Representatives of the Neighbors of Rawson Road Bridges came to the meeting with proposed compromises on all outstanding items, based on feedback gathered during our petition drive.  We also offered numerous alternatives to the aspects of the plan to which our community is opposed.  Much to our dismay, neither the mayor nor RIDOT would consider any form of compromise on the community's most significant concerns: wooden planks and the width of the roadway and bridges.  Both of these items directly affect the speed of the traffic, and, thus, our safety.  (RIDOT agreed to put wooden planks on only one of the bridges.)  Also:

• Agreement was reached on only two items: weight limits (though dependent upon signage), and guard rails on the bridges.
• The following remain unresolved because the mayor and Town Council must debate the options: signage, guard rails on the road, the bridge color, and adornment of the concrete slab.
• The following remain unresolved because RIDOT's proposal is not due for another 60 days: traffic calming, tree removal. 
• Police Chief Anthony Silva made a commitment to enforce the posted weight limit.

What’s Next?
On Tuesday July 31, there will be a Rawson Bridges Community Meeting at 7pm at the Cumberland Senior Center, which is located at the Monastery on Diamond Hill Road. During the meeting, Ellen Forman, Pat Ford, and Jennifer Keiser Voas will share details of the July 17 meeting that weren't mentioned in the coverage in the press.  Remaining concerns will be discussed, including:

• Safety  Great for speeding vehicles, but two vehicles passing over the bridges at once leaves no room for pedestrians.
• Financing  None from the town, but state and federal taxpayers beware.  Far cheaper alternatives than $1.5M were rejected.
• Aesthetics  The mayor, Town Council, and RIDOT will negotiate unresolved points, with community participation uncertain.

Also see the Providence Journal Archives (http://archives.projo.com) for the following article:
Rawson Road bridges plan calls for one to have wood deck, 7/19/01
 

Contact:
  Ellen Forman, Chairperson, 334-2568
  Jennifer Keiser Voas, 333-6526
  Pat Ford, 333-5356
  rawsonbridges@home.com
  http://members.home.net/rawsonbridges 
 
 

         Cumberland, RI – July 9, 2001 – Heeding the request of the Neighbors of Rawson Road Bridges, the mayor of Cumberland has agreed to a meeting with RIDOT officials to discuss a compelling alternative to the current plan for redevelopment of two century-old bridges on Rawson Road.  The July 17 meeting will bring together Cumberland Mayor Dan McKee, RIDOT Chief Bridge Engineer Ed Parker, and members of the Neighbors of Rawson Road Bridges.  The Neighbors’ guest will be a local expert who has successfully designed and fabricated timber bridges in Foster and other neighboring areas.

The Neighbors aspire to use this summit to discuss replacing the current RIDOT plan with one that is safer, more aesthetically pleasing, and significantly cheaper to build and maintain, while still preserving the historic character of the bridges that they have organized to defend. 

“We are thrilled that the mayor is embracing the evaluation of an alternate plan,” said Jennifer Keiser Voas of the Neighbors of Rawson Road Bridges.  “Our goal all along has not been to stand in the way of repairing the bridges, but to find a plan that’s a ‘win’ for everyone involved.”  In a July 5 interview with Channel 12’s Glenn Laxton, Mayor McKee said, “If there was a better plan that fit those particular criteria, which is, one, the financing, two, the safety, and, three, the aesthetics, then we would embrace that.”

Research by Neighbors’ Chairperson Ellen Forman has shown that historic bridges in other Rhode Island towns have been successfully reconstructed with timber substructures and decks, with steel beam reinforcement. The widths of these bridges are narrow (Ms. Forman saw examples of 14, 17, and 18-foot widths) and approved for safety and heavy loads by RIDOT. The timbers are stable and durable; they resist decay, insect attack, and fire; they are able to withstand severe weather conditions and salt. The wood deck, when bolted down properly, is quiet when vehicles pass over it.  The timbers have been safely used on bridges over reservoirs, and their lifetime is about 35 years with minimal maintenance, according to a Public Works Director who has used them extensively. 

A town’s Public Works crew can construct such a bridge quickly and easily with simple equipment.  The cost to build a 17-foot wide by 40-foot bridge in another RI town was about $30,000 for materials, plus the time of the town’s work crew.  This method of construction seems to offer greater advantages than Flexicore, the cement product proposed by RIDOT for the Rawson bridges.  Flexicore, vulnerable to erosion from salt, is being replaced in many deteriorating RI bridges.  Timbers are more lightweight and flexible and maintain the historic character of the bridges. 

According to Ms. Forman, “The bridges in Foster, for example, have been built at a fraction of the $1.5 million earmarked for our bridges.  If we follow a similar plan, perhaps the excess state and federal funds could be used for other deserving projects in Cumberland.”

RIDOT (Rhode Island Department of Transportation) representatives presented their final plan for redevelopment of the Rawson Road bridges at a Cumberland town meeting on Tuesday, June 12.  The community was unsatisfied with several of its components, including the widening of the bridges and roadway, the removal of trees, the replacement of wooden planks with asphalt, and increased weight limits.  On Friday, June 22, the Community submitted a formal notice of opposition to the mayor.  In a June 26 letter to RIDOT, Mayor McKee asked for the bridges’ placement on the Transportation Improvement Project (TIP) list for fiscal year 2003, along with wooden planks and other elements requested by the community.  However, RIDOT representatives had previously stated that wooden planks and a FY 2003 construction schedule were incompatible. 

The Neighbors of Rawson Road Bridges are appealing to the Arnold Mills community, and citizens in the surrounding area, to express their opinions about the proposed plan in preparation for the July 17 meeting.  Comments should be delivered to Mayor Daniel McKee, Town Councilor Lorraine Hynes, and the Neighbors representatives.  Contact information for all three is available on the Neighbors’ website, http://members.home.net/rawsonbridges.

The Neighbors of Rawson Road Bridges has grown from a group of citizens residing in the Arnold Mills section of Cumberland, RI, to one that claims members from throughout the town.  The Neighbors are interested in maintaining the character of the historic Rawson Road bridges and the safety of the surrounding neighborhood.