What Grows On in Rhode Island News

East Bay Bike Path Award Ceremony ~ October 9, 2009

From RI DEM:

EAST BAY BIKE PATH TO BE DESIGNATED AS A ‘RAIL-TRAIL HALL OF FAME’ TRAIL BY THE RAILS-TO-TRAILS CONSERVANCY

PROVIDENCE – The East Bay Bike Path will be designated as a Rail-Trail Hall of Fame trail by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy on Friday, October 9.  An 11:30 a.m. awards ceremony will be held on the bike path at the intersection of Thames and Oliver Streets in Bristol.  The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy will provide DEM with signs to post along the bikeway indicating the path’s designation as a Rail-Trail Hall of Fame bike path.

Rail~Volution Scholarships ~ October 29 - November 1, 2009

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and its partners invite you to join us at Rail~Volution 2009 this coming fall.  We have two special opportunities for public officials, citizen activists, community organizations, government agencies, and students.  Please see below for details.  We hope to see you at the conference in Boston, October 29 - November 1!

Next Steps to Getting There ~ March 7, 2008

From Carl Mattson:

March 7, 2008
Next Steps to Getting There - Luncheon @ RI Foundation - Registration closes 2/29!
In October, we held "Getting There: Transportation for a Prosperous, Sustainable Rhode Island."  As a long-awaited follow up, the New Public Transit Alliance is hosting a luncheon to engage some of your ideas into the solutions going forward.

What is clear, is that if we are going to reduce traffic, provide affordable commutes, and create liveable communities that are energy independent, we all have a role to play. So, we will be exploring pragmatic steps in the direction of a sustainable transportation system.

Mark your calendar for a lunch on March 7, 2008, from 12:00-1:30pm.  Lunch is provided.

You must register by February 29.  [I got this after the deadline. Registration for lunch is closed now, but call for info about attending anyway. Maybe you can bring your own lunch. ~ sk]

Sierra Club Rhode Island Chapter
Chris Wilhite, (401) 521-4734
[email protected]

Visit http://www.ri.sierraclub.org/calendar/e053.html for details.

Public Meeting concerning Striping Bike Lanes on Blackstone Boulevard, Providence ~ March 3, 2008

From Summit (Providence) Neighborhood Association:

The Providence Bicycle Coalition notes on their blog that there will be a public meeting at School One (220 University Ave), at 7pm Monday, March 3rd, to gather community input about striping bike lanes on Blackstone Blvd.

The East Coast Greenway project intends to link existing bike paths via Blackstone Blvd, making it part of the Greenway and Providence the hub of cycling in RI.

As you can see from the blog, support from the cycling community may not be unanimous, so if you think this is a good idea, consider attending the meeting on the 3rd.

John Howard, SNA President

Rhode Island Junior Solar Sprint Leader Workshop ~ February 9, 2008

From Apeiron Institute:

PASS THE WORD TO MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATORS (Grades 5-8)!

Free RI Junior Solar Sprint Leader Workshop

Junior Solar Sprint is open to young people between the ages of 10 and 14, who design and race their own MODEL SOLAR ELECTRIC CARS with the guidance of teachers, troupe leaders, parents or other helpful grown ups. Young people develop hands on skills as engineers, craftspersons, scientists and solar power whizzes through this highly motivated learning experience. JSS teams use a standard photovoltaic solar panel, motor, rules and appropriate instruction, and they create the fastest, coolest car they can.

When:   Saturday, February 9, 2008

                     10:00am – 2:00pm

       Where:  Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living
                   451 Hammet Road, Coventry, RI 02816

[Ed. note: See the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association for program details but note that that website lists Providence as the meeting location. This posting's Coventry location is more reliable because the source of this post is Apeiron. Check with Apeiron directly. ~ sk]

       Cost:     FREE! Pizza provided too!

       Pre-Register:  Call Apeiron at 401.228.7930   or email [email protected]

Participants come away with:

* A basic parts kit and program support materials

* Global warming and carbon cycle activities

* A chance to win a solar panel for competition level construction

* The opportunity to register for the race in May          

The 2008 RI Junior Solar Sprint design and race competition will be held on Saturday, May 17th at a location TBA. Find out more about last year's program. The Northeast Region Junior Solar Sprint Program is coordinated by Northeast Sustainable Energy Association.    

New Parking Strategies for Town and Village Centers ~ January 31, 2008

From RI-RESTORATION ListServ:

For: Planning Boards, Zoning Boards, Downtown and Parking Committees, Business and Property Owners, and others.

A South Shore Forum Thursday January 31, 2008  6:15 - 9:00 PM
Hingham Town Hall 210 Central Street, Hingham, MA

Sponsored by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's South Shore Coalition

Historic town and village centers present excellent opportunities for new shops, offices, and residences, but they are often poorly served by conventional approaches to parking.  A new toolbox of parking strategies can promote economic development while making town centers more attractive, and easier to get around.

• How shared parking can reduce the number of spaces necessary.
• Pricing structures that encourage efficient use of available parking capacity.
• How pedestrian improvements can ease parking demand.
• The basics of parking authorities and how they can raise money for downtown improvements.
• What a parking study can tell you about what your town center really needs.

Speakers:

Jason Schrieber, Nelson / Nygaard Associates
New perspectives on the economics of parking demand and supply; best practices in pricing and design.

Thomas Galligani, Planning and Real Estate Consultant
Parking authorities and opportunities for parking revenue reinvestment; local case studies.

