Rose Lane is not long and it is not wide. 

In fact, Rose Lane’s lack of width between Ernest Street and Narragansett Avenue recently led town officials to change its status from two-way to one-way.  

On Feb. 3, members of the Barrington Town Council voted unanimously to approve an ordinance restricting that stretch of Rose Lane to eastbound traffic only. Vehicles are no longer permitted to turn onto Rose Lane from Narragansett Avenue.

There was a brief discussion about Rose Lane during the Feb. 3 town council meeting. Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey explained the request and offered firsthand testimony to the narrowness of Rose Lane. Hervey said he is familiar with the road, having walked his dog there, and said it is not suitable for two-way traffic. 

Sam Butterfield agreed. Butterfield filed the initial request to make the portion of Rose Lane one-way — he cited a couple of reasons. For starters, Rose Lane was barely wide enough for one car never mind two, he said. 

Butterfield, who lives on Rose Lane, said he measured the width of the road — a little less than 14 feet. He said a compact vehicle was about seven feet wide. With no room to space, two compact vehicles could pass by each other heading on opposite directions on Rose Lane, although there was likely a good chance they might clip mirrors. 

Butterfield said the real challenge is when a delivery truck tries to navigate the quiet Bay Spring side road. The trucks are much wider and nearly fill the width of Rose Lane all by themselves. 

When there’s a delivery truck, someone has to get off the road and onto private property so it can pass, Butterfield said. Delivery vehicles have changed the game, he added. 

Turning onto Rose Lane from Narragansett Avenue was a test of skills and, possibly, a leap of faith. Butterfield said that for motorists who entered Rose Lane from the busier Narragansett Avenue, there was always a concern about oncoming traffic that was just out of eyesight. 

Butterfield said he has seen a few near misses over the years. 

The proposed ordinance did not receive any push-back from council members. Hervey said the fire department initially flagged a potential issue — the chief had earlier requested the town keep Rose Lane open to two-way traffic, but later withdrew the opposition. Hervey said the fire department will go wherever it needs to go when responding to an emergency call. 

Councilor Kate Berard made a motion to approve the ordinance. Jordan Jancosek seconded the motion. And the council voted 5-0 to approve the change.