Rhode Island is the melting pot incarnate, model of diversity, symbol of tolerant society. Conservative fascists prefer to purge anyone with opposing opinions and varied appearances. This leads directly to genocide, whereas pluralism expands economy, opens markets, and works toward social justice. Because of multi-ethnicity and optimal popularity this state hasn’t suffered as much as many megacities along Eastern seaboard. But microbrews and varied startups don’t always amount to a critical mass that spreads prosperity.
You can hardly expect anything would be worth saying about nation’s smallest state. But smallness can serve as an example and stimulate rapidity of change. After loss of Navy presence among other major downturns, Newport quickly adapted into one of top ten tourist spots in North America. After closure of many manufacturing plants, should be encouraged by spontaneous gentrification of once dilapidated neighborhoods flanking downtown Providence, and streets with a mayor who’s not afraid to apply experiences as a bicyclist to inform decisions to meet federal and state codes that demand bike infrastructure.
Regulations specify a bike lane for roads that exceed 24 feet in width, but many begun back in horse and buggy days vary from block to block. Having to get off bike or ride on sidewalks because you’re squeezed doesn’t lead to route continuity or transit reliability. Nevertheless, more now choose to commute by bike, so must be accommodated. Yet bike lanes on Eaton Street, directly adjacent to Providence College, planned for a decade with full local scrutiny, brought ire of a few vocal numbskulls, so must be removed. Sure that hundreds of students use lanes. This is not democracy at work, but corrupt rule akin to conservative U.S. Senate, where approved House bills are sent to die, what’s wrong with America beginning with Nixon’s era.
Broadway not only has bike lanes, as prescribed by law, but several popular eateries and shops have popped up to rival Atwells Avenue, which unfortunately has taken a hit because of recent violent crimes centered on barrooms and hookah lounges. Normally, cities relegate vice businesses - drinking, drugs, prostitution, sex shops, smoking, stripping, vaping - to isolated districts where hours can be limited, police patrols enhanced, and surveillance assured. They don’t allow them to set up imprudently in busy residential neighborhoods with schools and stores to which families bring children. Panderers and pimps prefer close proximity to legitimate decency, because after sunset Allens Avenue is an industrial ghost town that everyone avoids. Murder remains more prevalent in neglected neighborhoods where police won’t patrol and poverty prevails.
Another rising neighborhood is the Jewelry District, which was planned. Expanded by rerouting The Vortex, former interchange of Interstates 95 and195, through the half billion expense of I-Way, and fronted by J&W College, many medical research facilities have settled in. Previous experiment at Davol Square didn’t succeed, but distance to downtown doesn’t matter as much when you work within district. Eateries and shopping have returned despite no large flow of vehicular traffic. District will ultimately span Bermuda Triangle bounded by campuses downtown, East Side, and RI Hospital. No expense was spared to install a controversial bike-ped bridge that angles from center of city toward India Park, which still awaits specific bike path developments to complete corridor from Point Street Bridge to George Redman Linear Park and real tourist attraction of East Bay Bike Path, which lies beyond.
If you aren’t improving, you are declining, because that is how entropy, a proven natural property, works. However, many Rhode Islanders fight any change, prefer to endure rats and grow mold, reject innovations, maintenance, recovery and renovations. Nothing stays the same no matter what you do. Better to guide developments toward significant improvements than stand by pathetically.
If you look hard enough can still find a few colonial cobblestone stretches, a cycling challenge harkening back to pre-Civil War era, though none motorists would be interested rolling over. Remnants punctuate abandoned lanes and backwater alleys in Bristol, Central Falls, Newport and Providence. Developments at Conant Thread Mill will eliminate some, though you might gain a bike-ped bridge to Pawtucket to replace one long since closed. Planners seemed determined to pave last few stones over with asphalt, though ignore state’s numerous dirt roads in rural areas that need more attention.
Pawtucket was nearly destroyed when I-95 tore it in half. Its warren of dark downtown facades scares off state’s million plus population, but should benefit from planned commuter train stop with ample parking, perhaps a RIPTA trolley loop from downtown to terminal. McCoy Stadium might survive as a venue for an A or AA baseball franchise or more popular soccer, realigned to state’s growing Latino demographic.
Unless state finally moves forward with Big River Reservoir, a long range plan for which all property has already been acquired, it cannot expand Southern Rhode Island residency further. Clean, potable water is crucial to businesses and homes. Well water only works where homes are few and sceptic or toxic effluents are strictly controlled. Such limitations seldom cross most people’s minds in a race to install new housing tracts, solar farms, and wind turbines. Nine turbines can now be seen high upon ridge near landfill in Johnston, which join several in Portsmouth, Providence, and West Greenwich. With all the dams and infrastructure in place on 13 rivers previously used to power mills, you’d think any ecological impact of electric hydro-turbines would be minimal, though utilities summarily dismiss in favor of fossil fuel polluters in which they’ve already invested. Out kicking around you notice how tiny changes are tolerable as long as they don’t overturn totalitarian schemes.
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