Planning Projects - Bike Providence

Overview

The concept behind BIKE Providence was the creation of a citywide bikeway network with:

Routes that provide direct access to and from Downtown Providence, recognizing Downtown Providence as an activity hub where main routes converge. These routes provide the commuting bicyclist with links to businesses, colleges, parks, hospitals and other commuter related destinations
Routes that connect to existing and planned state bikeways such as the Northwest Bike Trail, East Bay Bicycle Path, Washington Secondary and Blackstone Valley Bikeway.
Routes that create intra–city links to connect neighborhoods while providing direct and easy access to state bikeways

The Bicycle Network Map was developed by working with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), Providence bicycle patrol police officers, East Coast Greenway Alliance, bicycle advocates and the general public. The Department also worked with the staff of neighboring communities in an effort to make routes continuous beyond the city borders, as well as linking routes from outside Providence to major city destinations such as Roger Williams Park.

As depicted on the map, the bicycle network includes off–street bikeways, on–street bike lanes, and signed routes. Due to narrow city street widths, most routes are signed and do not include striped bike lanes. The implementation of BIKE Providence was made possible through funding from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. Additionally, the Providence Foundation partnered with the City to include funding they had received from RIDOT in the project. After years of work on refining the actual bicycle routes, the City has submitted final engineering plans to RIDOT for approval and we expect to commence installation of signs, striping and replacement of a limited number of street drainage grates in the fall of 2006.