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By Sen. Frank A. Ciccone

Published/Posted By: The Providence American
Posted: April 22, 2017

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  • Mayor Elorza is wrong to close Plainfield Street ramp on 6-10 Connector

    To say myself, the residents, and the small
    businesses of the Silver Lake neighborhood are frustrated with Mayor Jorge
    Elorza would be a great understatement.  His
    unilateral decision to close the Plainfield Street ramp on the 6-10 Connector
    is a disastrous decision and by doing so, he is effectively turning his back on
    the small businesses of the Silver Lake neighborhood and every Rhode Island
    resident who uses this ramp to access the 6-10 Connector.



    Despite months of public outcry regarding this
    decision, Mayor Elorza has been ambiguous and non-committal to any plan other
    than his own.  Even when presented with an
    alternative plan that was proposed that would give the mayor 90 percent of what
    he wants, such as development land, a bike path, and further community
    connections that have separated neighborhoods, but would still leave open the
    important Plainfield Street ramp, the mayor has stubbornly stuck to his very
    flawed plan.



    The small business owners of Plainfield Street and
    the surrounding area are not rich people. 
    The livelihoods of their families and their employees are dependent upon
    the traffic to the street.  Mayor Elorza’s
    callous support of cutting off traffic to the street will cost these hard
    working men and women untold amounts of business and income, and I personally
    would like to know why the Mayor is turning his back to the needs of his
    constituents.  He’s turning his back on
    these people for a small amount of developable space that will most likely be
    given to someone who does not live in the neighborhood and whose development
    will probably be subsidized by the very people who the Mayor is disregarding
    with this ramp closure.  Shame on Mayor
    Elorza for his support of this disastrous plan and for sending the very clear
    message to the small business owners of Plainfield Street that they don’t
    matter to him.



    I stand with my colleague Providence Councilman John
    J. Igliozzi who cites the many negative impacts the removal of the Plainfield
    Street on-ramp would have on the neighborhood, including increased traffic
    congestion, increased environmental pollution, and a detrimental financial
    impact to the existing businesses on Plainfield Street.  This plan is being pushed through without an
    environmental justice study or an economic impact study and that is a true
    travesty to the people of this neighborhood.



    And, even though this is a state project, Governor
    Raimondo has made it clear she is acquiescing to the mayor’s fundamentally terrible
    and anti-democratic plan.  I urge all
    residents of the Silver Lake neighborhood and all patrons of the Plainfield
    Street small businesses to contact Mayor Elorza’s office at 401-421-2489, and
    the Governor’s office at 401-222-2080, and tell them that what Mayor Elorza is
    doing is just plain wrong.



    Sen.
    Frank A. Ciccone is a Rhode Island State Senator representing District 7 in
    Providence and North Providence

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