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."