A once defunct train station, Union Station in downtown Providence, is no longer. On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, it was renamed to Track 15 and now houses several restaurants. The several-year-long project is estimated to have cost around $25 million and situates itself near Kennedy Plaza, the Providence Ice Rink, and Waterplace Park.
However, what’s not mentioned is the elephant in the room: In front of Track 15 is one of Providence’s widest and busiest streets, Exchange Terrace. Large buses and cars speed by, and two-sided on-street parking clogs the area. Essentially, it remains difficult and unsafe to cross. In addition, just a short distance in either direction leads to poorly cobbled together multi-directional intersections and wide, multi-lane streets that promote car dominance and vehicle speed.
Due to the fast-moving, heavy traffic, it’s not the most pleasant area to be around unless you’re keen on yelling at the person next to you. Further, if you’re a pedestrian, expect to wait several minutes to cross a single nearby street–assuming you’re able to do so, as cars seemingly still get priority due to the ability to turn on red. Lastly, if you biked or scooted in–assuming you weren’t already knocked over by the many passing vehicles–bike parking is scarce, and there aren’t even bike lanes.
The best way to rectify these safety hazards and boost the downtown community is to close off Exchange Terrace to vehicular traffic. By doing so, Kennedy Plaza, Track 15, Waterplace Park, and even Providence Place Mall will be seamlessly linked. If we want to genuinely revitalize downtown Providence, we must prioritize human accessibility.
This would require support from local officials. However, that is unlikely, as Providence’s Mayor, Brett Smiley, has been hellbent on removing pedestrian and bike-related infrastructure, including Kennedy Plaza and one of the few remaining nearby bike lanes. Tragically, as is often the case in Providence, it may take an accident or fatality to force this conversation. Until then, we won’t truly see the full potential of Track 15.