Providence mayor announces permanent changes to South Water Street

PROVIDENCE. R.I (WLNE) — Providence Mayor Brett Smiley announced permanent changes Wednesday to the two-way bike lanes on South Water Street.

The city will move the lanes up on the sidewalk to allow two lanes of traffic to flow through, but residents are concerned the change will cause congestion for cyclists and pedestrians.

“I do walk in the city a lot, so having things remain the way they are would be the best thing,” said a worker in Providence, Stephanie Pino.

The mayor announced a list of new mitigation actions to combat the impacts of the Washington Bridge westbound closure.

“I work three blocks from here and I live like six blocks from here,” said Providence resident Joshua Davis. “It certainly will help some. I don’t think it is that congested, it’s city driving. C’est la vie.”

The mayor and his team said the flow and structure of South Water Street was flawed when it was designed and needs to be changed.

Frequent walkers at Innovation District Park disagree.

“Environmentally, it is a lot better if people continue to ride bikes instead of taking cars, etc,” Pino said. “I think they should keep it as is. I don’t think the impact is that great in the middle of the city for them to change things around.”

On Monday evening, the Providence Streets Coalition made it clear to the mayor and his administration that its members do not support the decision to take away the protected bike lanes on South Water Street.

After the mayor’s announcement came out Wednesday, the coalition released a statement saying, while they believe Mayor Smiley’s plan remains misguided, they are excited that the proposal will finally get the public vetting it deserves.

The mayor’s team said the project to remove the bike lane will begin in summer of 2024 and they will work with the community to design the new path.

They plan to have a separate bike path from where pedestrians walk.