BRAVO NEWPORT!
At their September 16th meeting, the Newport City Council unanimously passed a total package of ordinance updates – including 25 definitions and 14 sections – all related to bicycles. They also unanimously approved the staff request for authorization to pursue an additional $6 million in federal Safe Streets for All funds made available by Portsmouth’s reduction in project scope and budget.
The comprehensive ordinance review, recommendations, and ultimate adoption is the first such total review and update to bicycle-related ordinances in the state of Rhode Island. All recommendations were based on thorough vetting of best practices around the country conducted by Bike Newport, the Newport Police Department, and the Newport Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission.
The package of ordinances will receive a “second reading” at the next City Council meeting on September 30, 2026. According to the Council documents, all ordinances will take effect upon passage,
According to the Request for City Council Action submitted by Michael A. Caruolo, Deputy City Manager:
In June of 2023, representatives from the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, Bike Newport and the Police Department began to collaborate on a project to update the City ordinances with regard to bicycle related issues. The collaborative group met periodically for many months to outline recommended changes to City ordinances in order to bring Newport’s ordinances consistent with contemporary multi-modal philosophies and eliminate outdated processes.
On April 13, 2026 a City Council Workshop was held to discuss the proposed changes to City ordinance. Upon receiving Council and community feedback, changes were made to the original proposal as well as plans made for future adjustments to address other micro-mobility means of transport.
The package includes but is not limited to:
- Definitions: 25 additions and improvements
- Improvements related to Traffic Control Signals, including:
- Improving ordinances by separately addressing motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles
- addressing when and how bicyclists are permitted to cross an intersection using a pedestrian signal
- Broadening some references from “drivers” to “road users”
- Adding bike lanes to parking prohibitions
- Making bicycle registration a recommendation rather than a requirement, with a purpose of helping to identify lost, stolen, and found bicycles
- Establishing a maximum speed of 15mph on bicycle paths and trails
- Establishing the requirement for bicycle rental agencies to collect signed affidavits of understanding regarding the City’s ordinances from renters
- Clarifying unsafe passing of a bicycle
- Requiring drivers to check the road before opening a car door
The proposed ordinance improvements represent:
- Several years of collaborative work by advocates and public safety experts.
- Attention to proven best practices in municipalities and states nationwide.
- Reflection of recommended best practices by the Federal Highway Administration.
- A valuable comprehensive update that will serve as a model of current practices for other municipalities.
Public comment made at the September 16th City Council Meeting:
This content is AI generated and sourced from upriseri.com:
Jim Fry of Slocum Street, a member of the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Commission, said the commission spent several months on the issue and called it the first comprehensive municipal update of bicycle ordinances in Rhode Island. He said many people tell him they would ride more but do not feel safe on some streets in heavy summer traffic, and that more work remains on e-bike ridership after the legislature acts.
Referring to concerns expressed by Councilors Carlin and Napolitano, Bari Freeman, Executive Director of Bike Newport, said the package does not deal with e-bikes other than by definition, and that much of what was discussed are not e-bikes but other motorized vehicles with no current route to registration or licensing. Freeman said Bike Newport wrote the package with the Chief of Police, his traffic sergeant and commission representatives, and said it should be a model of process and product for other municipalities and the state.
Pete Rice, a Third Ward resident, said the package “misses the mark” and could be improved with one sentence requiring daytime lights. “The thing it doesn’t do, it’s most important to bike riders, it’ll increase safety in a heartbeat, is you’ve got to be visible,” he said, noting the ordinance already requires lights at night. He also said he attended an April workshop, saw none of his comments reflected, and spent six weeks trying to find the revisions.
A speaker involved with the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition thanked the city and said the changes could serve as a model for other municipalities. A Ward 2 family also spoke about biking together and the need for safer infrastructure.
Tara Zambrotta of Stockholm Street, chair of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission, urged approval, calling the multi-year effort a good baseline while saying there are always improvements to be made. One council member said afterward that the ordinances are not written in stone and can be amended.
ALSO APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY:
Action Item #6676/26 Request to authorize additional $6.02M in Federal Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Funds
Following Portsmouth’s reduction in the scope and budget of its SS4A projects, and Middletown’s decision not to pursue the additional available funds, Newport staff requested authorization from the City Council to pursue the additional up to $7.52 million in project funding, which will consist of $6.02 million in federal funds and approximately $1.50 million in local match. The City Council voted unanimously to authorize this request.
These funds are vital to making progress on numerous mobility plans already adopted by the City of Newport, including: Keep Newport Moving, Ride Island, the Rhode Island Bicycle Mobility Plan, and Newport’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (currently being updated), and Newport’s North End Urban Plan.
Bike Newport