Newport's Mayor Weighs in on Proposal to Remove Lanes From America's Cup Avenue & Memorial Boulevard

Newport's Mayor Weighs in on Proposal to Remove Lanes From America's Cup Avenue & Memorial Boulevard

The City of Newport’s new Transportation Master Plan was released this week — and one of its key recommendations is to reduce traffic to one lane in each direction on the busy thoroughfares of Memorial Boulevard and America’s Cup Avenue. 

The rationale for the proposal, which will now be considered by the Newport City Council for approval, is to replace the vehicle lanes with a bike lane winding through downtown Newport to First (Easton’s) Beach. 

"Newport’s street network was originally designed for non-motorized and water transportation. The narrow streets in the historic core were not built for—and are struggling to accommodate—today’s demands," according to the report. "The city is experiencing high volumes of vehicle traffic, insufficient and inaccessible sidewalks, vehicle parking demand that exceeds the supply, unregulated freight movement, and the need for improved stormwater management."

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GoLocal spoke with Newports’s new Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong — who also serves as the City Council Chair — about the next steps in the process, now that the 100-plus page report along with recommendations has been issued. 

“First of all is for us to look through the entire report. We received the plan when the public did,” said Khamsyvoravong, noting that additional workshops are in place and the council is “working through the details.”

“Second in this process is how the Council makes decisions. We’ll look at the data…and the data has to align with common sense,” he added. 

Khamsyvoravong spoke to the issue of traffic in Newport, and specifically as it pertains to the recommendations in the report to reduce vehicle travel lanes on the major arteries in the city. 

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“I live off of America’s Cup Avenue. It’s a choke point for traffic,” said Khamsyvoravong, noting that his residence is right before one lane becomes two heading downtown. “You wouldn’t think an expansion of lanes is a choke point. But it is."

“Something’s clearly not working with America’s Cup Avenue. The question is, is there a solution that aligns with common sense to make traffic flow better,” he added, of the proposal to cut the number of lanes in half in key locations.  

Khamsyvoravong said the key for city planners is taking into account the  “rising tide” of the city’s tourism and popularity, and how to make the city more livable for residents. 

“Take a look at the right-hand lane of America’s Cup [Avenue] when there’s traffic. Maybe it’s being held up for an Uber drop-off. That’s part of our life now. It didn’t exist before,” he said. “We have to look at what’s holding up traffic, look at pavement allocation and how to be realistic.”

 

Process — and Recommendations 

The “Keep Newport Moving” report process, which began in February 2020, was led by a management team representing the RI Division of Statewide Planning along with city officials, including a 9-person working group that included RIPTA planners, as well and a twenty-person resident advisory committee. 

“Experience in numerous cities and towns that are coping with traffic congestion demonstrates that adding capacity does not cure congestion, but rather attracts more traffic so that congestion resumes. The most effective way to reduce congestion is to reduce the amount of traffic entering the city, and providing safe, comfortable, and convenient alternatives,” according to the 102-page report. 

“Looking at Newport’s street network, each of its major corridors entering the city’s core has one through travel lane in each direction: Broadway, Farewell, Memorial Drive, and Coddington Highway. America’s Cup Avenue expands to have two through lanes in each direction, through the city’s core, and these excess travel lanes increase the traffic congestion at key bottleneck intersections by bringing more traffic than the network can handle,” the report continues.

It is at this juncture the report makes the following recommendation. 

“By reducing America’s Cup and Memorial Boulevard to have one lane in each direction, combined with efficient operations at key bottleneck intersections, traffic congestion will be reduced. Further, the recommended street transformation will provide for safe and enjoyable walking and bicycling for short trips around Newport,” the report continues. 

A public workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, March 29 5:30 PM at Newport City Hall. 

This story was first published 3/24/23 12:43 PM