March 28, 2024

EP Legislative Delegation Angry With States' Road Fix Plan

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Lawmakers Upset With Condition of Pawtucket Avenue

In a Thursday, May 26th press release issued by RI General Assembly publicist Andrew Caruolo, East Providence area legislators decried the State's plan to repair local roads. People from throughout Rhode Island have complained about major road conditions for years.

The 10-year plan will be updated every year and replaces the previous planning process that produced a four-year plan every four years. The new approach quadruples public input into statewide transportation planning. Additionally, the plan is built on realistic funding resources that provide communities with greater assurance that a project planned in a particular year will, in fact, be built in that year.

The plan must be approved by the State Planning Council as part of the statewide Transportation Improvement Program and by the Federal Highway Administration. A new plan is required to be in place by October 1, 2016 in order to have continued access to federal funding.

However the state plan does not sit well with many in East Providence, especially those concerned with state roads like Pawtucket Avenue. The East Providence legislative delegation is calling a recently released state plan on road repairs for East Providence blatantly flawed and a threat to the public wellbeing of East Providence residents.

The delegation previously petitioned Director of the Department of Transportation Peter V. Alviti for crucial and necessary repairs to Pawtucket Avenue in November of 2015. Director Alviti responded in writing that a portion of the road would see work beginning in 2016 but the remainder would not be tended to until 2023 and 2024.

"Plan your work and work your plan, that's what we're doing at RIDOT," said Director Peter Alviti Jr. "A predictable and reliable capital program is a critically important part of putting RIDOT's house in order and the state's roads and bridges back into good shape," Alviti is quoted as saying in the state's earlier release of information.

In written testimony submitted to the RI State Planning Council for a May 26 scheduled public hearing, the delegation criticized the FFY 2017-2025 Draft State Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for its timeline to repair many state controlled East Providence roads, in particular, Pawtucket Avenue, which would not see total completed repairs until the years 2023-2024.

“I am frustrated and disappointed with this proposed plan that disregards the economic and safety needs of East Providence taxpayers,” said Sen. Daniel Da Ponte (D-Dist. 14, East Providence). “Pawtucket Avenue has been crumbling for far too long and waiting until 2023-2024 to fix it is unacceptable to our taxpayers. This is a state road and DOT needs to accept their responsibility of maintaining this central road to our city. If the Planning Council and DOT continue to refuse to listen, then other options will be looked at to make sure our residents can travel safely and securely.”

“Owning a tank should not be necessary to go down Pawtucket Avenue but it’s beginning to get to that point,” said Rep. Gregg Amore (D-Dist. 65, East Providence). “East Providence residents pay their taxes and they deserve a safe Pawtucket Avenue to travel on with their families and vehicles. This plan is simply intolerable.”

“Our residents pay too much in taxes every year to have to deal with the crumbling conditions of Pawtucket Avenue,” said Rep. Katherine S. Kazarian (D-Dist. 63, East Providence). “This is an issue of safety and a significant barrier to economic development for East Providence and our residents deserve far better than what they are getting from the DOT.”

“The deterioration of Pawtucket Avenue has been ignored and passed over by DOT for years and it’s getting to a point where there are legitimate safety concerns for East Providence residents. This plan needs to be amended to rectify this growing problem,” said Sen. William J. Conley Jr. (D-Dist. 18, East Providence Pawtucket).

“Economic development in our city cannot proceed if our major roadway is virtually impassable at this point,” said Rep. Helio Melo (D-Dist. 64, East Providence). “I urge the Planning Council to correct this terrible plan and to give the residents of East Providence what they deserve after paying their tax bills every year – acceptable roads.”

A sternly worded letter signed by all area legislators and hand delivered to the Rhode Island State Planning Council said, in part: "It is with great frustration and disappointment that we hereby submit for the hearing record this letter strongly objecting to the FFY 2017-2025 Draft State Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which is scheduled for public hearing today, Thursday, May 26, 2016.

The timeline set forth in the TIP for addressing projects we consider crucial to the future success of East Providence - such as Waterfront Drive, the 1-195 Interchange, and the Extension of the Ten Mile River Greenway - is simply unsatisfactory to us and to the residents of East Providence whom we're honored to represent.

Even worse, the repaving of Pawtucket Avenue - a state managed roadway about which we've previously written to urge a priority status - is not scheduled to occur for many years to come. Given this dreadful determination, we must ask with all sincerity: Does the Draft TIP even attempt to address the immediate and ongoing safety with vehicular concerns we've continued to raise? We don't think it does."

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