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Mayor-elect Smiley on Hope St. bike path: “If the business owners & residents don’t want it…
Photo: Brett Smiley Twitter page, during rain and flood storm
Providence mayoral candidates were very involved with the potential trial of the Hope Street Bike Path. In a congratulatory interview with the winner – incoming Mayor Brett Smiley – WPRO’s Gene Valicenti grilled the new Mayor on several topics – one of which was Bike Paths and the Hope Street “trial”.
Jump into the interview at about the 7:44 mark (until 8:56) by clicking on the link below the image:
https://omny.fm/shows/the-news-with-gene-valicenti/09-15-22-providence-mayor-brett-smiley
The key takeaway?
Smiley’s comment, “If the business owners and the residents don’t want it – then we won’t move forward.”
A community meeting notice was posted on Facebook, though not sent directly to Hope Street business owners.
Notably, two letters sent to Providence Mayor Elorza and the Providence City Council as well as the Providence Planning Department have gone unanswered. The community letter, signed by approximately 24 of the 45 or so store owners asked the city to forgo the test due to its nonsensical placement on the congested street, and on behalf of the safety of bikers, pedestrians, children, first responders, and cars.
The group is planning to extend an invitation to Brett Smiley to listen to the dialogue, because should any permanent bike path installation be proposed, it will be in his administration to approve or deny moving forward.
To read past stories on this and other bike paths, go to: https://rinewstoday.com/?s=bike+paths
I am in favor of the bike lane. I caution the new mayor to apply the same rules throughout the city. It will not be right if East Side businesses opposed to the bike lane are pandered to while bike lanes in other parts of the city were built.
He isn’t mayor until January. This is a one week trial. We cannot be a worldclass city without world class bike and pedestrian infrastructure. But until we have significant connecting infrastructure, people are afraid to bike on the city streets.