Politics & Government
AIPC Proposes Changes to Burma and East Main Roads to Improve Traffic
The Aquidneck Island Planning Commission presented plans last night in Portsmouth which they say will improve transit and traffic conditions on the northern end of Aquidneck Island.
The Aquidneck Island Planning Commission (AIPC) on Monday night presented plans which they say will improve transit on northern Aquidneck Island roads and accommodate additional traffic.
In a talk given by Bill Ashworth of the consulting firm Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc., the workshop on Monday evening at Portsmouth Town Hall introduced the findings of the Aquidneck Island Transportation Study and its recommendations for relieving congestion on Aquidneck Island.
Though the options offered face revision and council input before the study’s final public presentation on May 4, several of the proposals will affect Portsmouth should they be implemented. Among the more substantial is a $20-25 million proposal to change Burma Road into a two-lane, north-south corridor.
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“The idea was to see if we could realistically take some traffic away from East Main or West Main road,” said Ashworth. “We could potentially do some upgrades to the north and to the south to improve the connections.”
Recommended by the study is the elimination of one signal and the creation of left-turn lanes at Cory's Lane, a high-crash location, according to the report.
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“The DOT [Department of Transportation] is currently looking at the addition of possible left-turning lanes as part of their ongoing design project,” said Ashworth of the proposed changes to the Cory's Lane and Hedley Street intersection.
Also reviewed was the study’s comprehensive plan to create an island-wide bicycle network. Of the many possible bike routes proposed, one is a $24 million shared-use path that would link the Sakonnet River Bridge to Newport and allow bicycle traffic.
Major changes were also proposed for East Main Road, including a conceptual $56 million “road diet” that would require a four-lane Burma Road with limited accessibility to Route 24 and added bike lanes.
“This is a study for islanders. This isn’t a study for VHB to tell you what to do,” said Executive Director of AIPC Tina Dolen.
The study also recommends island-wide improvement of public transit, such as additional bus service, real-time information at bus stops and a possible park-and-ride location at Melville.
