Self-Inflicted Traffic Problems: Businesses to Release Traffic Study on Prov's Emerging Gridlock

Self-Inflicted Traffic Problems: Businesses to Release Traffic Study on Prov's Emerging Gridlock

Providence businesses and community leaders are poised to release data in the coming weeks which they say will show the significantly negative impact that switching South Water Street from two lanes to one will have on the surrounding area. 

As GoLocal was first to report in August, “Providence’s Afternoon Commute Is Going to Get a Lot More Complex”— due to Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza’s new traffic configuration under his new Great Streets initiative.

The already crowded South Water Street on-ramp from downtown to I-195 east is in fact getting a lot more complicated, now that the road has been reconfigured from two lanes down to one, to accommodate a new bike lane.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

“This takes the cake [for stupid things the city has done],” said Sharon Steele with the Jewelry District Association. “I only found out about [the plans] by reading GoLocal. None of us knew. Then my phone started ringing off the hook.”

Now, Steele said the adjacent businesses have formed together to hire their own traffic consultant to show the impact of what they believe the increased congestion will have on the commercial, residential, and pedestrian stretch of road. 

“We’ve only actually had raw numbers [from the study] for about a week,” said Steele of the study. “I’ll be discussing the results with our members before we officially release something in the coming weeks.”

“We did not mess around,” Steele added. “I have done nothing each day since we found out this was happening than focus on this.”

 

Concerns for Impact of Traffic on Businesses

Road construction began last week, and Steele pointed out what the groups say are the particular areas of concern. 

“There’s a choke point smack in front of the loading dock at Hemenway’s — and the other ones is are where Power and South Water Street intersect and then James Street and South Water,” said Steele. “Now, even more cars are going to go up the side streets, and try to cross South Main Street.”

“When cars first come over the Crawford Street Bridge — what’s going to happen when a truck is backing into the loading dock at Hemenway’s? That traffic is going to back up over the river and onto Memorial Boulevard,” Steeled added. “And that’s a major pedestrian crossing point. How on earth is this making things safer?”

Steele noted that Providence City Councilman John Concalves, who supported the project as an “opportunity to be less car-centric and create a more equitable, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly ward and city,” said that the final approval was “non-negotiable.”

Steele pointed to how bike lanes across the city on Eaton Street by Providence College ultimately had to be removed and reconfigured in 2019, following opposition from neighbors — after the lanes had been installed. 

“We’re not anti-bike — what we are doing is dealing with the facts and what’s happening on the ground,” said Steele. “Bikes could have very easily been incorporated across the sidewalk into the park area.”

“But [the city] did the traffic study in March 2020 when people were all starting to stay home due to the pandemic,” she added. “There are 130 parking spaces on South Water Street that turn over at least three times a day. Before, if a car was parking, you could just drive around. Now you can’t do that with one lane.”

“This needs to be removed,” said Steele.