By Matt Sheley/Daily News staff
MIDDLETOWN - It's no secret that Aquidneck Island's roads are overcrowded.
With 60,000 cars, trucks, motorcycles and buses traversing East and West Main roads every day, state officials aren't afraid to admit the well-traveled stretches have hit or exceeded their capacities. And since there's a limited amount of space on the island, the difficulties with expanding or widening the existing road network are obvious.
Kelly Woodward, coordinator for the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission, is all too familiar with battling traffic on the island. Woodward said she avoids driving West Main at all costs because of the dangers of the road, speed of other cars and the number of annoying stoplights.
But Woodward said just because motoring is less than ideal on the island now, that doesn't mean it always has to be that way.
The future of transportation on the island will be the focus of a workshop Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. in Middletown Town Hall. The forum, the second of four on various west side issues sponsored by the planning commission, will include discussion of the existing transportation conditions for the west side of the island and recommendations.
Officials with the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, state Department of Transportation, Rhode Island Statewide Planning and consultants from Edwards and Kelcey, Inc. and PARE Engineering Corp. are scheduled to speak at the meeting.
"One of the big things about transportation is that it's going to take some reconsideration on everyone's part," Woodward said. "A lot of us, myself included, have become so accustomed to jumping in their cars and going. We're going to have to start looking at other ways to lessen our reliance on the automobile."
The task is complicated by the fact an estimated 3 million to 3.5 million people visit the area from May to October.
A study of existing transportation network was released last September by Edwards and Kelcey of Providence with PARE Engineering of Lincoln. Their findings support the position that mass transportation must play more of a role in the region, including:
"Being an island with two major north-south arteries that are already near capacity, and an underutilized rail corridor running the length of the planning area, it is critical that future land use and transportation be planned together so that beneficial development can take place without severe consequences," the report read. "The success of transportation improvements, travel demand reduction measures and the use of alternative modes depend in part on land use."
The planning commission's first meeting Thursday updated residents and local officials about the status of the U.S. Navy's holdings on the west side.
An April 19 meeting at Portsmouth Town Hall will include discussion about potential land use scenarios for the west side. The last meeting is slated for April 26 in Middletown Town Hall for talks about the existing conditions and uses on the west side.
Woodward said the goal of the sessions is multifaceted. One is to bring local residents up to date with the future of the west side. It's also an opportunity for people to provide input into a master plan to shape the area.
The master plan, which is expected to take two years to complete, will provide a guide for the western portion of the island from the Newport Bridge to the Mount Hope Bridge in Portsmouth.
"One goal is to allow people to get to points all over the island," Woodward said. "No, Aquidneck Island isn't downtown Boston or New York City, but with such a large number of commuters, there's an opportunity to make improvements."
This month, the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission is sponsoring a series of meetings to help shape the future of the west side of the island. The remaining dates are: