The Discussion Continues: EAST MAIN ROAD Needs Safety Improvements
Note: In just the two weeks preceding this writing, there have been three crashes on East Main Road in Portsmouth. One shut down East Main Road. Another took away power from half of Portsmouth’s residents. Thankfully there were no serious injuries. All experienced damage and created traffic delays. All could have been avoided with a safe center turning lane where drivers wait for clear traffic, and only one active travel lane to cross. East Main Road is dangerous and needs current, proven safety measures responsive to all people. For a refresher on the history of the East Main Road safety discussion, please read the prior UPDATE from April 11, 2024 here.
What took place and what happens next?
On April 15th, after several weeks of discussion and a Public Hearing, the Middletown Town Council voted 5-2 not to request a lane reconfiguration at the time of the upcoming repaving on East Main Road.
A great deal was learned during the process leading up to this vote, and more lies ahead as we continue to determine how to improve safety on this vital connector. Many people took the time to share their concerns, fears and hopes based on direct experience. Experts including planners, engineers, administrators, and law enforcement shared and analyzed data together. The team from Ride Island will continue to encourage and support this process; the outcomes are valuable and will guide next steps and decisions.
Research supports anddata confirms that the proposed lane reconfiguration on East Main Road – from four-lanes to three-lanes with a center turning lane and shoulders – will result in under 30 seconds of additional delay and significant crash reductions and improved safety for all road users.
We consulted with RIDOT during this process and plan next to request consideration of our state thresholds to align with Federal Highway guidance and learn from successes on comparable roads.
We will continue to gather and share information from and with RIDOT, local government and the public.
Making Change:
Some people who are familiar with East Main Road today are worried about what might happen if the road is changed. What will happen to traffic if we switch from four lanes to three? There are many unknowns that inspire conjecture, and change is often unsettling. Fortunately, there are examples all over the state and around the country that show us what will happen. (See pages 8 and 9.). Traffic will flow more steadily, speeds – and the speed differential between vehicles – will be evened out. People who want or need to walk, bike or take the bus, will be able to do so more safely.
Do we want to make it better?
East Main Road is a community road lined with neighborhoods, businesses, farms, and other local destinations. Yet, today the road is dangerous for people driving, and there is no safe place for people who are not in a car. With 200 crashes each year, people waiting for the bus on unpaved sloped embankments, and no safe shoulder for people on bikes, we ask ourselves: Is this acceptable? Do we want to make it better? How can we improve safety?
– For people in cars, we need to ensure that the flow of traffic is safe and steady, and that they can enter and exit the road and the travel lanes without fear of being hit by other cars.
– For people who walk, bike, or use buses, we need to ensure they are seen and valued and given safe passage.
– For people who own or support local businesses, we need to make entry and exit of these businesses safe and inviting.
– For everyone, we need to prioritize the existing speed limits and limit unsafe changing of lanes, because slow speeds are safer for everyone.
People caring about people.
Concerns were expressed about bicyclist safety with a shoulder on East Main Road. These concerns are welcome and relevant. The reality is that without a shoulder there is no safe place to ride a bicycle on East Main Road. People needing to get to destinations on East Main Road by bicycle are forced into the travel lane. The proposed three-lane configuration at least provides a place for someone who needs to travel here – where currently there is none. The shoulder is certainly not for everyone. People on bikes need more protection from the traffic. We must continue to work toward fully separated shared use paths in the long term – and we are grateful that a separated path is in the state’s transportation plan in 2029. Meanwhile, the shoulders that come with the three-lane configuration provide a safer space for people who rely on bikes, walking, and buses to get to their destinations. Shoulders will be a significant improvement from the devastatingly dangerous conditions in place now. Not everyone has a car. We have a responsibility as a community who cares about our people to improve these conditions.
The Recommendation:
Bike Newport, representing the Ride Island initiative, brought the recommendation of a Road Diet to the Middletown Town Council as a proven and recommended safety measure to reduce crashes, slow traffic, provide a safe area for left turns, create shoulder space, and improve safety for people driving cars, riding bikes, walking, and taking the bus.
The Data:
Leading up to the April 15th, 2024, Public Hearing in Middletown, Ride Island presented behavioral and engineering data at three prior Council meetings, two in Middletown (3/4 and 4/1) and one in Portsmouth (4/8). Ride Island produced a thorough review in answer to the questions received from the Councilors and the public, included in this Briefing Book and Engineering Review. To prepare these documents for the Middletown Town Council, Ride Island worked closely with RIDOT and their consultants to review and update analyses of existing data and simulations of expected outcomes.
Additionally, the Middletown and Portsmouth Police Departments compiled crash data for us for the five years from 2019-2023 which was not available from RIDOT. The Middletown Police Department escorted us to photograph the RIPTA bus stops on East Main Road (see page 19 / pdf17) which are sadly lackingwithout safe access for the bus riders.
Did you know?
- 80% of all travel that begins and ends on Aquidneck Island is under 4 miles; 50% is under 2 miles; and 24% is under 1 mile.
- East Main Road sees more than 200 crashes each year (see pages 4-5).
- With very few exceptions, the extremely unsafe bus stops on East Main Road put travelers in grave danger at all times. The sign posts are on road side embankments and provide no sidewalk, no crosswalk, no bench, and no shelter from the elements. (see page 19 /pdf 17).
