You can find an article debunking their claims here.
Some Hope Street businesses continued their crusade this week against the local community by signing a letter to Providence Mayor Elorza. This letter contained blatant misinformation around complete, accessible streets, a bicycle lane, and lies about how the community doesn’t support it despite the exact opposite. We’ve also already debunked much of their claims made in the letter in a previous post.
Despite what the letter insinuates about the number of businesses against it, the reality may be the opposite. After reaching out to other business owners, it appears there’s more support for it than what is recognized. It also seems businesses in the area were notified over a year in advance (see this link and below) and were asked for their input despite claiming otherwise. For example, below is a public Instagram story from Little Sister posted August 24th which points out one of the many meetings, this one was dated a year ago. Little Sister also encouraged other business owners to check their mail.
Citing a study done by Providence Streets Coalition, they also assured other businesses that there was more than enough parking, most of which is often empty.
Other businesses showed support and asked for patience in the process. Frog & Toad, famous for its activism and being in tune with the community, posted this on August 25th:
Lastly, more businesses came to support the temporary trail, according to the Providence Streets Coalition, citing a Boston Globe article:
Aside from the letter attempting to paint this community benefit in a bad light, these opposing businesses have also posted flyers furthering this misinformation and adding that funding is coming from the city or state. This is quickly fact-checked: It’s AARP that is doing the funding, likely because they understand the benefits of this infrastructure, especially for older folks who may not drive and rely on public transportation and walking.
With the claims debunked and the letter and flyers full of misinformation, there isn’t much to add. It’s unfortunate that these businesses still don’t understand the benefits of complete accessible streets and believe cars are the only way to access their location. Their distaste for this, even if it’s a trial run where we can learn more about it, feels selfishly ignorant. We continue to hope that they will educate themselves on the overwhelming evidence, especially since it strongly suggests that it will help them.
Opposition Letter
Dear Mayor Elorza,
We, Hope Street Merchants, respectfully request that the upcoming Urban Trail trial scheduled for October 1-8, 2022 be called off. Still reeling from COVID losses, we fear an unnecessary interruption of business in the short-term, and have serious concerns about the project in general. We are strongly opposed to both the upcoming trial and the plan itself.
Contrary to the repeated assertions of Liza Burkin, Dir. of the cycling advocacy/lobbying group Providence Streets Coalition (PSC), neighborhood outreach wasn’t performed before the October trial was planned and set. We are unable to identify any merchant or neighbor who was contacted for input on this plan, nor provided preliminary information. Most of the businesses in the hope Street business district only became aware of this project a few months ago when word leaked out. It was only then, at the onset of pushback that Liza began scheduling community meetings. We are concerned that future planning and communication will be as opaque and disinterested in the reality of our day-to-day reality on Hope Street.
We are skeptical of the data compiled and presented as it was gathered by agenda driven volunteers. Going forward (if we must), we call on City officials to require that any data gathered and used be collected by a neutral third party.
We are dismayed at the lack of transparency surrounding this project. For instance, how and why was the PSC given permission to co-opt a busy commercial street even for a week for this trial? The merchants have been tending to upper Hope Street for years, providing planters, benches, holiday decorations, bike racks and so much more to enhance the neighborhood and create goodwill in the community, and yet we were never consulted about this drastic change that threatens the viability of our small, independently-owned business, many of which are minority and women-owned. Why aren’t we being treated like partners and constituents?
This project is not being planned “with” us as advertised, but despite us. We merchants, along with the overwhelming majority of our customers and neighbors, don’t feel that Hope Street is a viable location for an urban trail. The idea may make for an attractive rendering in a presentation but, in reality, Hope Street is a narrow, commercial corridor that needs to attract customers from far and wide to survive. Hope Street also hosts both school and city buses as well as myriad delivery vehicles of all sizes, including emergency vehicles to Miriam Hospital throughout every single day. In winter we already have difficulty with snow removal and this would be compounded by the existence of a partitioned trail and further narrowed street.
We believe our neighborhood side streets are quiet, residential spaces that shouldn’t be overrun with customers seeking parking. Additionally, the numerous closely placed driveways on Hope Street make a bike lane hazardous creating too many points of entry through the trail. The nearby bike lane on Blackstone Blvd. is barely used and does not beg for expansion to an additional path so close by.
If the city is wishing to spend future funds on Hope Street, we urge City officials to repair sidewalks, plant additional street trees, and enhance its street cleaning program. The addition of decorative street lamps would beautify the area and serve as traffic calming. For now, we call for the October trial be cancelled and Hope Street be taken off the list of prospective locations for an urban trail.
Best regards,
Kim Clark, Rhody Craft
Pat Zacks, CameraWerks
Lena Zafirides, Hope Street Pizza
Athanasios Meltsakos, Hope Street Pizza
Elise Michel, Luli Boutique
Joanne Vincent, Tortilla Flats
Jim Harris, Pizzico Oyster Bar
Priya Himatsingka, Ph Factor
Bob D’hambra, D’hambra Auto
Mohammad Islam, Not Just Snacks
Sam Lin, Eden Park Cleaners
Ernie Persechino, Executive Hair Salon
Pam Hargraves, Blooming Blossoms
Sonia Chea, Owner Justina’s Nails
Shuwen Chen, Owner Lucky Kitchen
Claudia Curl, Owner Claudia Curl Salon
Dan Goldman, Green River Silver
Daniel Ronkin, Bubbies Deli
Beverly Alessandro, Best Little Hair House
Greg Moore, Coiffurium Salon
Nunzio & Stefano Zirilli, Stephanos Barber Shop
Amy Lockaby, Evolve Apothecary
Marysia’s Custom Tailoring
And many more…
As reported on GoLocalProv, source.
Personal Response Letter Sent to Businesses
To respective business owner,
We read your oppositional letter to the temporary bike trail on Hope. Along with most other residents and some businesses in the area, we support this trail and am disappointed in your decision. It’s also concerning to see flyers posted containing misinformation (the letter did as well) around complete accessible streets and where the funding is coming from.
We know that some businesses may be struggling, and that’s why you ought to support this! The science and studies around complete streets are unanimous: this greatly increases business! People feel more safe to visit, spend more time in the area, and overall, non-car users spend more money on average relative to their counterparts. We’ve also seen the benefits of this infrastructure locally, not to mention where streets are routinely shut down from cars—business booms!
Business aside, all of us are struggling with transportation in this city. Busses lack proper infrastructure, and it’s dangerous to even cross the street and bike in most areas, including Hope Street, due to car dominance. In this dense, growing city, we are headed to a less car-dependent future, making streets and businesses more accessible and safer for everyone.
We encourage you to further look into the awesome benefits, listen to your community’s needs and wants, and don’t succumb to NIMBY thinking. And let’s be blunt: this trail is temporary—it’s free data, and almost certainly, the only effects you’ll see are increased business and safety. Lastly, much of your concerns have been addressed in community meetings over the past year.
We hope you’re ready for increased business.
Sincerely,
Providence Progressive