The Rhode Island Department of Transportation - in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Rhode Island State Police, and the City of Providence - will host a road assessment this week in Olneyville to evaluate pedestrian and bicycle safety throughout the area. NHTSA Deputy Administrator David J. Friedman will be in Rhode Island for the two-day event which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's initiative to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety in communities throughout the country.
The assessment will take place on Wednesday, April 1 - Thursday, April 2. Members of the media are invited to participate in a walking tour of the study area followed by a press conference on the second day. Deputy Administrator Friedman will be joined by officials from FHWA, RIDOT, the City of Providence, law enforcement and the community for the tour.
WHEN: Thursday, April 2. The walking tour begins at 8:00 a.m. The press conference begins at 9:15 a.m. A map of the tour route is included with this advisory.
WHERE: Tour will depart from Olneyville Housing Corporation, 66 Chaffee Street, Providence, and return by 9:00 a.m. for the press conference at the same location. Proper safety attire is required for the tour, including closed-toe shoes and safety vests. RIDOT will provide vests for those who need one.
"Rhode Island families should all be able to safely bike and walk across our beautiful state," said Governor Gina Raimondo . "I applaud all of the officials and community groups who came together to make this safety assessment possible and help our state embrace healthy habits. I look forward to seeing the recommendations that are made."
The U.S. Department of Transportation is hosting a road safety assessment in each state to support Secretary Anthony Foxx's priority of improving pedestrian and bicycle safety in the United States. Olneyville Square was selected as the Rhode Island site given the number of pedestrian and bicycle crashes, the high traffic volume - as well as other related factors.
"This roadway safety assessment is a necessary step towards enhancing safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and all transit users. I commend the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and RIDOT for working together to optimize design improvements and other initiatives that will make our streets and bike paths safer for all who use them," said U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (THUD).
"The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has already begun to transform Olneyville Square with the help of beautiful new RIPTA bus shelters, and making the area safer and more conducive to pedestrian and bicycle traffic will further support a vision of Olneyville as a village-type destination. The busy intersection presents a significant traffic challenge, but I believe this assessment will lay the foundation for improvements that will benefit area businesses, residents and visitors," said Congressman Jim Langevin. "I am proud to help welcome Deputy Administrator Friedman to Rhode Island, and I look forward to hearing his recommendations for Olneyville Square."
The purpose of these assessments is to foster discussions and share best practices among people and agencies who share responsibility for creating safer streets, to engage practitioners who are not typically focused on pedestrian and bicycle safety, and to focus on locations that have non-motorized safety challenges.
"I am excited that the City is partnering with the NHTSA, the Federal Highway Administration and the Rhode Island State Police to assess bicycle and pedestrian safety in Providence," said Providence Mayor Elorza. "I bike to work nearly every morning, and ensuring that our pedestrians and cyclists have the safest possible experience is important to making sure our city works."
"When people consider transportation, many automatically think of vehicles," RIDOT Director Peter Alviti Jr. said. "But the reality is vehicles are but one mode of transportation we must consider; a great number of people walk or bike along our roads each and every day. Ensuring the safety of all users of Rhode Island's transportation system is our highest priority, and we must continue to explore ways as a community to keep people safe in their travels around the state."
"With our overall motor vehicle fatal accidents being reduced last year, we need to stay focused on further reductions and that of pedestrians in Rhode Island," said Colonel Steven O'Donnell of the Rhode Island State Police. "The coordinated effort to raise the awareness and utilize enforcement is another piece of our pedestrian-motor vehicle fatal reduction plan."
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