CRANSTON, R.I. (WJAR) — A proposal to build bike lanes through several Cranston neighborhoods has been paused following strong opposition from residents and city leaders, who said state officials rolled out the plan without notifying the public or local officials.
The proposed bike path was part of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation’s bridge work plan along Route 37. RIDOT proposed a shared-use path along New London Avenue and Meshanticut Parkway, extending into surrounding residential neighborhoods between New London Avenue and Oaklawn Avenue to connect with the West Bay Bike Path.
During a Public Works Committee meeting, Cranston City Council President Daniel Wall criticized RIDOT for failing to communicate with municipal officials, saying he first learned about the proposal from a concerned resident.
“The way they executed this plan was out of line, inappropriate,” Wall said during the meeting…