What Grows On in Rhode Island News

Two RI Green Drinks Meetups ~ June 16, 2011

Tonight! Two "Green Drinks" Meetups:

Providence Green Drinks is being hosted this Thursday by JTJ Investments and Aten Energy Conservation at 219 West Park St, Providence, RI (in back of Coca Cola bottling off Pleasant Valley Parkway).
 
JTJ Investments specializes in adaptive reuse of properties in the West Side Arts District of Providence. The focus is on affordable sustainable buildings for small businesses, non-profits and the arts community.
 
Aten Energy Conservation is a Providence-based and BPI-certified provider of residential weatherization and insulation services. They help their clients simultaneously save money and the environment by reducing their energy usage through efficiency.
 
The Providence Juice Company will be at the event with their mobile juice truck and will have free samples of a special green drink they make. The Fertile Underground will be providing veggies and salad and information about the business they are starting. There will also be beer and wine for other thirsty types.
 
Come by "thirsty third Thursday" evening and meet people with a wide variety of green interests!

Visit the "HoneyBeast" Food Truck for salad greens from Red Planet, Front Step Farm, and McCormick & Wojnar Farm.  You will not be disappointed- try my own Matlashewski family Ceaser's dressing, made with enough garlic to disturb vampire bats all the way to Olneyville.  Drinks, keg beer, "Green People" of this world & the next.

South County Green Drinks:

Our June South County Green Drinks happens Thursday, June 16, beginning at 6:30pm at 19 Cleveland St. in Wakefield. Cleveland is right off Main St., going towards SK High School. Look for the peace sign hanging on the front of the house. Thanks to Natalie for hosting again! Park in the hospice parking lot if you need to. Please bring a dish or beverage to share, and bring your own plate, cup, flatware, napkin, hopes, dreams, extra tomato plants, flea beetle eradication tips, etc.

Nicholas Oliver from Sierra Club RI is joining us to talk about the Go 60 MPG campaign.

Go 60 MPG is a national regulatory campaign led locally by the Sierra Club. This campaign is focused on encouraging the Obama Administration to strengthen fuel efficiency standards for new vehicles to at least 60 miles per gallon and emit no more than 143 grams of carbon pollution per mile by 2025. The goal for this effort is to create more fuel efficient cars using current technology, create new jobs here in the U.S., reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and help save Rhode Islanders money every time we head to the gas pump. If these standards were already instituted, Rhode Islanders would each save $474 during the summer. More information can be found at our website.

Rhode Island is 8th Best on Solutions to Oil Dependence ~ May 2011

... But More is Needed
 
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND -- Rising gas prices are hitting drivers across Rhode Island, but a new report released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council with the Sierra Club demonstrates that Rhode Island is a leader in smart transportation policies that can help drivers feel less pain at the pump.  The 2011 edition of “Fighting Oil Addiction: Ranking States’ Gasoline Price Vulnerability and Solutions for Change”, analyzes state and federal policies to help drivers. According to the report, Rhode Island is among those states doing the most to get off oil, coming in at 8th nationally, due in part to its adoption of strong state vehicle emissions and clean fuel standards as well as its policies that prioritize more efficient, sustainable transportation systems.
 
"Our oil dependence costs us more each day, whether it’s the price at the pump, the dangerous pollution in our air, or the risks we take with our waterways that result in tragedies such as last year’s BP oil spill disaster.” said Nicholas Oliver, Conservation Program Coordinator for the Sierra Club’s Rhode Island Chapter.  “Rhode Island has made great strides to move beyond oil, however we need the Obama Administration to step up and increase vehicle fuel efficiency standards to 60 miles per gallon by 2025.”
 
"There is no immediate solution to high gas prices, but smart transportation polices can reduce gas bills for all drivers, no matter where they live,” said Deron Lovaas, NRDC’s federal transportation policy director. “Better state policies that give residents transportation options, such as transit assistance and telecommuting options, can provide relief. Federal action -- such as increasing vehicle fuel efficiency standards to 60 miles per gallon -- would reduce oil price vulnerability across the board. We know we can’t drill our way toward lower gas prices, so policies like these deliver.”
 
