Bike Newport Unveils 'Traffic Garden': Innovative Space Teaches Road Safety to Young Cyclists

Bike Newport’s  new Traffic Garden.

Bike Newport is committed to encouraging the switch from cars to bicycles, enabling a more complete appreciation of Newport's beauty. The organization fosters an environment conducive to increased biking for both transportation and recreation. Their efforts are instrumental in transforming Newport into a bike-friendly city through education, advocacy, and community engagement.

Recently, Bike Newport unveiled the Traffic Garden, a vibrant educational space at Miantonomi Park's edge on Hillside Avenue. This reimagined parking lot now features a mini streetscape with painted roadways, where young cyclists learn about road markings, crosswalks, and traffic signs in a car-free environment. This initiative not only improves road safety education but also promotes respect among all road users.

Located near several community hubs, including Pell Elementary School and the Florence Gray Community Center, the Traffic Garden is easily accessible, especially for those without cars or reliable transit.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Newport Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong highlighted the project's contribution to the city's health, safety, and well-being. He commended Bike Newport for transforming a vacant city space into a valuable community asset.

For more information on the Traffic Garden and other Bike Newport initiatives, visit their website. Don't miss experiencing the Traffic Garden in person!

Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District: Cultivating Environmental Stewardship Through Programs

From community gardens to student driven agriculture education to support of local farmers, Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District (ERICD) offers a wide array of vibrant programs and services that preserve our state’s natural resources. Serving Newport and Bristol Counties, ERICD works with landowners, farmers, municipalities, state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and the residential community to protect natural resources such as soil, water, and air. 

A key piece of ERICD’s work is collaboration with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to provide resources to farmers and landowners to implement conservation-smart practices on their land that they wouldn’t be able to install otherwise. In addition, ERICD partners with Portsmouth School District on the Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm – a student-driven sustainable community agriculture education program that teaches about the environment through experiential learning. The organization also provides funding for community gardens, educates state and local governments for smart environmental legislation, and engages the community to promote conservation practices.

This month ERICD invites our community to participate in its numerous Earth Month programs. The organization will be offering three rain barrel workshops, three plogging (trash pickup) opportunities, a seedling sale, a community learning workshop about residential stormwater, and a clean comedy show. Details for all of these events can be found on their website.