City of Providence Publishes List of Planned Street Improvements

PROVIDENCE, RI – (September 20, 2012) Starting today residents of Providence can view the list of planned street improvements in the capital city.  Voters will decide on November 6, 2012 whether or not to approve the $40 million roads bond to fund these improvements. The list of planned street improvements and accompanying maps can be viewed at www.Providenceri.com/roadbond.

In addition, the Office of Mayor Angel Taveras will hold informational meetings throughout the city in the coming weeks to explain the scientific, merit-based process that was used to identify roads for repair and to explain how the bond will work if voters approve the measure.

Independent civil engineers Vanasse Hangen Brustlin surveyed and ranked every street in Providence to produce a list of 65 miles of roadway recommended for repair. The engineers used the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Pavement Condition Index to rank the condition of each road, and took into account its estimated cost of repair, the useful life of the repair and the amount of daily vehicle traffic on each road to produce a recommended list of improvement projects that benefits the most motorists in the city with the funds available.

While projects have been identified and the city has drafted a road-work schedule, construction times and final projects may be amended based on circumstances beyond the city’s control, including but not limited to new private development in the coming years, emergency utility work, unexpected road decay and unanticipated changes in project costs.

Starting next week, officials from the city’s Finance Department and the Department of Public Works will conduct a series of information sessions to explain and answer questions about the process used to identify road repairs and how the bond will work if voters approve the measure.

Residents are invited to attend the forum most convenient for their schedule:

• Thursday, September 27 at 7pm: Esek Hopkins Middle School, 480 Charles Street in the North End
• Tuesday, October 2 at 7pm: Nathan Bishop Middle School, 101 Session Street on Smith Hill
• Wednesday, October 10 at 7pm: Robert F. Kennedy Elementary School, 195 Nelson Street in Elmhurst
• Tuesday, October 16 at 7pm: William D’Abate Elementary School, 60 Kossuth Street in Olneyville
• Tuesday, October 23 at 7pm: William B. Cooley High School, 182 Thurbers Avenue in South Providence

In July, Mayor Taveras proposed and the City Council approved putting a $40 million general obligation bond on the Nov. 6 ballot. If Ballot Question 8 is approved by Providence’s voters, the bond would pay for repairs to about 15 percent of all city-maintained roads in every part of Providence, create an estimated 750 jobs over three years, prevent more costly road repairs in future years, improve the quality of life in Providence and help to retain and recruit businesses to the capital city.

If approved, road construction will begin in the spring of 2013 and continue through the end of 2015.

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