Letter: Bike projects being delayed, not eliminated

Posted 2/5/19

Editor’s note: This letter from the R.I. Department of Transportation is in response to last week’s article about local bike advocacy group’s criticism of proposed budget cuts for …

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Letter: Bike projects being delayed, not eliminated

Posted

Editor’s note: This letter from the R.I. Department of Transportation is in response to last week’s article about local bike advocacy group’s criticism of proposed budget cuts for local cycling and pedestrian improvements.

To the editor:

We have not eliminated any bike projects. We are intent on building them and we want to build them. We are delaying some as a result of reduced funding to the R.I. Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and we must use our limited funds for vital safety concerns. 

We have made the necessary changes to our 10-year plan and the state Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) to assure that we fulfill our mission to repair the state’s structurally deficient bridges and keep these structures safe.

The decision to reschedule some projects affect other areas of our transportation program, most notably the pavement program and the bike program.

The governor and legislature mandated through the RhodeWorks legislation that RIDOT reach a state of good repair by 2025. RIDOT has amended the TIP in a manner that ensures the safety of the thousands of Rhode Islanders who travel our roads and bridges every day.  We are also under a federal mandate to have no more than 10 percent of our bridges rated structurally deficient.  We will use our funds to accomplish this mission.

It should also be noted that the only expansion projects in the 10-year plan are in transit and bicycle/pedestrian projects. We have $4.7 million allocated for bike/ped projects this year and a total of nearly $60 million worth of bike projects in the 10-year TIP period (2018-2027). All other bridge and road projects are merely state of good repair.

The 2018 green economy bond funds the voters approved (and referred to by the statement) are administered by the R.I. Department of Environmental Management, and as such, are not affected by this TIP amendment.

Charles St. Martin

Spokesman, Rhode Island Department of Transportation

Providence

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