Providence City Council Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan, (Ward 5) announced today that Eaton Street shall be returned to its original traffic pattern.

“Making our City streets safe and accessible to all is one of my top priorities,” stated Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan. “We need to balance all new initiatives with the needs of the surrounding community, particularly when it is a matter of public safety. After hosting two community meetings and hearing from a cross-section of the Elmhurst neighborhood where residents articulated their incisive observations with the Eaton Street traffic redesign, I am pleased to report that the Mayor has agreed with us.”

Majority Leader Ryan continued, “I want to thank my neighbors for working together to address these genuine issues of public safety. Our voices were heard loud and clear. Further, I also want to emphasize that my neighbors are not opposed to creating bike lanes on City streets. We simply ask the City administration to be mindful of the public engagement and vetting process.”

After several meetings with Mayor Jorge Elorza and his department Directors, Majority Leader Ryan was successful in convincing City officials to have Eaton Street returned to its original traffic pattern. The remedial work will commence in a timely fashion.

Ryan continued, “I applaud the Mayor’s vision for a City that is responsive to multimodal transportation. However, this plan that was rolled out for Eaton Street did not fit or serve this community’s needs. Please note, I want to genuinely thank Mayor Elorza and his Directors for their professionalism and their willingness to engage with us to reconsider this plan implementation.”

Therefore, due to these recent developments, the community meeting which was tentatively scheduled on October 2, 2019 at St. Pius V Church has been canceled.

As any additional information regarding this important community issue arises, such news will be shared here on the City Council web page and on social media.