Kick-Off for New Bikeway Set for Monday in Middletown

Bicycle riders will soon have a new path to follow on Aquidneck Island
under a plan to create an 18-mi. bike trail to connect with existing
bike paths in the area.

On July 15 at 10 a.m., the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a formal kick-off to the new bikeway, featuring local officials, members of the Rhode Island Congressional delegation, and representatives from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, which is helping fund the project.

The event is planned for Midway Pier, off Burma Road and opposite Greene Lane in Middletown.

U.S.
Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. David Cicilline have
confirmed they plan to attend the event, along with Newport Mayor Harry
Winthrop, Middletown Council President Christopher Semonelli, and
Portsmouth Council President Seveney.

Elizabeth Lynn, assistant
treasurer of the van Beuren Foundation, which is helping fund the
project, is also expected at Monday's gathering.

"This is
something that we have anticipated for years, and it comes at the
perfect time, since biking is becoming more and more popular on the
Island and across the country," said Tina Dolen, Executive Director of
AIPC. "Our goal is to ensure that there is a safe route for bikers to
take across the island."

Bike riders, she explained, could
eventually travel some of the state's most scenic areas before heading
to Newport along connected bike paths.

Included in the new
project is a 1.2-mi. off-road route along the railroad tracks near
Portsmouth Abbey, said Dolen, and a collaborative effort between local
groups and the state Department of Transportation, which is already
planning to improve roadways and make other improvements.

"It's a
beautiful, serendipitous connection because we're using their work at
RIDOT" in addition to the work on the island to open new bike routes,
she said.

Overall, the project is expected to take about 10 years and cost some $25 million, Dolen explained.

By connecting the new route near the Mt. Hope and
Sakonnet Bridges and extending bike-friendly areas into Newport, Dolen
said, "it will provide a tremendous economic asset for the island."

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/07/13/kick-off-for-new-bikeway-set-for-monday-in-middletown/