Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current
STIP Approved by the Council 19-1, with Grow Smart RI Scott Wolf Being the Sole Dissenter
The State Planning Council voted 19-1 to approve the $11 billion 2026-2035 STIP, the schedule of transportation projects to be funded and implemented during the next 10 years with state and federal funds. It was always expected to clear a vote.
Still, Scott Wolf, Grow Smart RI’s Executive Director and a member of the Council, made a case for rejecting it because it failed to meet the moment by not beginning a meaningful shift in investments toward public transit and bike and ped, and reduced emissions required by the Act on Climate, among other reasons.
"I and Grow Smart Rhode Island, along with many of our community partners, view this STIP as mainly a status quo roadmap for Rhode Island‘s future transportation priorities —at a time when we need to move in a more transit and bike and ped friendly direction. Instead, we are still facing proposed transit service cutbacks on more than 40 RIPTA routes -- service cutbacks which could be completely avoided through a reallocation of one tenth of one percent of the current state Budget." -- Scott Wolf, Executive Director of Grow Smart RI
His presentation prompted State Planning Council (SPC) member Jim Riordan of Weston & Sampson to seek ways of accommodating change.
After further discussion, a motion was made by Department of Administration (DOA) representative Brenna McCabe to adopt the draft STIP, but with a commitment that it be sent to the Governor with a copy of the meeting minutes reflective of all the commentary and discussion from this group, and with an eye toward revisiting this discussion in January, 2026 when the SPC will review again the process of amending the STIP, and when the Transit Master Plan update will be complete.
State administration officials maintained that much of the decision making is out of their hands due to federal constraints on project eligibility. This may be worth advocates exploring and probing around the January meeting.
During the public comment period, Rep. Tanzi spoke in support of the STIP including additional investments in public transit and bike and ped infrastructure, in part as a way to increase the likelihood of the State complying with its own Act on Climate.
While the actions add deliberation at this SPC meeting were far from a break-through, the fact that other members of the State Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) and State Planning Council (SPC) expressed concerns about the STIP even though they voted for its passage, opens the opportunity to re-engage the TAC and SPC in amending the STIP.
IN THE MEDIA
September 13, 2025 | ‘Status quo roadmap’: Critics say new RI transportation plan fails climate, transit goals | Providence Journal and USA Today
September 12, 2025 | State Planning Council Approves New Transportation Improvement Plan Draft, with Bulk of Funding Going to RIDOT | ecoRI News
September 11, 2025 | State Planning Council OKs plan for next decade of R.I. transportation projects | Rhode Island Current
September 11, 2025 | A new greenway, train platforms, and street upgrades: R.I. maps next 10 years of transportation improvement funding | The Boston Globe