- The absence of a shoulder forces people on bikes to use the car travel lane where they are unexpected and where cars are often speeding and distracted. People who don’t have access to a car have very limited transit options and no real opportunity to walk or bike along East Main Road for any distance.
- The shoulder created by the Road Diet is a safer place* for people biking and walking short distances than the current travel lane.
- The center turning lane created by the road diet would be a safer place* for drivers to move into and wait to make a left turn, rather than having to stop in an active travel lane.
- The center turning lane reduces (from two to one) the number of active lanes* that a driver must cross to make a left turn from an unsignalized side street or business.
- Anticipated crash reduction* is up to 47% or higher.
- Analysis of existing data predicts an average additional delay of under 30 seconds at peak travel times. These revised estimates provided by Ride Island to RIDOT were based on RIDOT road counts and were accepted and agreed by the RIDOT staff and consultants.
- After hearing testimony from 22 members of the public – evenly split between those who supported and opposed the Road Diet – the Council deliberated and ultimately voted by 5-2 not to request RIDOT repave the road with a three-lane design.
* https://highways.dot.gov/safety/other/road-diets
WHY DIDN’T THE COUNCIL APPROVE THE ROAD DIET?
Several issues were noted during the Councilor’s discussions. The italicized notes are included in the Briefing Book or the Engineering Analysis.
1) Because RIDOT did not recommend the Road Diet.
Though RIDOT would implement the Road Diet at the Town’s request, RIDOT would not directly recommend the Road Diet, based on East Main Road’s vehicles per day range of 17,500 spring to 21,500 summer. RIDOT’s threshold of 20,000 vehicles per day is lower than numerous states (see pages 8-9) where roads similar to East Main Road are seeing significant reductions in crashes and improvements to safety and comfort. East Main Road is within the Federal Highway Administration guidance (25,000 vehicles per day with further study). We’ll continue to request that RIDOT adjust their standards and try this road design where crashes are so prolific and change is critical. We also will encourage RIDOT to pilot the new markings between paving courses during paving projects as recommended by USDOT.
2) Concern that there will be traffic delays and backups.
When Ride Island re-ran the simulation models, potential delays were found to average 30 seconds at peak times – and the vast majority of the time there would be no additional delay as a result of the road diet. RIDOT and their consultants agreed with this updated analysis. See the engineering review here.
3) Concern for bicyclists traveling in the shoulder.
While the painted shoulder lines are not the ideal separated infrastructure that we must continue to work toward – and which are in the State Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP ID 9005) for 2029 – they are an appropriate interim step and better than the current condition. People biking, walking, and using buses are directly in harm’s way now and the new shoulders would provide urgently needed improvement.
4) Concern that traffic will move to West Main Road.
This outcome is more difficult to predict. If the perception is that the 3-lane model will result in delays, then some people in a hurry may move to West Main Road. However, the predictability, improved safety, and reduced stress of the 3-lane model may attract more people to East Main Road. Additionally, 75% of people using East Main Road are traveling locally and have destinations on East Main Road.
5) Not enough time to make this decision.
RIDOT required that the Town notify them by April 19th if they would request a Road Diet. This turnaround time felt too tight for the Councilors to get the answers they wanted in order to make an informed decision.
What Happens Next?
1) We believe that RIDOT should consider changing the volume standards so Rhode Islanders can experience the same safety improvements as on comparable roads in other states. We will continue to work to make a case to raise the volume threshold for Road Diets to match Federal Highway’s recommendations, including advanced studies/assessments.
2) We will learn from experts about how streets and roads are successfully made safer for road users in other places, with positive outcomes for businesses, residents, and travelers. To this end, the first in our Speaker Series will take place the evening of Monday, April 30th at Innovate Newport: Ahead of the Curve: Street Design in Cambridge 1990s to Now. Free and open to all – please register and watch for future programs.
3) Bring our leaders to experience street design in other places. As a follow up to the Speaker Series on 4/30, numerous Aquidneck Island leaders will visit Cambridge together on 5/13 to bike and walk street infrastructure that can inspire solutions that address our needs and challenges.
4) With 200 crashes each year (see pages 3-5), and extremely unsafe conditions for people not in cars (see page 19/pdf17), East Main Road is one of the most dangerous streets in Rhode Island. It is lined with businesses and neighborhoods all along the way and people need safer access. With Portsmouth’s future repaving, we can continue to thoughtfully plan for improved safety, and possibly secure those improvements during the cost-effective time of paving when it’s Portsmouth’s turn.
5) There are many more streets and roads where safety for all road users can be dramatically improved and where we can help more people to safely replace driving short distances with biking and walking. Please view and download the Ride Island Bicycle Plan for Aquidneck Island here.
Thank you.
We are very grateful to the Middletown and Portsmouth Town Councilors, staff, and Police Departments, and to all of the residents who have participated in online and in-person discussions to share personal experiences, support, and concerns.
We are also grateful for the open and informative exchange of information and analyses with the safety engineers at RIDOT and their consultants at VHB.
Above all else, this process is about collecting and sharing information toward informed decisions in everyone’s best interest.
Our goal is safer roads and the ability to choose and use the transportation modes that best suit our lives, our community, our fellow residents and visitors, and our environment.
We invite and encourage everyone to stay apprised, informed, and involved.
Please sign up for our newsletter at bikenewportri.org/subscribe. Thank you!
Bike Newport