(Middletown and Portsmouth, RI) A working group, stewarded by Aquidneck Resilience and comprised of the Aquidneck Island Land Trust, Bike Newport, Green Street Associates, and the Navy, is announcing progress towards implementation of a long-awaited “Rail with Trail” in the Newport Secondary rail corridor on the island’s west side.
You are invited to learn more about the project and provide input at two upcoming events:
- October 27, 2026 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm at Innovate Newport, 513 Broadway, Newport, RI. This event will be open house style, including a brief presentation with engineering consultants and a family-friendly art activity. Register on Eventbrite.
- November 1, 2026 from 12:30 – 2:30 pm at 1 Alexander Road, Portsmouth, RI for a family-friendly ride on the rails with the Newport & Narragansett Bay Railroad to envision the potential for a shared-use path. Registration is required on Eventbrite.
About the Project
Aquidneck Island’s rail corridor has long been identified as an opportunity to safely move people up and down the island. Studies date back to at least the year 2000, when the Aquidneck Island Land Conservation Strategy named a goal of “linking open spaces so people may walk or bike safely from one end of the island to the other” including a “path alongside the railway”.
While some progress has been made towards establishing protected paths on the island, including the 11-mile Sakonnet Greenway Trail managed by the Land Trust and a new shared-use path running nearly three miles from Newport to Middletown, achieving the vision of a coastal path has remained elusive – until now.
Paige Myatt of Aquidneck Resilience explains: “The rail corridor provides a unique opportunity to support the modern, multi-modal transportation pathway the island needs and the community deserves.”
The planned “rail with trail” will place a shared use path for bicyclists and pedestrians alongside the active track where the Newport & Narragansett Bay Railroad (N&NBRR) now operates dinner trains and specialty excursions in historic train cars, and where Rail Explorers operates pedaled rail bikes. The rail trail will bring the majestic sight of Narragansett Bay and its coastline into view for everyone.
Eric Moffett of the Newport & Narragansett Bay Railroad says, “We’re excited to see this long-standing vision move into the design phase. The key is to preserve the Newport Secondary as a working railroad while creating space for people to walk and bike safely alongside it. Done right, the trail and the railroad can strengthen one another and give Aquidneck Island more transportation choices. It’s a community effort and we’re proud to be a part of it.”
The first section to be addressed is a 4.5-mile segment along Burma Road, from the Melville area of Portsmouth to Access Road in Middletown. Future work will navigate around the Navy Base to connect with the shared-use path along Connell Highway that continues south to downtown Newport.
A competitive proposal process led to the selection of Pare Corporation and the Horsely Witten Group, engineering firms that have been tasked with initial designs of the trail. The project will include significant community engagement and will be managed in collaboration with N&NBRR, RI Department of Transportation, and the towns of Middletown and Portsmouth.
The van Beuren Charitable Foundation, with growing support from other philanthropic organizations including Prince Charitable Trusts, is funding this phase of the project, led by Aquidneck Resilience. Aquidneck Resilience is a collaboration between the City of Newport, the Town of Middletown, the Town of Portsmouth, and the Navy, hosted at the Aquidneck Island Land Trust. They work alongside community partners to advance island-wide climate projects.
For more information, visit the Rail with Trail project page.
Photo credit: Kia Davis
Bike Newport