Rhode Island

Close-up of Amtrak logo on blue passenger train stopped at outdoor station platform.

Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor Awarded $16.4 Billion in Federal Funds

The funding will support track construction, bridge replacement, and other upgrades to make passenger train service faster and more reliable.

November 7, 2023 - Streetsblog Massachusetts

A drawing of a planned bus facility in downtown Providence, Rhode Island.

New Transit Center and Bus Hub Planned for Providence

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority officials recently approved a design-build contract for a bus hub to Downtown Providence, Rhode Island.

August 28, 2023 - WPRI

White and green Rhode Island Public Transit Agency bus

Rhode Island Ends Free Transit Program

The state’s public transit agency cited cost overruns and a looming ‘fiscal cliff.’

August 14, 2023 - The Center Square

Rhode Island Capitol Building

Housing Reform Package Under Consideration by Rhode Island General Assembly

The Rhode Island House Speaker has introduced a package of 14 bills intended to ease housing construction without stepping on any toes at the local level.

March 8, 2023 - WPRI

A two-lane highway cuts through a small canyon. The photo is taken from the perspective of a vehicle on the road.

Rhode Island Funding Highway Expansion Despite Poor Road Conditions

In a Strong Towns article passionately argued by Charles Marohn, Rhode Island’s penchant for building new highway capacity while the rest of the state’s roads crumble is compared to Emperor Nero.

August 16, 2022 - Strong Towns

An image of a sign asking people to wear masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Omicron Breaks Another Pandemic Record: Hospitalizations

The highly infectious Omicron variant is contributing to a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. The record set in last winter's surge fell on Tuesday as hospitals suffer from massive labor shortages caused by the variant.

January 16, 2022 - The Washington Post

An image of a bridge in Vermont with a sign in front of it announcing a COVID-19 quarantine order.

Revisiting Vermont: A COVID Update

PBS NewsHour investigates the surging coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Vermont which, along with Rhode Island, has 75% of its total population fully vaccinated, the nation's highest, as the U.S. appears to enter a winter surge.

December 13, 2021 - PBS NewsHour

The East Bay Bike Lane runs along the water in Rhode Island.

Lessons From Past Bike Lane Controversies Rarely Inform Present Debates

History repeats itself with the political controversies created by bike lanes.

October 19, 2021 - The Boston Globe

Waterplace Park

Providence Plans Ambitious Public Space Makeover

Take a virtual tour of the new public spaces proposed in the Providence Unified Vision Plan.

July 21, 2021 - The Architect's Newspaper

Mass Vaccination

Vaccination Disparities Between Urban and Rural America

The pandemic has largely been measured by case incidence, down significantly in recent weeks in most states. A new metric, the vaccination rate, may determine where the virus strikes next. The urban-rural divide is a major factor, says the CDC.

May 25, 2021 - CNBC

Pandemic Public Health

CDC to Gov. Whitmer: Time to Shut Down, Not Surge Vaccines

Michigan is on fire—a coronavirus variant is spreading rapidly among younger people, including children, yet high-risk activities, including youth sports and indoor dining, remain open. CDC Director Walensky addressed the conflagration Monday.

April 14, 2021 - The New York Times

Sao Paulo, Brazil, Marilia

The World's Worst COVID Outbreak

Brazil has surpassed the U.S. and led the world in the daily average of COVID-19 deaths and coronavirus infections during the last week. Experts point to a coronavirus variant and the lack of a federal strategy, leaving states without assistance.

March 16, 2021 - The Wall Street Journal

Providence

Civil Rights Complaint for Providence's Kennedy Plaza Redesign

The state's plan to dismantle and reorganize its busiest bus plaza faces allegations of civil rights violations.

February 17, 2021 - Streetsblog Mass

COVID Testing

Cars, Covid, and California

Pultizer-winning science journalist and global health expert Laurie Garrett, an Angeleno, points to the Golden State's auto culture during an interview on MSNBC as one reason why the state is now the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S.

December 31, 2020 - MSNBC

Coronavirus

California's Hospital Crisis: What Lies Ahead

As COVID infections and hospitalizations mount in California, ICU availability dropped to zero in Southern and Central California. Demand for hospital care is also outstripping supply in New Mexico.

December 21, 2020 - The Washington Post

Düsseldorf Stadtbahn

Germany Locks Down to Protect Healthcare System

Beginning Dec. 16, all of Germany will be subject to stricter coronavirus restrictions to reduce infections following a meeting with the chancellor and the 16 state governors. Schools will close and restaurants will be confined to take-out service.

December 15, 2020 - Associated Press

Rhode Island Capitol Building

Pandemic Geography: What's Wrong in Rhode Island?

The nation's smallest and second densest state has led the country in daily new cases per capita of coronavirus infections for the last week, supplanting the Midwest and Mountain States where the virus has reigned for months.

December 13, 2020 - GoLocalProv

Newport Bridge

Urban Plan Ready for Public Scrutiny in Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island is undertaking a major planning initiative during the pandemic.

October 15, 2020 - NewportRI.com

Coronavirus Protest

Academic Studies: Staying at Home Saved Millions of Lives Globally

Separate coronavirus studies from the University of California at Berkeley and Imperial College London published June 8 in the journal Nature show the life and health-saving value of domestic stay-at-home orders, global lockdowns, and other measures.

June 15, 2020 - The Washington Post

Road Closure

State and Local Border Restrictions Draw Legal Scrutiny

Some call restrictions at state and county borders necessary to protect the public health of communities. Others call them unconstitutional.

April 20, 2020 - The Washington Post

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