Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Coventry adopts Safe Streets for All plan, approves up to $15,000 for grant application
Summary
The Coventry Town Council adopted a federally-aligned Safe Streets for All safety action plan and authorized up to $15,000 to prepare an implementation grant application with RIPTA and Bowman Consulting; the plan prioritizes school-area safety and a short list of corridors for countermeasures.
Coventry’s Town Council voted to adopt a safety action plan developed under the federal Safe Streets for All program and authorized up to $15,000 to prepare an implementation grant application with RIPTA and Bowman Consulting.
The council approved the plan and funding by roll call after a presentation from Bowman transportation planner Eric Weiss and local staff. The motion to adopt the plan and approve the application funding was made by Councilwoman Capaldi and seconded by Councilman Pasqua; the roll call recorded five affirmative votes and no negatives.
The plan was prepared by Bowman Consulting with town staff and RIPTA as the applicant. Eric Weiss told the council: “Safe Streets for All is a federal program out of USDOT. It was started about 4 years ago. Next year is the last year of funding.” He described the project selection process used for Coventry: crash-mapping, a high-risk network analysis that flags roads with characteristics associated with crashes, and a high-injury network that combines observed and predicted risk locations. The plan lists prioritized locations and a menu of Federal Highway Administration “proven countermeasures,” including curb and sidewalk work, rapid-flashing beacons, widened edge lines and other treatments.
Weiss said the application window for implementation funds is open and that typical grants are expected to range “between $2.5 million and $25 million,” with the program winding down after next year. The council discussion emphasized school-area safety; several members noted locations near Tiogue School and other elementary schools as priorities for grant funding if Coventry secures an implementation award. Vice President Verducci asked whether RIPTA’s role meant any statewide obligation; Weiss explained that RIPTA was legally eligible to apply and had invited municipalities to join, but that funds and projects would be focused on the individual towns that participate.
Council members framed the vote as a precondition for applying for implementation funds. The adopted plan gives the town a menu of sites and planning-level cost estimates; officials said the town can choose which locations and countermeasures to include in an application. Councilman Brown and Councilwoman Capaldi both spoke in favor of prioritizing school-related projects.
The council approved two related resolutions as a block: formal adoption of the Coventry safety action plan and authorization of up to $15,000 to fund the application process. With the plan adopted, town staff and the consulting team said they would proceed with a grant application to the Safe Streets for All implementation program through RIPTA.
The council did not award a large implementation grant in this meeting; adoption of the plan and local funding authorization makes Coventry eligible to apply. Next steps described to the council include preparing an application that specifies sites and countermeasures and pursuing implementation funding if the application is successful.
