The #MiddletownRI Town Council signs off on a proposal intended to help make the community's streets safer for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.
CREATING SAFER STREETS IN MIDDLETOWN
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (JUNE 12, 2025) – Middletown is looking to make its streets a little safer.
At a recent meeting in Town Hall, the Town Council unanimously signed off on a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) action plan.
Organizers said the goal of the effort across Rhode Island was to eliminate all fatalities on area roads by the year 2034, or nine years from now.
Joining neighboring Newport and Portsmouth, the idea was to make incremental changes across the community to make it safer for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists alike.
Town Planner Ronald Wolanski said in order to receive federal funding for SS4A work in the future, the council had to adopt the report.
“The town is committed to improving safety for all users of the road network,” Wolanski said. “This plan provides recommendations that will help guide the selection of specific projects to make improvements.”
In response to questions from council President Paul M. Rodrigues about the availability of federal money for such work in the future, a consultant hired to assist with the SS4A report said based on all indications, there seemed to be support.
“We do think there is strong bipartisan support for roadway safety and this continues to be pretty popular, even at the federal level,” said Shawna Kitzman of Toole Design. “While there are a lot of changes, we do think that the funding will be there.”
To view a computer slideshow presentation provided to the council, visit https://mdl.town/SS4A-Slideshow online.
In some circles, traffic is one of the top issues in Middletown, particularly during the summer months when visitors flood Aquidneck Island to enjoy Second Beach, the town’s scenic vistas and more.
The Middletown Police have launched a proactive effort to crack down on speeding and aggressive driving throughout the community, whether it’s the main arteries like East Main and West Main roads to side streets and cut throughs.
Police have said the numbers show the faster people drive in Middletown — or anywhere — the likelihood for accidents skyrockets. Visit https://mdl.town/Speed to learn more about that effort.
At the same time, the state Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has worked hard over the past two decades to improve intersections and well-travelled state streets across the community.
This includes Two Mile Corner where East Main and West Main roads meet, Coddington Highway and West Main nearby, Green End Avenue and Valley Road as well as the entire stretch of upper Aquidneck Avenue.
Much of this work includes the installation of sidewalks, something that was rare not that long ago in Middletown, but is now commonplace in many locations thanks to the state’s efforts.
“I think we have a pretty good relationship with DOT,” Rodrigues said. “Anytime we’ve asked them to come down and talk to us about a project, (they’ve been here and have done a lot of work we’ve all benefited from)…At the end of the day, it’s about safety.”
Data in the lengthy SS4A report indicated that people walking, bicycling or riding motorcycles were much more likely to be injured or killed when involved in an accident.
It went onto indicate while 5 percent of the roads in town have more than one lane, those locations accounted for 33 percent of all accidents with fatalities or injuries.
The numbers also showed that state roads make up 11 percent of the total roadway mileage in Middletown, they account for 45 percent of the crashes with injuries and fatalities.
To combat these trends, the SS4A report recommended the following actions:
- Adoption of a regional approach to safer streets.
- Boost roadway safety while lowering overall speeds.
- Grow the community’s commitment to reducing deaths and serious accidents on area roads.
- Provide more management of post-crash care and data transparency.
To view the complete SS4A report, visit https://mdl.town/SS4A-Report online.
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Safer
About Middletown
The Town of Middletown is a vibrant municipality located on Aquidneck Island, known for its scenic beauty, historic landmarks, diverse economy and strong sense of community. For more information about all we have to offer, visit MiddletownRI.gov online.
Media Contact
Matt Sheley
Public Affairs Officer
401-842-6543
msheley@middletownri.gov