At tonight’s City Council meeting, Councilor David A. Salvatore proposed a “Green and Complete Streets” ordinance which would pave the way for safer streets in Providence, while codifying the City’s commitment to developing infrastructure that is safe, reliable, sustainable, and accommodating to all residents. This ordinance was co-sponsored by Councilwoman Helen Anthony (Ward 2), Councilman Pedro Espinal (Ward 10), Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1), Councilwoman Nirva R. LaFortune (Ward 3) and Councilwoman Katherine Kerwin (Ward 12).
The “Green and Complete Streets” ordinance aims to provide all Providence neighborhoods with fair access to local roads and sidewalk infrastructure,” stated Councilor Salvatore. “In the last ten months, the pandemic has shined a light on the transportation shortfalls that have existed in Providence for decades. Through this ordinance, we have an opportunity to improve health outcomes and advance equity, while meeting the demands for slower streets that our constituents have called for. This ordinance would incorporate the needs of motorists and all who use city streets, including pedestrians, residents with disabilities, bicyclists, and transit users alike.”
Green and Complete streets mean streets that are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. It ensures that pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and public transportation users of all ages and abilities can safely move along and across a street.
Councilor Salvatore consulted with community advocates while drafting this ordinance to ensure that local needs are met as the City continues to move forward with street development.
“Complete Streets are streets that safely, comfortably, and conveniently accommodate all who use them, regardless of who they are or how they travel. A Complete Street means getting to work, school, the store, or your aunt’s house safely doesn’t require a private automobile — it’s low-stress whether you’re walking, bicycling, taking the bus, or using a wheelchair. Passing a Complete Streets Ordinance in Providence instills this philosophy and creates a reliable system that ensures our future street projects aim for an end result that is community-oriented, equitable, accommodating, and — in a word – Complete,” said C.J. Opperthauser, founder of WalkPVD and Director of Training & Placemaking at Grow Smart RI.
The ordinance also aims to provide visual pleasure, including exposure to natural elements, and improves environmental quality by providing for reduction and on-site pretreatment of stormwater. Currently, most of the City’s stormwater runoff flows into our waterways, carrying pollutants and other hazards into the State’s most precious natural resource – the Narragansett Bay.
“As Providence is finally beginning to transform its streetscapes to address the interconnected crises of public safety and health, affordability, air pollution and stormwater runoff, we applaud this legislation that will ensure the work moves forward so we can provide a safer, healthier, and cleaner city for our children and grandchildren,” said Liza Burkin, Organizer of the Providence Streets Coalition.
Emphasizing the importance of street trees, the Green and Complete Streets proposal will play a role in improving air quality by removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from our City’s neighborhoods. According to the Urban Forestry Network, ‘trees also reduce the greenhouse effect by shading houses and office buildings. This reduces the need for air conditioning by up to 30 percent which in turn reduces the amount of fossil fuels burned to produce electricity. The combination of CO2 removal from the atmosphere, carbon storage in wood and the cooling effect makes trees extremely efficient tools in fighting the greenhouse effect.
Councilor Salvatore continued, “Green and complete streets are intended not just to improve how residents and visitors move through our City, but will also add important quality of life enhancements by increasing the number trees in majority-minority neighborhoods, increasing access to wellness pathways, and promoting environmental justice.”
The Green and Complete Streets ordinance requires the City of Providence to track the development of street performance measures, including, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)compliant sidewalks, traffic complaints, total miles of bike lanes and an inventory of street trees. This aggregated information will be publicly updated on the City of Providence website.
This ordinance has been referred to the committee on ordinances. Read the full amendment to the Code of Ordinances here: https://bit.ly/3qpNICm
