RI Trucking Assoc.'s Maxwell Blasts Raimondo for Making Revenue-Based Decisions - Not Safety
GoLocalProv News Team
RI Trucking Assoc.'s Maxwell Blasts Raimondo for Making Revenue-Based Decisions - Not Safety
This comes as the RIDOT is set to install the fourth truck-toll gantry on the Oxford Street Bridge, near Thurbers Avenue on Monday.
“It is painfully obvious that the Raimondo Administration is more interested in collecting tolls than actually focusing the state’s limited resources on critically urgent repairs. Clearly, their priority is to begin collecting as many tolls as possible, as soon as possible, while in the interim public safety remains at risk,” said Maxwell.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTMaxwell sites a 2017 letter by independent third-party structural engineer, Richard Walther of Wiss, Janney, Elster Associates in Chicago.
Walther stated, “The Oxford Street Bridge is neither structurally-deficient nor functionally obsolete, so its inclusion in the RhodeWorks program, at this time, does not advance the state’s goal.”
RI Bridges are Worst in U.S.
The fourth toll gantry comes less than a week after the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) reported that Rhode Island still has the worst bridges in the country.
ARTBA reports that 23.1% (180 out of 780 bridges in Rhode Island) are classified as structurally deficient, the highest percentage in the country.
Read the Report Here
According to ARTBA, Rhode Island has identified needed repairs on 721 bridges at an estimated cost of $1.8 billion.
Maxwell adds “A construction program that continues to prioritize non-essential and non-critical work in the midst of a severe infrastructure crisis will create jobs, but does little to change the culture that led us down this embarrassing, expensive and non-sustainable path. There is a lot of taxpayer money at stake and we need to get this right,” said Maxwell.
19 to Watch in 2019 - FULL LIST
Angie Armenise
Chef and co-owner of Blackie’s Bulldog Tavern in Smithfield, Angie Armenise has it all going. Expansion to a new and larger location, a wonderfully loyal customer base and a big stack of awards -- and more to come in the new year. READ MORE
Marcela Betancur
Marcela Betancur, the new head of Latino Policy Institute at Roger Williams University and will be the power behind Latinx think tank in 2019.
Betancur, a Central Falls native, most recently worked READ MORE
Brian Goldner
No one will influence the psyche of Rhode Island more this year than Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner. After the loss of the PawSox to Worcester and the closing of Rhode Island’s beloved Benny's in 2017, Rhode Islanders are a bit raw.
He is poised to announce that Hasbro is...READ MORE
Cortney Nicolato
New United Way of Rhode Island President and CEO Cortney Nicolato succeeded Anthony Maione in 2018 — and takes on her first full year at the helm of the social service organization in 2019.
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Sabina Matos
It is the rise of the Phoenix in Providence. On Monday, Sabina Matos won back the Presidency of the Providence City Council and returns to the top legislative position in the City of Providence.
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Jamie Bova
The Newport City Councilor At-Large lined up the votes to votes for Mayor after being elected to just her second term on the Newport City Council this past November.
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Jennifer Wood
The former private practice attorney turned top government aide turned non-profit director might have her biggest — and most public — battle on her hands in 2019.
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Catholic Church Sex Abuse Survivors
In 2018, Bishop Tobin with the Diocese of Providence landed on GoLocal's “18 to Watch” as the Catholic Church was — and continues to remain — at the center of lawsuits pertaining to the collapse of the St. Joseph pension fund.
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Matt Voskuil
One of Newport’s most iconic — and upscale — dining locations has a new look, a new chef — and people are taking note not just in Newport, but beyond.
Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage, Matt Voskuil at the newly opened Cara at the Chanler READ MORE
David Torchiana
The most powerful person in healthcare in Rhode Island may soon be a man who rarely visits the state and few here know his name.
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RI GOP Party Chair
Rhode Island Republican Party Chair Brandon Bell was defeated in his run for the General Assembly in 2018.
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Anthony Baro
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The emerging maritime renewal energy company is having an impact in the U.S. and globally. READ MORE
Blake Filippi
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Desmond Cambridge
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Sarah Markey
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Markey, a top labor leader for the RI National Education Association, has drawn criticism by Democrats, Republicans and multiple municipal attorneys because READ MORE
Peter Neronha
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Dylan Conley
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He is the chairman of the Providence Board of Licenses and is in a hotbed READ MORE
Mike McGovern
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BIg Tourism Voids
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