10
Feb.
2011 |
Op-Editorial
Bringing the Blackstone Valley
Bikeway to its completion!
Let’s face it; Rhode
Island’s bikeways bring lots of
enjoyment to our residents. From South
County to the Blackstone Valley, these
paths connect our neighborhoods, improve
our economy and draw visitors to explore
our communities. They are safe,
enjoyable and provide a stress-free
place to relax and exercise. Everyone
who experiences them wants to see not
only more paths but improved
connectivity between paths. We have the
opportunity to do this.
While there are
other bike paths in the state, what
makes the Blackstone River bikeway
special is the industrious American
story it tells. Over 30 years ago,
planning began on the Blackstone River
bikeway -- a bold idea for its time.
Restoring dirty land along the oldest
polluted river in the hemisphere, the
river that launched America to
super-power status, took great
imagination, and guts. Ten years ago,
the first few miles of the bikeway
opened in Lincoln. Now with 11 miles of
the Bikeway constructed, accessibility
to the Blackstone River and Canal is now
easy and enjoyable for fishing, canoeing
and cross-country skiing. Our state has
successfully transformed land that was
once a dump to land that is transforming
people and reconnecting them to nature.
While we have made
considerable progress, we are not done.
The completed section of the bikeway
passes along the Blackstone River
through Cumberland, Lincoln and
Woonsocket. As wonderful as the
completed section is, a significant
amount of work has to be done in order
to connect the Blackstone Valley bikeway
to both the East Bay bike path and to
the Massachusetts border. Despite the
Rhode Island Department of
Transportation and Rhode Island
Department of Environmental Management’s
work to plan and construct the bikeway,
its completion is elusive. The reason is
funding.
We have worked with
Rhode Island Department of
Transportation officials to determine a
completion date for the Bikeway and the
amount of funding necessary. As of right
now, it is projected that completion
could take place in seven years if we
continue to work hard and as long as the
$31 million needed for construction is
secured. To make the completion of the
Blackstone Bikeway by 2017 a reality,
residents, governmental leaders,
community groups and organizations need
to take responsibility to find the funds
to complete the Blackstone Bikeway.
To date, we have 11
of the less-expensive miles of the
Bikeway completed. Additionally, we have
$1 million of the $31 million needed to
fund the more-expensive miles ahead.
We must not wait and assume that someone
else will step forward and secure the
funding to complete the rest of the
Bikeway. We have done this for too long.
It is time to stay focused and bring the
project to full completion. While
cutting through the dense riverfront of
Central Falls, Pawtucket, East
Providence, Providence, Woonsocket and
North Smithfield is going to be
difficult, the completion of the bikeway
is within our grasp. We need to urge its
completion to every local, state and
federal official asking them to help us
find the construction funds to build.
This is a call to action to get involved
and continue to remind our officials to
push for the completion of the
Blackstone Bikeway by 2017.
Even with the
State’s growing budget deficit, we must
not waiver from completing the
Blackstone Bikeway. Our state has many
priorities for recreational spending and
we realize that the Blackstone River
Bikeway is just one of them. However,
this one has been on the agenda for over
three decades. It is time that the
completion is moved to the top of the
list. Don’t think of the bikeway as
simply being a place of recreation. With
gas prices steadily increasing, it
provides Rhode Islanders with a way to
bike to work, shop for groceries and
travel. The Blackstone River Bikeway is
quickly becoming the new Main Street in
the Blackstone Valley. The economic,
environmental and health benefits from
using the Bikeway cannot be overstated.
Residents,
businesses, federal, state, and local
officials, and community groups have to
work to complete the Blackstone Valley
Bikeway. It is time for the Blackstone
Valley Bikeway to be completed. 2017 has
to be the date! Push for progress:
Cycleblackstone.com.
Robert Billington,
Ed.D, President
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
|
12
Nov
2010 |
Thoughts on the
Blackstone River Bikeway
I never used to bike much.
As a kid in rural Vermont, my
bike was my only means of
transportation. Since moving to
Providence, however, I’ve taken
great effort to restore and use an old bicycle I threw in the back of my car before
I moved here.
Using the bike in Providence is a little tricky
sometimes-- while some roads are
wide enough to accommodate
bicycle traffic others are
narrow and overflowing with hazards. Without designated cycling routes it’s hard to know
where you stand on a bike. Do
you go with traffic or with
pedestrians? Can you ride on the
sidewalk and the road, or just
the sidewalk, or just the road?
The information is definitely
out there but the average person
doesn’t Google “biking rules”
before going out on the road.
To get to the point, this bikeway will be a
needed addition to the
Blackstone Valley, the cities it
encompasses and the over one
million people it will serve
upon completion. Cyclists need a designated area to use their bikes safely as
transportation devices. The
Blackstone Valley Bikeway-- a
continuous project being funded
by national, state and
non-profit agencies to connect
the Blackstone Valley in its
entirety-- needs your continued
support. With this support, the
bikeway will span forty-eight
miles from downtown Worcester,
MA to India Point Park in
Providence and from there
connect to the existing East Bay
Bikepath and continue to
Bristol, RI.
So what’s the idea here? I’d say it’s connecting people to places. It’s
creating an escape from urban
areas like Worcester and
Providence for people to get out
and enjoy lesser known routes
and maybe go somewhere they
didn’t expect for the day. It’s
about adventure.
The bikeway is also about practicality. It’s
about a locally employed
resident who can’t afford a car
being able to jump on their bike
and get to work. Also, the bikeway’s completion will help residents and visitors gain access to
under-patronized areas.
The bikeway needs a lot of support before its
proposed 2017 completion. Please
support this cause to create a
more easily accessible, less
congested, cleaner, healthier Blackstone Valley. First sign the petition, then do your
research an see how you can get
involved in this ongoing project
to connect the valley.
-Myles Ellison
The Broad Street
Regeneration Initiative
Blackstone Valley Tourism
Council
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