Jim Gallagher, Metropolitan Area Planning Council
MAPC's new parking toolkit: http://transtoolkit.mapc.org/Parking/

Following the presentations:
Discussion and Exchange

Registered participants include:
Members of planning and zoning boards, traffic committees, downtown committees, business and property owners

Presentations begin promptly at 6:30 pm
Coffee and light refreshments provided

To RSVP (please) or request more information, contact:
Tim Reardon: 617-451-2770 x2011; [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]?subject=Parking%20Forum>  (subject: "Parking Forum")

For details on subscribing to RI-RESTORATION and/or MassPlanners mailing list, read on!

Design & Marketing for Sustainability: Transportation ~ November 29, 2007

From The Innovation Studio:

Robin Chase, Founder of GoLoco and Zipcar,

will speak on

Design & Marketing for Sustainability: Transportation as a Case Study

Robin Chase is the successful founder of two companies that are rethinking the way we use our cars, and trying to save the planet in the process.

The talk is open to the public.

Thursday, November 29, 2007
6:30pm
Bayard Ewing Building, Room 106, 231 South Main Street, Providence, RI

Sponsored by the departments of Architecture, Industrial Desing, Landscape Architecture, and the Division of Architecture and Design at RISD.

Download Flyer

RI Association of Railroad Passengers Fall Meeting ~ November 5, 2007

From Barry Schiller:

The Rhode Island Association of Railroad Passengers (RIARP) is holding their fall meeting on Monday, Nov 5 at 7pm at the Sierra Club office on Valley Street in Providence.  All are welcome.  There is a lot of rail related developments happening these days in Rhode Island, and the meeting agenda includes updates on Amtrak, commuter rail expansion and studies, and things RIARP can do to promote this environmentally preferable means of transport.  For more information please contact Barry Schiller, 353-6536 or at [email protected]

Walk the New I-WAY Bridge ~ Saturday, October 20, 2007

From an ad in the Providence Journal:

It's not every day that we'll have the chance to WALK on the new I-WAY bridge connecting routes I-95 and I-195 in Providence. In fact this is our only opportunity to walk it without risking our lives in the onslaught of expected traffic ~ and I know if my car is going to break down, I won't want it to die there! The bridge will be open for walking ONLY on this Saturday, October 20, 2007, from 9am to noon.

Thousands of people are expected, and they'll all have to take shuttle buses from one of two satellite parking locations in Providence. The walk is about a half mile.

NO BIKES, PETS, BACKPACKS, FOOD OR BEVERAGES ARE ALLOWED.

Parking lots are the Johnson & Wales Harborside Campus lot and State Offices parking lots around Smith Street. Of course, using public transit to get to the shuttle sites is your best bet. The DOT website announcement has directions to the two sets of parking lots, and the Thursday, Oct. 18, Projo  has maps of the lots on page E2 (city edition).

AND, all of this reminds me to remind you again to REGISTER  for this important conference:

GETTING THERE:                   Transportation for a Prosperous, Sustainable Rhode Island, October 25, 2007

Getting There: Transportation for a Sustainable RI ~ Deadline Extended to Oct 19

From Grow Smart Rhode Island, the New Public Transit Alliance Group [and ECRI]:

On Thursday, October 25, 2007, you're invited to join leaders from government, the private sector and community organizations to explore a long term vision for sustainable transportation in Rhode Island.

Register Now!

The conference will bring together community stakholders and a nationally recognized expert to examine what needs to happen in order to make mass transit a more viable option for Rhode Island's future. 

* Thursday, October 25, 2007 *

Morning Program (8:30a - 1:00p)

URI Providence Campus

Keynote presentation by Charles Hales,

Senior Hales
VP of Transit Planning, HDR, Inc.

Charlie Hales is a strategic planner with a focus on livable communities, transit, innovation, and public-private partnerships. As a Commissioner of Planning and Transportation for the City of Portland, Hales established a record as a national leader in the integration of land-use planning and transportation project design, in pedestrian and transit-oriented development, and in innovative financing for infrastructure projects. His background includes leading the team that built America's first new streetcar lines in 50 years (Portland, OR), as well as creating a wide variety of civic plans for many diverse communities.

Panel 1 - Mass Transit

Chris Wilhite (Moderator), Executive Director, The Sierra Club RI Chapter
Mark Therrien, Assistant General Manager of Planning, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
Kevin Flynn, Associate Director, RI Division of Planning
John Sinnott, Senior Development Director, Struever Brothers, Eccles & Rouse
TBD, Providence Department of Planning and Economic Development

Panel 2 - Individual Transit

Tom Sgouros (Moderator), Editor, RI Policy Reporter
Ann Tate, Professor of Architecture, Rhode Island School of Design
Chris Bull, Workshop Coordinator, Recycle-A-Bike
Jack Madden, Owner, The Hub Bicycle Shop

Networking Lunch

Rally for Transportation Alternatives (5:30 p)
(Rhode Island State House)

Join others at the Rhode Island State House north steps to advocate for better public transit, bicycle commuter routes and signs, sidewalks and crosswalks.

Community Meeting (6:30p - 8:30p)
(Local 121 Restaurant, Providence)

Find out how to get your community group involved in the effort to get better mass transit, bicycle commuting and walkability in Rhode Island.

7:00p     Guest Speaker: Charles Hales
             (see above)

7:25p     The New Public Transit Alliance

7:40p     Networking Social
             Film: Taken for a Ride

8:30p     Close

Register Now!

(early bird registration deadline extended)

$20 if you register by Friday, 10/19
$35 after that date