The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority proposed service reductions to nearly all of its bus routes on Thursday as it tries to balance a budget deficit. The proposed cuts, which are laid out in detail on RIPTA’s website, would affect 58 routes total, 17 of which would be eliminated entirely. In an interview after announcing […]
Peter Alviti
Posted inEconomy, Local, Transportation
How safe are Rhode Island’s other bridges?
The Washington Bridge may have grabbed most of the headlines, but it is by no means the only piece of Rhode Island infrastructure in urgent need of repair. Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio identified 119 bridges listed as “Poor” in the most recent available data from the National Bridge Inventory, a federal survey […]
Posted inLocal, Transportation
Washington Bridge: Did Rhode Island miss critical warning signs ahead of the 2023 crisis?
When the westbound Washington Bridge was suddenly shut down in December 2023, never to re-open, many wondered if the crisis could have been prevented. An investigation by Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio found that the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) may have failed to perform crucial inspections of the span that could […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for March 21, 2025
April 1 is approaching, so don’t let yourself get Rickrolled along the way. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and X. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** 1. STORY OF THE WEEK: As we roll into the […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, Transportation
RIDOT head says RI has enough bridge money even with possible Trump block on funds
Even if the Trump administration hangs onto hundreds of millions of federal dollars already promised to Rhode Island, the state will have more than enough money to build a new westbound Washington Bridge, Transportation Director Peter Alviti said Thursday. Alviti said more than $600 million has been allocated for the bridge and a series of […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, Transportation
State officials say eastbound Washington Bridge remains safe
State officials said Monday the eastbound Washington Bridge has not experienced any significant deterioration despite carrying twice the normal traffic since it was pressed into an expanded role last year. The eastbound bridge was reconfigured to accommodate six lanes of traffic, three in each direction, after the westbound bridge was closed on an emergency basis […]
Posted inBusiness, Local, Politics
State unveils two-step process for picking Washington Bridge contractor
More than 10 months after the abrupt emergency closing of the westbound Washington Bridge, state officials unveiled on Tuesday a revised process for picking a firm to build a new bridge. Rhode Island transportation officials issued a request for qualifications for companies interested in building the new westbound bridge, and plan to choose two finalists […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for July 12, 2024
If your bingo card had George Clooney delivering a sharp jab to POTUS via op-ed, raise your hand. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Politics
With no bids to rebuild, RI officials decline to define timeline for opening westbound Washington Bridge
State officials declined on Tuesday to project when a new westbound Washington Bridge would open. Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee’s administration plans to issue a request for information to determine why a proposal to rebuild the span attracted no bids by a recent deadline. The governor declined at a press conference to say what the […]
Posted inLocal, Political Roundtable, Politics
RI Senate Democratic Whip Val Lawson on Washington Bridge, East Providence and the future of the Senate
Valarie Lawson has enjoyed a rapid rise in the Rhode Island Senate. Lawson was first elected in 2018 and she is now the third-ranking member in the chamber. The East Providence Democrat may climb even higher. Senate president Dominick Ruggerio is 75. If he wins re-election this year, Ruggerio is expected to pass the Senate […]
