Providence City Council to hear public on South Water Street changes

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The Providence City Council wants to hear from residents and cyclists on the removal of bike lanes on South Water Street.

Advocates said they are not just upset about the bike path but the future of the street and the area around it.

“It’s a step in the wrong direction,” Providence Streets Coalition member Dylan Giles said

Reaction from advocates of the bike path just one day afte

r providence Mayor Brett Smiley announced the path will be permanently removed.

The mayor said the flow and structure of the street was flawed when it was designed and the closure of the Washington Bridge made the decision to move and redo the bike path and add a second lane of traffic came easy.

“I think one of the bigger things is this is not just about bikes, this is about what do we want for South Water Street,” Giles said. The mayor said these designs and proposals will go before the Green and Complete Streets Committees for review and for public comment, so we will have a chance to look into it.”