Bristol council backs list of projects for state transportation plan, including Medicom sidewalks and traffic study

The Town of Bristol Town Council on Feb. 26 approved the town’s proposed project list for submission to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation’s State Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP).

Diane Williamson, identified in the meeting as the director working on TIP submissions, said the town may submit up to five projects and that several already on the list will roll forward. Williamson described priority items including adding sidewalks on Medicom Avenue (both north and south segments to connect missing sections), a traffic‑calming design for the Medicom–Ferry Road area, and a request to study a roundabout at the Ferry Road–Medicom intersection near the Roger Williams driveway as one possible solution.

"These are wish‑list items that would require design and engineering," Williamson told the council, and she said the TIP is a multi‑year (10‑year) planning process; state review and prioritization determine which projects receive funding and when. Council members raised concerns about roundabouts, with one member saying they can be confusing for drivers, and others noting the safety benefits that roundabouts have delivered in some communities once drivers adapt.

The council approved the town’s submission list on a motion to support the projects; the vote was unanimous. Williamson said projects will be entered using the state’s online submission process and that the town will continue design and engineering work as required for projects that gain state traction.

The recommendation includes design‑level study requests (sidewalks, traffic calming, intersection study) rather than construction commitments; any state funding award would require subsequent design, engineer estimates and a future appropriation.