In 2024, the city of Providence was awarded a $27M federal grant through the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program to expand the urban trail network and improve street safety for all road users. Building off of existing urban trails and the under-construction Woonasquatucket Greenway Extension and 6/10 path, this money will be used to build new protected urban trails along dangerous corridors and existing gaps, enact safety improvements at dangerous intersections, and upgrade separation on existing urban trails.
Broadway
Currently, Broadway has unprotected, one-way bike lanes spanning most of the corridor. While a highly used, critical biking route, the bike lanes have no separation from traffic and are sandwiched between fast-moving traffic and parked cars, making the road dangerous and uncomfortable for cyclists and drivers. According to data from the PSC Crash Map, there have been 57 reported bike crashes and 67 reported pedestrian crashes since 2010, including three pedestrians who were killed.
The SS4A grant will move both bike lanes to one side of the street with vertical separation, creating a two-way, separated urban trail from Olneyville Square to Greene Street for users of all ages and abilities. The Urban Trail will incorporate bus islands, enabling more reliable bus service, and curb extensions, shortening the crossing distance for pedestrians and slowing car traffic. Existing parking and motorized vehicle lanes will be maintained.
While the city owns most of Broadway, RIDOT owns the RI-10 and I-95 bridges and has the power to veto bike lanes on their highway bridges; it is currently unknown whether they will allow bike lanes over the I-95 bridge. Email RIDOT at help@ridot.net and tell them to continue the Broadway urban trail over the I-95 bridge!
Fountain Street/Greene Street
Currently, Fountain Street’s protected bike lane is eastbound only, leaving no safe westbound bike route between Kennedy Plaza and Broadway. To connect Broadway with Downtown, a southbound contraflow bike lane will be added to Greene Street between Broadway and Fountain. The existing one-way separated lane will be converted to a two-way urban trail on Fountain Street, with upgraded separation and an extension to Exchange Terrace. The Fountain/Dorrance intersection, where 19 pedestrians have been hit (PSC crash map), will also see some pedestrian safety improvements.
Olneyville Square
Once known as “Providence’s second downtown”, Olneyville Square is a bustling center for residents, local businesses, and community centers institutions. It is both unsafely designed for vulnerable road users, with 25 pedestrian and 17 cyclist crashes (PSC crash map), and regularly congested for drivers, making Olneyville Square’s current design something that doesn’t work for anybody.
The SS4A grant allocates funding to redesign Olneyville Square for enhanced safety and mobility for all users, and support local businesses, with roundabouts being evaluated as a potential option. The first priority is improving walking and biking connections, as this is why the grant was awarded, but improving traffic efficiency is a listed close second priority. However, due to limited space and parking concerns by merchants, protected bike lanes are not guaranteed to be included. The design process will be driven by extensive community engagement by the city.
Washington Secondary Path Extension
The 19 mile Washington Secondary path, connecting Coventry, West Warwick, Cranston, and Providence, ends just 2 miles southwest of Downtown with no safe connection to the statewide bike network. The SS4A grant intends to extend the currently under construction 6/10 path from Waverly Street through the West End to the Cranston city line, in coordination with state grants to bring this extension over the Cranston city line. The Union/RI-10 and Cranston/Huntington intersections will also see safety improvements for vulnerable road users.
Eagle/Atwells/Harris Intersection
The SS4A grant allocates money for this complex five-way intersection, which will see safety improvements for vulnerable road users, with proposed options, including a roundabout, being under consideration.
Urban Trail Protection Upgrades
The SS4A grants funding to upgrade the existing “paint and post” separation to concrete curbing on all completed urban trails, which include Broad St, Clifford St, Pleasant Valley Parkway, Empire St, Manton Ave, Canal St, Richmond St, and S. Water St. These upgrades increase safety for trail users, make the street more intuitive for drivers, and reduce the need for maintenance.
S. Water St has an expedited proposal to be upgraded to sidewalk level by 2025 using $4.4M of SS4A funding, as part of the Mayor’s plan to add a second travel lane on South Water Street. Public engagement will happen at an upcoming GCSC design review meeting, separate from SS4A engagement.
Get Involved
The first round of city public engagement will be happening in September and October of 2024; we encourage everyone to attend to give their input on designs for the SS4A projects.
The city’s public hearings will be posted here when they are made available. In the meantime, you can sign up for the city’s SS4A mailing list or get in touch with the project lead at the city’s official webpage: providenceri.gov/planning/safe-streets-for-all/
Want to support the project further?
The Broadway Urban Trail can only be completed across the I-95 bridge with RIDOT coordination. To support a bike lane on the Broadway bridge, email RIDOT at help@ridot.net
Consider getting in touch with your city councillor in support of the projects. You can find your councillor here.
Come join our FamJam rides!
In tandem with the SS4A engagement process, PSC will be hosting our first ever Fam Jam series of family themed bike jams celebrating the West End, Olneyville, and Broadway! Riders of all ages are invited to hop on their favorite wheels of choice and join us for a relaxing ride, full of fun, music, and activities, celebrating community and spreading the joy of riding with our neighbors!
Please sign up in advance so we know how many to expect:
- RSVP for September 21: Olneyville
- RSVP for October 5: West End
- RSVP for October 26: Broadway + West End
