What Bothers You Most About Traffic on Aquidneck Island?

Does traffic on Aquidneck Island—especially during the summer—test your nerves?

If so, the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission(AIPC) is hoping you'll share your thoughts and frustrations as part of its traffic management study.

Planners from the AIPC’s consulting firm Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB) met with about two dozen area residents on Tuesday night in Newport for a, their latest outreach effort to gather residents’ input about Aquidneck Island's choke points, other traffic problems and possible solutions.

“We encourage you to vent tonight, submit written comments tonight, or send them in later electronically,” consultant Joe Wanat told the gathering. He later added, “We’ve received 900 plus comments during the course of the study and we’ve used those to craft the areas of study, so we really do listen.”

The team will continue to solicit public input by phone to the AIPC office, through online surveys and through another public workshop to be announced in the spring, AIPC Executive Director Tina Dolensaid.

Specifically, the AIPC is laying the groundwork to study regional traffic management as it relates to special events, road construction and utility work, and unplanned incidents, such as accidents or weather.

When it comes to controlling traffic on Aquidneck Island, especially during the summer, those in attendance Tuesday suggested that more advance plans for traffic control could be put into place, especially considering the fact that many summer festivals, sporting and arts events are predictable.

Another simultaneous AIPC study and similar outreach effort have been underway to look at island-wide transportation issues, such as mass transit, sidewalks, bike paths, and more.

Some of those issues overlap into traffic management issues. Improving the public transportation system to appeal to more tourists and ease the traffic congestion brought on by out-of-towners was a recurring suggestion from the Tuesday night workshop participants. Some suggested that tourists be directed or encouraged to park their cars for the duration of their stay on the island, or to increase their use of shuttles to and from centralized parking areas during major special events, such as those at Fort Adams in Newport.

When it came to addressing traffic caused by road construction and unplanned incidents, most suggestions from the group spoke to the importance of improving public communications through electronic road signs and utilizing different web-based, mobile, radio and television media to alert motorists of traffic jams and alternate routes.

Aquidneck Island residents who would like to give input regarding traffic management may call 845-9299 or submit their comments online at the VHB website.