Rhode Island Complete Streets Plan and Design Guideline – A Rhode Island Guide to Safe and Connected Infrastructure

Rhode Island Division of Statewide Planning (RIDSP), in partnership with Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and Rhode Island Public Transit Agency (RIPTA), is developing a plan and guide for both State and municipal governments to build transportation projects that are “complete” – user friendly, safe, and accessible for all roadway users, thereby creating a healthier, greener, and more equitable roadway system. The plan will include Complete Streets policy recommendations, implementation guidance, and design guidelines.

Project Manager: Roberto Echevarria,  RIDSP, roberto.echevarria@doa.ri.gov

Difference between Complete Streets and Safe Streets for All

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• Complete Streets is focused on guiding the way our governments operate day-to-day, providing guidelines and recommended processes that will help ensure each road in our state becomes a complete street. Every time a road is re-paved or re-designed is a chance to make it a complete street. This Guide won’t identify specific streets or intersections for complete streets projects – instead it will help staff incorporate complete streets elements into every project that gets implemented. On the other hand, Safe Streets for All (SS4A) is intended to produce action plans that set up specific projects and policies that cities and states can undertake to make streets safer for all road users. RIPTA is working with municipalities across the state to develop these action plans, as well as a statewide action plan that will identify priority corridors for safety projects.
• Complete Streets is a priority area for the federal government, but it doesn’t have a set funding stream like SS4A. Instead, all MPOs and States must spend at least 2.5% of their planning funds on complete streets projects each year, and do not have to provide match on those funds. SS4A is also focused largely on safety, whereas Complete Streets has multiple goals. Safety is still central to Complete Streets, but other goals include reducing climate emissions, integrating climate resiliency, promoting economic development through making attractive business districts and ensuring people can access jobs, and helping rectify inequities and public health impacts from our transportation system.  These two programs work together to ensure we have a transportation system and culture that supports the implementation of streets that work for all users.

 Rhode Island Freight Plan Update 2026

RIDSP has completed the update to the main body of Freight Forward 2026: Rhode Island Freight and Goods Movement Plan. The Plan Update reflects federal freight plan requirements; statewide freight goals; freight infrastructure and assets; trends, needs, and opportunities; a list of prioritized freight projects; and an investment plan.

In addition, RIDSP has selected WSP USA, Inc. as the consultant team to update two appendices.  The first appendix is the Freight Commodity Flows & Forecast, which involves investigating the current movement of goods coming into, leaving, passing through, and circulating within Rhode Island as well as 2050 estimates. The second appendix is the Statewide Truck Parking Assessment, which concerns itself with issues related to parking shortages for commercial vehicles, an inventory of existing facilities in and around Rhode Island, possible solutions, and a strategy for implementation to overcome adverse effects on the economy. These two components will fulfill federal freight plan requirements and will complement the 2026 plan update. They are due to be completed by Spring 2027.

Contact Information: Asher Eskind, Principal Planner/Freight Coordinator, RIDSP – asher.eskind@doa.ri.gov

Town of Lincoln – Saylesville/Lonsdale Neighborhoods Complete Streets Plan

In January of 2026 the Division of Statewide Planning kicked off a new local technical assistance planning project with the Town of Lincoln focused on conceptual redesign of specific corridors within the neighborhoods of Saylesville and Lonsdale. The Saylesville and Lonsdale neighborhoods of Lincoln currently face several significant issues that compromise safety and accessibility. The right-of-way along several local roads are overly wide which encourages speeding, and the sidewalks are in extremely poor condition, which discourages pedestrian use. Additionally, in Saylesville the intersection with Chapel Street and Walker Street is notorious for accidents and near misses, with high vehicle speeds contributing to the frequency of these incidents. Several local roads are used as cut throughs, adding to pedestrian and bike safety concerns.

The study will look at design concepts and recommendations to improve pedestrian access and safety in an area of Lincoln with significant existing and planned residential and mixed-use development. It will also create much-needed connections to existing recreational and transportation assets, such as Lincoln Woods State Park, the Blackstone River Bike Path, and major roadways connecting Lincoln to neighboring communities.

Stakeholder Interviews have been conducted with neighborhood residents, non-profit, and Town officials in the summer of 2026 as well as a focused Stakeholder Workshop which occurred at Lincoln Town Hall on June 10^th, 2026.

An upcoming Public Workshop for the Project will be taking place at the Town of Lincoln Senior Center (150 Jenckes Hill Road), on Wednesday September 16^th from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.

• This Plan will produce a set of conceptual redesigns alternatives for the following intersections and corridors:
• Chapel Street
• Walker Street
• Twin River Road
• Old Louisquisset Pike
• Breakneck Hill Road
• Smithfield Avenue
• Lonsdale Avenue
• Great Road
• Front Street
• John Street

Project contacts: 

Josh O’Neill, AICP, Supervising Planner RI Division of Statewide Planning

Bonnie Nickerson, Director of Planning, Northeast Region at the Toole Design Group

Project website: 

Project information will be found on the Town of Lincoln Planning Department website here: https://www.lincolnri.gov/181/Planning

Metro Connector Alternatives Analysis

Project Purpose

The purpose of the Metro Connector Study [ripta.com] is to explore options for providing faster, more frequent, more reliable, safe, and equitable transit alternative competitive to automobile travel that that connects regional activity centers, neighborhoods, business districts, and transportation hubs in metropolitan Providence while supporting associated statewide goals related to climate, sustainable housing growth, public health, and enhanced economic vitality. Leveraging federal grant dollars, the study is exploring ways to improve service and increase services between the communities of Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, Cranston, and Warwick.

The Study aims to:

• Recommend the best route and type of transit
• Suggest station locations
• Estimate the costs of building and operating the system
• Identify the expected benefits of the project

Who's Involved?

The Study was recommended in Transit Forward RI [ripta.com], Rhode Island's statewide long-range transit plan, an element of the State's Long-Range Transportation Plan. Transit Forward RI identified that much of metropolitan Providence had very high underlying demand for transit comparable to much larger cities across the country who have either bus rapid transit or light rail corridors. 

This Study is being led by RIPTA and is working closely with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), the Division of Statewide Planning (DSP), and leadership from the five municipalities in the study area. 

Public outreach:

RIPTA held in-person and virtual meetings [ripta.com] in Late July 2026-August 2026. An online survey [surveymonkey.com] for individuals to provide feedback will be open until September 4, 2026.

Website:

https://www.ripta.com/metroconnector [ripta.com]

Contact Information:

Zachary Agush

Principal Planner & Project Manager, Transit Forward RI

Email: MetroConnector@ripta.com