Providence City Council proposes ordinance to prevent bike lane closure

PROVIDENCE, R.I (WLNE) — Providence city councilors boosted the message of advocates for the South Water Street Bike Path, proposing an ordinance in efforts to save that path in its current form.

“We thank you for not backing down,” Councilor John Goncalves. “We thank you for using your voice.”

The ordinance would require the city to get council approval to remove the bike path.

The removal was originally proposed by Mayor Brett Smiley to ease Washington Bridge traffic.

“The whole truth is that adding one more lane of travel never meaningfully reduces travel times,” Providence Streets Coalition Lead organizer Liza Burking said.

Families that live on the street expressed their concerns with turning the road into two lane stretch.

“We lived through horror with the drag racing, by motorcycles, by ATVs, by monster trucks on the two lanes,” one said.

Smiley said he opposes the ordinance.

“I think it is a bad idea,” he said. “The city council, it is their prerogative to explore this but it is the city administration, me or future mayors that is tasked with responsibly managing the city and administering the city. And that includes administrating our roads. I think it is an overstep of their responsibility.”

His plan calls to move the bike lanes up onto the sidewalk, but not eliminate them completely.