must use the southbound lane toward Fort Adams.
The police restrictions differ from an earlier plan announced by Bike Newport, which called for dedicated bicycle lanes from “7am to 3pm and again from 6pm to 10pm” with normal traffic flow between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Newport Folk Festival cyclists set to break records again as city implements enhanced safety plan
Lt. Joseph Carroll, the department’s public information officer, said the restrictions will create heavy traffic in the area. Police officers will staff the traffic pattern to assist with safety and traffic movement.
The measures address the festival’s growing bicycle attendance, which has reached record levels in recent years. An estimated 1,600 cyclists arrive daily during the festival, representing up to 18 percent of attendees — the highest known percentage for any U.S. music festival, according to Bike Newport.
The cycling trend removes an estimated 600 to 800 cars from area roads each festival day, the advocacy organization said.
Police recommend drivers seeking access to areas south of Fort Adams use Ocean Avenue from Bellevue Avenue as an alternate route.
Festival gates open at 10 a.m. daily, with music beginning at 11 a.m. at Fort Adams State Park. Parking and shuttle services begin at 8 a.m.
Heavy traffic is expected on Harrison Avenue, Ruggles Avenue, Bellevue Avenue, Narragansett Avenue, Coggeshall Avenue, Annandale Road and Memorial Boulevard. Vehicles typically begin exiting Fort Adams around 7:30 p.m., police said.
Downtown businesses and restaurants will remain open and accessible despite the traffic restrictions.
The dedicated bicycle lane builds on safety initiatives implemented in 2024, when organizers established the first separated bike lane for the festival’s final approach to Fort Adams.
