A new proposal is moving through Providence City Council about the bike lanes on South Water Street.
The ordinance would prevent Mayor Brett Smiley from removing the bike lanes without council approval.
https://turnto10.com/news/local/providence-city-council-proposes-ordinance-to-protect-bike-lanes-southern-new-england-rhode-island-april-18-2024#
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we like that Mark all right new on the night team a proposal about bike Lanes on southwater street is moving through the Providence city council it would prevent the mayor from removing the bike Lanes without Council approval yeah the battle lines are being drawn it comes amid public outcry from residents and city leaders over what they call an overstep tonight team’s LNA folk is live in Providence with these new details LNA and Dan Patrice this is all happening amid Fallout over mayor Smiley’s plan to remove these bikes Lanes off of southwater street and it’s a decision that City councilors believe he shouldn’t be making a loan we have to exercise our checks and balances on government Provident City councelor John gon soles is making good on his promise uh we’re going to do everything that we can to preserve those lanes and uh that’s what we intend to do with this ordinance defile legislation that would reign in the mayor’s ability to bypass city council and remove the bike Lanes on southwater street he has clearly seen that people are opposing to this so this is our recourse tonight seven City councilors joining gon soles on an ordinance that would require mayor Brett Smiley to get Council permission before relocating the lanes Smiley called the ordinance a bad idea speaking with reporters following Wednesday’s budget address I think it is a overstep of their responsibility I think it’s a bad idea if the city council starts legislating every possible change to every possible Street nothing will ever get done I brought that concern to gona I think the mayor is saying that but quite frankly if we wanted to change a one-way sign in current ordinance you would actually have to do that by city council resolution Smiley wasn’t clear on what he would do if the ordinance reached his desk and gonal needs 10 votes to clear the way for a veto proof majority so our hope is that we can have another two votes and uh there’s seven votes out there the mayor’s office says the decision was made to help alleviate Washington Bridge born gestion spilling Downtown City activists say they’ve seen no evidence to support that when we’re removing things that are not broken at Great expense that seems like a fiscally irresponsible decision and something that the city council that uh holds the P strings should have have a say over the ordinance was sent to committee for further debate before going for a vote live in Providence Lan Faulk NBC 10 News 19