On the federal level, in addition to calling for a 60 mpg standard, the new report recommends stronger investment in public transportation and in the maintenance and repair of decaying infrastructure, as well as the establishment of a national oil-savings objective. The report further recommends that states establish policies that reduce sprawl, reduce the number of miles that citizens need to travel in vehicles to get to work or school or other daily tasks, and promote accessible public transit systems.
 
“Rhode Island is already at work with good policies, but with the increasing consequences of our oil dependence, it’s clear we still need to push forward and Rhode Islanders need to urge President Obama and his administration to do its part,” said Nicholas Oliver. “Adopting a standard of at least 60 mpg for our cars and trucks would be the greatest step America has ever taken to reduce our oil dependency. That’s an opportunity we just can’t afford to pass up.”
 
The full report is available at: http://www.nrdc.org/energy/states/contents.asp. More information about adopting a minimum 60 mpg fuel efficiency standard is available at: http://www.go60mpg.org.
 
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The Rhode Island Chapter of the Sierra Club is a grassroots environmental organization that represents over 2,000 Rhode Islanders and works to inspire the public to explore, enjoy, and protect the planet.

Press Release

Contact: Nicholas A. Oliver, Conservation Program Coordinator
Sierra Club - Rhode Island Chapter

P: 401-521-4734
F: 401-521-4001
[email protected]
www.go60mpg.org

RI House Finance Committee on Electric Vehicles and Alternative Fuel Facilities ~ May 5, 2011

Two bills are being heard in the RI House Finance Committee today that merit our support.

H 5847 would eliminate the excise tax on plug in electric vehicles.  H 5848 would provide tax incentives for installation of alternative fuel facilities.

The hearing starts at 1:00 pm in the Trainor Hearing Room, Room 35, at the State House.

The Committee agenda, location and bill text can be accessed at: http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/gen_assembly/Daily/ComMeetings/hfinmet.htm

If you cannot attend, a letter of support will be accepted by the committee.

From Al Dahlberg, Project Get Ready RI

Rhode Island Bike Prom Fundraiser ~ May 14, 2011

On Saturday, May 14, US Open Cycling Foundation and Roots Cafe' will hold the first Rhode Island Bike Prom Fundraiser.
 
There will be bands - The Extraordinary Rendition Band and The Johnsons - a DJ, raffles, light food and adult beverages (21+ please).
 
Contests: Prom King/Queen, Queen/Queen, King/King.  Best Bike, Best Gown (formal attire is suggested - and Providence is the Creative Capital)
 
Tickets are $25 per single and $40 per couple.
 
Each comes with 1 raffle ticket (per person).  Get an additional raffle ticket (per person) if you bicycle in!
 
We'll have bike parking for the event - and overnight if you need it ($10.00 for overnight).
 
Click HERE for a Single Ticket! - Link to PayPal
 
Click HERE for a Doubles Ticket - Link to PayPal

A Wake-up Call to Action: Rhode Island's Transportation Funding Crisis ~ April 6, 2011

Coalition for Transportation Choices (CTC) collaborating with URI Transportation Center and RIDOT to organize a panel of national and local experts to discuss how Rhode Island can best achieve and sustain a 21st century transportation system, so vital to the health of our economy and environment

 

Governor Lincoln D. Chafee, Senate President M. Teresa Paiva-Weed and House Speaker Gordon D. Fox are inviting fellow elected officials, business and civic leaders and community stakeholders to a panel forum entitled "A Wake-up Call to Action: Rhode Island's Transportation Funding Crisis." It will take place on Wednesday, April 6th, 1:00 -3:00 p.m. at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

 

The forum is free and friends of the CTC are invited to attend. Reservation are required.  Please RSVP by March 31, to CTC Co-Chair John Flaherty. 

 

Source: CTC E-Brief, March 23, 2011.

2 RI Transportation Public Forums ~ Aquidneck & Providence ~ December 9, 2010

Reminder ~ Thursday December 9, the Providence Core Connector Study Public Forum is from 5-7 pm at the Providence Central Library, and the Aquidneck Island Comprehensive Multi-Modal Transportation Master Plan public hearing is in Portsmouth from 6 to 9 pm. Simplifying how we get from one place to another and developing collaborative systems that provide easy and affordable transit options requires thoughtful planning and community involvement. Rhode Island is making plans on many fronts in our main urban centers. Go find out what's in the works -- at least check out the Providence Core Connector Study website and the Aquidneck Island Multi-Modal Transportation Management Plan website.

