Update On Railroad Meeting With RI DOT Director Peter Alviti

On November 3rd, 2021, a meeting took place between representatives of Charlestown and the RI Department of Transportation (RI DOT) Director Peter Alviti and RI DOT Intermodal Programs Chief Stephen Devine.

Representing Charlestown were Charlestown Town Administrator Mark Stankiewicz; two members of the Charlestown Town Council; State Representative Blake Filippi, whose district includes all of Charlestown; and State Senator Elaine Morgan, whose district includes the northern part of Charlestown that would be impacted by rail changes.

DOT Director Alviti is Rhode Island’s representative to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Northeast Corridor Commission (NECC). The meeting was requested to provide an update on the NEC Connect 2035 plan and specifically the New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study of rail in an area shown in that plan as an ambiguous elliptical area between New Haven, CT, and Providence, RI.

Back in 2016, the Federal Railway Administration (FRA) released a plan to bisect Charlestown with a new high-speed track that would have torn a path of destruction from Charlestown’s western edge to its eastern edge—through homes, farms, tribal land, the 1,112-acre Carter Preserve and other open space properties, through Historic Columbia Heights housing, through Historic Kenyon, through the National Wild and Scenic Pawcatuck River and more.

Called the “Old Saybrook to Kenyon Bypass”, the new high-speed track in Charlestown was part of the “preferred alternative” in the FRA’s Tier 1 Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Greg Stroud and his organization SECoast, the Charlestown Citizens Alliance, Charlestown’s Town Council and many others worked tirelessly against the Bypass. When the Federal Railroad Administration released their Record of Decision on July 12, 2017, and dropped the “Old Saybrook to Kenyon Bypass” from the plan, it was great news and a big win for Charlestown; however the EIS required a study that left the door open to the Bypass.

In July 2021, the NECC released Connect NEC 2035, a 15-year development plan and planning process for the Northeast Rail Corridor. The old Bypass is not currently in any development plans, having been replaced by the planning process that includes the study.

At the November 3rd meeting, Director Alviti provided a brief overview of the NECC and its 18 voting members, which include the Department of Transportation directors from the affected states, U.S. Department of Transportation, and Amtrak. It also includes non-voting members from freight railroads and states with connecting corridors. Charlestown has asked to be a part of the NECC process but has heard nothing from the FRA or the NECC regarding this request.

Director Alviti stated that the NECC will be contracting for the “market study” of the potential future ridership demand before any new routes or modifications are considered. The study would not begin until early 2022 with the results expected later that year. Director Alviti stated there would be no formal action on the New Haven to Providence section until the market study was complete.

RI DOT Intermodal Programs Chief Stephen Devine stated RI DOT anticipates a “robust” public outreach to the Town and affected residents.

Director Alviti is one of 18 members of the NECC. It is unknown at this point what position the other members will take. In 2017 the RI DOT did not show any support for the Bypass. Director Alviti recapped some of the major concerns with the project in 2017 and pledged his office would not support the same or similar proposal for the Bypass.

Visit Our Railroad Page To Learn More About The Work To Stop The Bypass