The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) Program and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Program (ADRD) recently awarded funds to seven organizations through the program's Rhode Island Streets Transformation Project (RISTP). These grants support projects showcasing the benefits of community design that promotes physical activity and active transportation for Rhode Islanders of all ages.
"Being physically active is one of the most important ways to improve your health now and into the future," said Director of Health Jerry Larkin, MD. "Supporting strategies to improve community design is an important way that we are helping people of all ages and abilities be physically active in communities throughout Rhode Island."
Grant recipients included:
- Lefty Loosey Bike Collective, which received $4,500 to host and operate 10 free bicycle repair clinics. During these clinics, experienced mechanics help people fix their own bicycles and teach them basic maintenance skills. Lefty Loosey Bike Collective will also refurbish and redistribute 20 bikes to the community. (https://leftylooseybikecollective.org/)
- Partnership for Providence Parks, which received $4,806 to hold a summer walk series for older adults living at Fox Point Manor. These guided walks will take residents to a local neighborhood park. Partnership for Providence Parks will coordinate with other summer programs, such as Senior Splash. (https://www.providenceparks.org/)
- Providence Streets Coalition, which received $3,566 to hold family-friendly bike rides traversing multiple routes throughout Providence as part of their 2025 "Fam Jam" Ride series. (https://pvdstreets.org/)
- Town of Bristol, which received $1,650 to install a bike repair station and bike pump near the East Bay Bike Path in Bristol. (https://www.bristolri.gov/)
- Tri-County HEZ, in partnership with the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, which received $4,950 to host two bike workshops to teach people how to ride safely, rules of the road, and basic bike maintenance. This funding also includes two supervised rides along the Greenway. (https://www.tricountyri.org/services/health-equity-zone/)
- Trinity Square Together, which received $4,950 to install signage directing pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists to key resources such as health services, transportation options, and community centers to improve the safety and accessibility of Trinity Square. (https://www.trinitysquaretogether.org/)
- Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, which received $4,950 to hold a summer fitness series along the Woonasquatucket River and Greenway. Classes will include yoga, dance, and martial arts classes, as well as weekly walk/run clubs. (https://wrwc.org/about/who-we-are/)
The HEAL Program works to increase access to physical activity and active transportation by collaborating with partners across the state to advance policy, systems, and environmental change.
The program is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and braids funding from the State Physical Activity and Nutrition Grant (SPAN) and the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant (PBG) to implement innovative activities to make Rhode Island a safer and healthier place to live.?
The ADRD Program uses CDC Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) funding to implement statewide efforts that promote brain health and address dementia risk reduction, such as increasing access to physical activity, a recognized risk factor for cognitive decline.
The Rhode Island Streets Transformation Project (RISTP) has previously awarded 19 demonstration projects statewide. Selected projects have included public education and community engagement efforts, cycling safety classes, open streets events, and the creation of Rhode Island's first traffic garden. All projects share a common goal of building excitement, momentum, and grassroots support for safer and healthier streets in local communities.