Public Transit Drives Public Health … and Main Street vitality
It makes sense. According to this Public Health Action Guide from the CDC Foundation, people who regularly use public transit are building increased physical activity into daily mobility routines.
And while the health benefits were already well-known among our guests from the RI Department of Health (RIDOH), our ride together also raised awareness about how public transit builds stronger community, more vibrant Main Streets and connectedness among riders and merchants across neighborhoods.
With that, we set out to visit neighborhood organizers in Olneyville who helped residents make a plan for improving eight (8) bus stops and shelters in 02908 and 02909 neighborhoods in Providence, something voted as a priority by neighbors as part of an innovative participatory budgeting project that began in 2022.
Joining us from RIDOH were Ishaa Gadkari, Sarah Blau, Nancy Sutton, Dr. Carla Martin and Dr. Olutosin “Tosin” Ojugbele. Being a pedestrian in winter, however, comes with its own challenges as we navigated snow and ice-covered sidewalks.
Our destination was One Neighborhood Builders and the Central Providence Opportunities Health Equity Zone (CPO-HEZ ) in Olneyville.
Once there, we met with Dominique Resendes, Anusha Venkataraman, Lucy Berman and Kyle McKendall who described how residents came together through a participatory budgeting process that empowered local residents to decide how to allocate funds for community improvements that best met the neighborhood’s needs.
The bus stop improvements will include new seating, lighting, and shelters at 8 priority stops, plus 16 additional benches and lightings installed across the HEZ, all to be completed this year in close collaboration with RIPTA. We can’t wait to see them!
The HEZ is also engaging with local merchants to bolster economic activity in the 02908 and 02909 neighborhoods. Their business initiatives include:
View more Rhodies-In-Transit HERE.
