Providence’s Afternoon Commute Is Going to Get a Lot More Complex

Providence’s Afternoon Commute Is Going to Get a Lot More Complex

Anyone who works in the downtown Providence area knows that afternoon traffic backs up daily, as commuters try to meander their way to on-ramps for I-195 and I-95.

The backups on Providence streets can, on some days, take as long as the highway portion of the commute home.

Now, due to Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza’s new traffic configuration under his new Great Streets initiative, the crowded South Water Street on-ramp from downtown to I-195 east is going to get a lot more complicated.

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Documents from Elorza's Providence Planning Department writes in one document, "At the south end of the corridor, the urban trail would connect to the existing asphalt path at the Wickenden intersection. At the north end, the urban trail would connect to the accessible access to Memorial Park, just east of the existing crosswalk. The existing crosswalk across South Water St near the Crawford Street Bridge may need to move slightly or change in some other way to improve access to this accessible route."

The city says the lane change will help pedestrian traffic, "In addition to the linear portion of the urban trail, pedestrian crossings of South Water St are an important consideration. Existing crosswalks at Packett St, Planet St, Power St, James St, Dollar St, and mid-block between Power and Williams streets would be restriped. At some locations, there may be an opportunity to install pedestrian refuge islands between the urban trail and the vehicular traffic, which would significantly shorten the pedestrian crossing. Additionally, reducing the number of lanes and the lane width each reduce the speed of vehicular traffic, which would improve pedestrian crossing safety."

The currently two-lane South Water Street is going to be cut from two lanes to just one lane and now, being constructed, is a major development, too.

 

Add a Trader’s Joe Development Too

In addition to the reduction of lanes on South Water Street, there is presently under construction a major new retail development complete with an anticipated Trader’s Joe retailer. That new development is being constructed on the corner of South Water and Wickenden Streets. (NOTE Wickenden changes to Point Street at this juncture).

As a result, the existing logjam of traffic trying to exit the city to get to the I-195 on-ramp in Fox Point will now be funneled into a single lane headed directly into a new retail development featuring what is expected to be a highly popular retailer.

The project includes a 13,000-square-foot grocery store, 62 apartments, and an additional 10,000 square feet of retail space. The new project has two floors of parking.

In future months, one of the busiest commuter routes is going to get a lot busier.