Getting Around Safely - No Car Required
Bike Newport is the leading advocate in Newport for making bicycling accessible, safe, and inviting for all. They work to create safer places to walk and ride for transportation and recreation by inspiring and facilitating innovative infrastructure planning, community engagement, and education. They’re an essential partner, collaborating with the City and schools to make our streets safer for all. Each election cycle, they send out a survey to candidates on their transportation vision. See answers from all candidates on their website. My response is also below.
What is your vision for biking and walking in our community?
My vision for transit in Newport is that cars are not the default. Newport is a small city, easily navigable without a car or motorized vehicle. One of the joys of living here is that we have such a vibrant community with so many things to do all within a few miles. Even so, most trips are taken by car because it is the easiest, safest form of transportation, and the one our roads are built for. I am an avid biker and I take my bike to work or other activities as often as possible. I know the rules of the road and am comfortable biking with traffic, and I still feel unsafe on my bike a lot of the time. Unsafe conditions while I am riding arise from the forced proximity to cars and the lack of awareness of bikes on the road from many drivers. My vision for biking in our community is one where new cyclists and folks of all abilities feel safe venturing out on their bikes, and the experience of bikers is one that is considered in road design. The same is true of pedestrians. Getting around on foot and by mobility device should be easy, safe, and encouraged. Not only would increased foot traffic decrease car congestion on the roads and improve air quality, it’s also the best way to visit our city. Safer circumstances for folks outside of cars will improve quality of life for all. People taking any form of transit should arrive at their destination safely; road deaths are preventable tragedies, not inevitabilities of the road. We can prioritize people, their safety and their comfort, over cars.
What steps will you take to achieve your vision?
The City of Newport and partners such as Bike Newport have done so much to work towards a bike and pedestrian friendly city. From achieving bronze level bike-friendly community status multiple years in a row to working to change out-of-date ordinances, the effort and collaboration is making an impact. However, there is still a lot that can be done. In order to achieve the vision of making walking and biking a safe and easy choice for more people, I will collaborate with my fellow councilors, city staff, and external partners to execute the “Keep Newport Moving” 2023 transportation master plan and the Green & Complete Streets policy. This includes improving connectivity, incorporating separated bike lanes wherever possible, and improving signage so that folks know where to go. Whenever road work is done, whether it’s by the city or other parties, accessibility and transit improvements must be considered. We can do this potentially through zoning requirements on certain types of projects, ordinances requiring the development of community benefits agreements that include transit and accessibility improvements, and other strategies. The basis for this work exists, but we can be more decisive in executing it. The Planning Department has developed and is working to implement a strategy to collaborate among departments and with relevant commissions to ensure these policies, especially Green & Complete Streets, are followed and development is held to standards we set for road improvements. I will work to empower City staff to see projects through in accordance with these policies, and collaborate with the City Manager and other Councilors to ensure transit is prioritized. As much as this work focuses on road improvements, it also is paramount to reconsider the impact and needs of parking. We must do more to encourage visitors to park in lots on the outskirts of the city, such as the intercept lot off the Newport Pell Bridge, and deprioritize parking within the downtown itself, a goal highlighted in the transportation master plan. I will also work with our state delegation and governmental agencies such as RIDOT and RIPTA to institute traffic calming measures, overcome funding shortcomings preventing road improvement, and leverage public transportation to reduce demand on our roads. Newport has fantastic resources in our commissions, including the Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, Tree and Open Space Commission, and others. These commissions should be leveraged for public engagement, input, and monitoring on ongoing projects. Communication with the public on needs and updates is paramount and must be prioritized. We are a world class destination and city to live in – we can also be a leader in “getting there by bike”. As a City Councilor, I look forward to continuing my work as a bike advocate and making our city streets safe, accessible, and fun for everyone.