Twice in the last two weeks, representatives of the Town of Bristol’s Economic Development Department have attended local meetings during which they have informed business owners and residents that the Rhode Island Department of Transportation is planning to close Hope Street at the Silver Creek Bridge for up to three months, starting July 5, 2020.

The reaction from business owners who rely heavily on their summer business in order to survive the bleak winter was uniformly negative.

As concern mounted and word spread, town officials got wind of the mood. They placed an item on last week’s Bristol Town Council agenda requesting that DOT hold a public meeting about the matter. Business owners turned out in force to the council meeting to express their frustrations at the lack of proper consultation.

The town council was unanimous in supporting the concerns of business owners about the timing of the project and no doubt there will now be a thorough examination of the issues going forward.

What is mystifying to both residents and business owners in the historic downtown area is that a project requiring the closing of the main artery into downtown during the busiest season of the year could have been discussed for several months behind closed doors with no attempt at proper consultation.

Sadly, it is my experience as a business owner that in twelve years of operation I have been dismayed time and again by unannounced road closings, events and parking restrictions. Let me be clear: any event that requires a road closure or detour is damaging to small businesses in general. We should be consulted, or at the minimum informed, in advance.

Our customers want convenient access to us. They want parking. For as many people who flock in to an event like the British Car Show or the Black Ships Festival, just as many decide to stay away because of impediments to the free flow of traffic. This is why so many businesses close on the Fourth of July.

It is not that we are against such events, per se, it is that we ask that there be an acknowledgement that they impede the normal conduct of our business.

What we want from the town is quite simple: please ask us questions. Educate yourselves about how we are doing, how much we lose or gain from this or that event, one-way system or road closure. Ask us before you assume. Ask us before you decide.

Business owners were not encouraged by the lack of clarity about DOT’s plans exhibited by both town councilors and town officials at the meeting last week. I am sure there is enough blame to go around.

We had our say. Now it is up to both DOT and the Town of Bristol to clarify the situation and to put together proper consultation.

On a brighter note, Bristol Police and the Dept. of Economic Development have been very supportive recently with regard to how and when lower Franklin Street needs to be closed during the concert series. This year they are making every effort to minimize the number of hours the road must remain closed. We welcome this consultation and their efforts on our behalf.

Jen Cavallaro
Bristol

Ms. Cavallaro is owner of The Beehive Café.