RI Long Range Transportation Plan Includes Bicycle Mobility Plan With Shoreline Bikeway
The Rhode Island State Planning Council’s Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) is accepting public comments on the State’s Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), Moving Forward RI-Transportation 2040.
The purpose of the Long-Range Transportation Plan is to develop a vision for surface transportation in the state over a 20-year planning horizon. This vision is comprehensive, covering all surface transportation modes (e.g. automobiles, trucks, public transit trains and buses, ferries and bicycles).
The LRTP incorporates a Bicycle Mobility Plan. The Rhode Island Bicycle Mobility Plan (BMP) is the first statewide initiative to expand the bicycle network strategically. The plan also seeks to safely and efficiently connect people and places so that riding a bicycle in Rhode Island is safe and fun for all ages. In order to achieve the expanded network, this plan identifies candidate corridors and the supporting policies and programs to make this initiative a reality.
The Bicycle Mobility Plan includes a candidate corridor for a coastal bikeway linking state beaches in Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown and beyond. The bike corridors developed for this plan are conceptual in nature and not meant to be prescriptive.
In the image, the orange lines are long range and are not yet funded. Having a candidate bikeway in the plan will however set it up for funding should federal and state funds for bicycle mobility become available.
The TAC will accept public comments on the Draft LRTP, Bicycle Mobility Plan, Transit Master Plan, and Congestion Management Process/Plan at the web-based public hearing scheduled for October 29, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.
The LRTP is a transportation plan for the State of Rhode Island and your comments help to shape decisions that will be made about the transportation network in years to come.
October 14, 2020 @ 4:56 pm
It looks good. Just a word of caution, along with the biking trails their should be developed a code of conduct/behavior.
In the past we lived close to the Cuyahoga National Park in Ohio in which there is the Ohio and Erie canal. the towpath of which was a gravel surface and was a very enjoyable hiking and jogging trail even used for an annual marathon. It was then paved over and became a bike trail. Casual bikers were no problem but the high-speed spandex bikers were. They would zoom past hikers, and family strollers with small children etc at high speed with no warning and it was very scary. They did not have bells or horns on their bikes to warn other users of the trail of their approaching.
October 14, 2020 @ 10:37 am
In the draft Comprehensive Plan “Charlestown has tasked its Parks and Recreation Commission with promoting the development and use of trails, linear greenways and bikeways”.
October 12, 2020 @ 1:10 am
Thank you for this most helpful news. The Bike Mobility Plan link is well worth a look.
Is it possible you could expand on: “The bike corridors developed for this plan are conceptual in nature and not meant to be prescriptive.”
Also, is there a body in our town who is (or will be) tasked to review and comment on LRTP?