Providence Core Connector Study Public Forum ~ December 9, 2010

Information and results from the screening of three potential route options will be presented at an upcoming public forum (see flyer).

Can we better connect, grow, and thrive? Let’s discuss the streetcar route options that can bring our community together.

We welcome your participation at a public forum to discuss the route options for a potential new transit service connecting Upper South Providence, Downcity, and College Hill.

Thursday, December 9th
Providence Central Library
150 Empire Street, 3rd floor
Providence, RI
5 PM to 7 PM

Hearing on Comprehensive Multi-Modal Transportation Master Plan for Aquidneck Island ~ December 9, 2010

The Aquidneck Island Planning Commission (AIPC) is working in close partnership with its member communities of Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth and with other local, state and federal agencies to complete a 24-month study that will result in the development of a Comprehensive Multi-Modal Transportation Master Plan for Aquidneck Island.

The commission has already held several public hearings to gather community input. You're invited to attend the next meeting on Thursday, December 9, from 6 PM to 9 PM at the Aquidneck Island Christian Academy on 321 East Main Road in Portsmouth. Click here to download a flyer with all the details.

From the Planning Commission website:

"This project is critically important to the future economic viability and quality of life on Aquidneck Island. It will reach across all modes of transportation (bus, rail, bike, pedestrian, auto, etc.) and seek to make modal connections and improvements consistent with sound land use planning - all in an effort to increase overall mobility, modal choice, and safety for our residents, businesses, employees, and visitors while decreasing traffic congestion and its negative impacts on our environment, economy and quality of life. The study will draw upon previous studies in the area."

House Environment Committee to Discuss Effects of Transportation ~ December 2, 2010

The House Environment and Natural Resources Committee will meet Thursday to discuss the environmental effects of automobiles and ways to improve public transit in Rhode Island.  Coalition for Transportation Choices encourages stakeholders to attend.
 
The meeting, which is scheduled Thursday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m. in Room 35 on the basement level of the State House, will feature a presentation by environmental expert Dr. Catherine Lutz, Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Brown University.  Other presenters will include Michael P. Lewis, Director of the Department of Transportation, John Rupp, Chairman of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, Ed Cooney, Co-Chair of the Transit 2020 Action Group and John Flaherty, Co-Chair of the Coalition for Transportation Choices.

"Improving our transportation system and public transportation options is one of the most effective and fastest ways the state can make a significant improvement in air quality, prevent water pollution and protect our open spaces," said Environment and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Arthur Handy (D-Dist. 18, Cranston). "Strengthening public transportation and creating more walkable neighborhoods are also effective ways for our urban, town and village centers to accommodate more economic growth without increasing traffic and congestion while protecting our open spaces."

Community Briefing: RIPTA’s proposed 5-Year Strategic Plan ~ November 23, 2010

The Coalition for Transportation Choices and Transit 2020 Action Committee invite you to a Community Briefing about RIPTA’s proposed 5-Year Strategic Plan: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:30 – 4:00 PM URI Feinstein Providence Campus, Janice Paff Auditorium 80 Washington Street, Providence.

RIPTA has developed a draft Strategic Plan entitled “A Vision for the Future of Transit in Rhode Island”. The proposed plan establishes a bold vision for RIPTA and sets forth a strategy over the next five years to strengthen and grow our statewide transit network and making it more valuable to all Rhode Islanders. The plan recognizes that investing responsibly in a 21st century mass transit system is increasingly seen by civic and business leaders as essential to Rhode Island’s future economic prospects. RIPTA representatives will be on hand to share the details of the draft Strategic Plan and will be seeking your input. Come learn about how a vastly improved statewide transit system can advance state and local goals for land use, economic development, environmental sustainability and create more livable and vibrant communities in Rhode Island. We hope you are able join us to learn more about RIPTA’s ongoing and planned initiatives and to provide your input.

Please RSVP by 11/19 to Richard Durishin at 484-1161 or email.

View RIPTA's 5-Year Strategic Plan (draft).