City of Providence ~ Are bikepaths possible?

For decades street design has been viewed as an exercise in maximizing the throughput of vehicles through urban and suburban areas, with the emphasis being on increased speed and decreased interference from adjacent neighborhoods. As a result streets have become ugly, alienating, and dangerous places to be.	www.panix.com/~timesup/earth.html

www.panix.com/~timesup/earth.html

There is a growing movement to reclaim our streets. Different methods of traffic calming are being introduced everywhere. It is the residents of neighborhoods bringing these issues to the forefront, not professionals. People want to share the public street space and make their communities more peaceful and attractive. The implementation of bike paths is becoming an increasingly popular means to take back the streets. It is an excellent way for people to become more active in their community environments.

The city of Providence has developed a plan but has failed to bring it to life. A bike network should be integrated into the city of Providence-

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The city of Providence and its people would experience positive changes with the integration of a bicycle network.

Economic Advantages:

*Access to businesses for a potentially significant pool of customers.

*An increase in the public's sense that the community is a safe and desirable one to live in. This perception will tend to attract businesses and new jobs.

*Bicycle networks often serve as a magnet for tourism, which can propel economic activity.

*Bicycle networks tend to reduce the multiple costs associated with automobiles and sprawl. Bicycle facilities are cheaper to build and maintain then automobile infrastructures.

*Those who use the bicycle rather then the car save money (i.e.-gasoline, insurance, maintnence, parking garage or meter fees, etc.), some of which is reinvested in the local economy.

Economic advantages are not the only advantages, there are environmental and health benefits as well!

Environmental Advantages:

*Bicycle transportation is virtually non-polluting.
*The following auto emissions would be reduced: carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, particulates, lead, sulfates, and asbestos.

*Decrease in noise pollution.

The goal would be to displace as many auto trips with bicycle trips as possible. Cleaner, quieter communities provide tranquility and peace of mind.

Providence Sunday Journal 10/97

Health Advantages:

*Bicycling is medicine for the mind and body.*Bicycling relieves mental stress.*Regular exercise improves health.

There are existing maps at the city of Providence Planning and Development Office illustrating the placement of paths on particular city streets. There is a Providence city map with paths stemming out from the downtown area and stretching to the city limits. There is also a map of downtown Providence available which allows a person to see an enlarged image of the possible routes in that area. The existence of these paths would connect neighborhoods and allow people to venture into areas they normally wouldn't travel through. In addition, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has developed a simple map focusing on the location of state parks in relation to one another and the city of Providence. Another idea that had been proposed would be to connect Providence paths with paths in the surrounding areas in order to provide accessability to the state parks. The goal is to provide low cost, high quality recreational experiences.