Excited for Autumn - Ward 3 Updates for Mid-September

Hello Neighbors & Friends,

I hope that this note finds you well - and that you had a lovely end to your Rhode Island summer. And for those with kids in school - I hope the transition back to to the classroom has been smooth and exciting for your kids. After our brief August recess from Council, I am glad to be back in the chambers and back at committee work!

As usual - there's no shortage of updates and I won't be able to cover everything in one email, so I'll hop right in!

Updates during August Recess:

The Council takes a brief recess in August from formal meetings at City Hall - but as I hope you can imagine, I kept busy in our Ward and across the City. I wanted to share some highlights from the last month:

• Danny Lopes Way: I was honored earlier this year to sponsor a ceremonial renaming of Camp Street after Councilman Danny Lopes, who dedicated so much of his life to serving our City and our neighborhood. And it was such a pleasure to celebrate the renaming with so many neighbors & friends on Camp Street and members of his family.

• Roger Williams Memorial Turned 60! Did you know that there are only 34 National Memorials across the United States - and Ward 3 is home to one of them? The Roger Williams Memorial park is located on North Main Street, and is dedicated to "preserving and interpreting the legacy of Roger Williams and advancing the ideals of freedom and conscience". It was a honor to join the 60th anniversary celebration of this spectacular resource with National Parks staff, as well as local leaders including Secretary of State Amore and Senator Whitehouse.

  
  

• New England Women in Energy & the Environment: In August, I was honored to moderate a panel on "Women Leading the Way" of energy and environmental policy leaders from across New England hosted by NEWIEE. When I started my career in energy policy almost 20 years ago, I was regularly the only or one of very few women in the room - and I'm so grateful organizations like NEWIEE exist today to bring us together.

North Main Street Updates: I have been bringing a sense of urgency to addressing the safety and other issues that exist on North Main Street. While I know we have so much still to do, we have been making real progress that I want to share with you:

• The intersection where North Main, Benefit St, and Olney meet has been confusing for cars and dangerous for pedestrians for a long time. We are clarifying the lanes for those driving and building barriers to protect pedestrians and cyclists. You've likely noticed the paint, and DPW will soon be installing physical stanchions.  Later this fall, the Providence Streets Coalition will help us add some planters in the blocked off area to increase the beauty while also making it more clear where cars cannot drive.

• Have you seen the cones in the intersection between Olney and Doyle? This area has been persistently too dark and causes safety hazards for folks catching the bus or crossing from Charlesgate or University Heights -- so I acquired funds to add pedestrian-level lighting in this corridor, and the City and our contractors are mid-installation right now! We have also added additional lighting further north in the business corridor on North Main north of 3rd Street.

• STIP Funds: I sponsored a resolution authorizing the City to enter into a contract with the State for the use of millions of dollars of State Transportation Improvement Plan funds. The City Planning Department will be putting out an RFP for the next phase of our work on improvements to North Main -- please stay tuned for how to be engaged throughout this process with the North Main Street Task Force! Council staff created a video summary of me describing some of the investments being made, which you can watch here​. 

• The Providence Journal recently covered the progress we are making with a front page story on North Main Street. You can read the article by clicking this link. (Please never actually stand in the middle of North Main - after the demonstration in the picture below, I immediately popped back up to the curb for safety.)

Neighborhood & City Updates:

• Ward 2 Council Election: The City Council formally accepted the resignation of Chairwoman Helen Anthony in early September. The Board of Canvassers has released key dates in the upcoming election: candidates need to file their declaration of candidacy on September 25 or 26th, and the primary election will be held on November 4th.

• Butler Workers Win a Fair Contract: After the longest hospital strike in Rhode Island history - the workers of Butler Hospital approved a new union contract and returned to work in late August. The new contract includes provisions that no worker will make less than $20/hour by the end of the contract, as well as financial support for those injured at work, among other provisions. The $500 fines levied against some of the strikers by the Administration have also been dropped by the City's legal department. I want to personally thank our community for their outpouring of support for the strikers and fair wages and workplaces for our neighbors.

• Neighbors in the News: Check out this article in the Providence Eye about our neighbor Stewart Martin & the amazing work he does to promote composting and sustainability in our city! Thank you for all you do, Stewart!

• RI Monthly Best of RI - Ward 3 Highlights: I was so proud (but unsurprised!) to see so many Ward 3 businesses highlighted in this year's RI Monthly "Best of Rhode Island" issue this summer. Big congrats to: Providence Vegan Deli, the Sandwich Hut, India Restaurant, Providence Bagel, Fearless Fish, and Seven Stars Bakery!

  
  

Upcoming Meetings & Events:

• The full City Council meets the 1rst and 3rd Thursday of the month at 6pm for the remainder of the year. You can see agendas and any updates/changes on the City's Open Meetings Portal.

• The Special Committee on the Environment and Resiliency is scheduled to meet on September 24th at 5:30pm to take up ordinances that have been pending before our committee -- including the proposed gas-powered leaf blower phase out and an ordinance to address concerns with utility treatment of our roads and infrastructure.

• AARP is kicking off WalkTober on October 8th! You can see more about the event on their website (https://states.aarp.org/rhode-island/events-ri), and I will share updates soon about Walktober events scheduled for Ward 3.

• Save the Date: October 4th: Oystermania hosted by Fearless Fish returns! More details soon!

• Save the Date: October 18th: LitArts RI is hosting "Writers Block Party: Resistance" - a day of workshops on writing for social change. Check out more details here.

Gratitude:

With Council back in session, my update emails will return to their usual frequency (and so they won't need to be this long!)! Thank you so much for the opportunity to serve you in this capacity - especially right now, it is truly an honor to serve and get things done for our neighbors. Please reach out to me any time at this email address, and I will follow up as quickly as I can. And between newsletters, I will continue to post updates on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram.

With Gratitude,

Councilwoman Sue AnderBois

Deputy Majority Whip, Providence City Council