Rhode Island Department of Transportation
ROAD Island
|
|
Rhode Island Department of Transportation
|
Data received from the RI Department of Transportation indicates that there were a large number of road miles in 1993, however, in 1994 the road miles decreased sharply. The sharp decrease is attributed to the method of measurement. In 1994, the state began measuring road miles by using aerial photographs. After an aerial photograph was taken, the images were traced and scaled. Road mileage was determined from these pictures. The decrease in road miles in 1995 and 1996 is also attributed to this method. It took some time to determine what perceived roads were roads and what were actually long driveways. From 1996-1997, however, road mileage begins to increase. According to Gary Bowen of RIDOT, the most recent data is most accurate. This data, however, is not a true indicator of the amount of paved areas in the state, including driveways and parking lots.
Roads have a large impact on the environment. The more roads that are built, the more habitat that is disrupted. Not only are habitats destroyed when building the road, but as a road exists, many chemicals (especially Benzene that is contained in gasoline and pollutes both water and air) run off of the road and into existing water supplies, potentially harming wildlife and humans.
Reducing traffic is one of the main reasons roads are built. However, the opposite is true in many cases. In fact, statistics have shown that with every 1% increase in road miles, traffic increases 0.9% in only 5 years. The converse is also true, when road miles decrease due to construction or other reasons for long periods of time, traffic congestion decreases as well. Apparently, many people change their routes or modes to travel.
In 1980, Rhode Island had the highest ratio of existing road miles to area compared to all of the other 50 states. In 1988, roads occupied 15% of the total developed land in the state and 3.4% of overall state land. Unfortunately, these numbers do not appear to have been updated since 1988.
Sources:
Rhode Island Department of Administration. Land Use Trends in Rhode Island 1961-1988. Technical Paper Number 146. July 1998. Statewide Planning Program. One Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908.
RI Department of Transportation. Report 12. Areawide Length Trends 1993 – present. Received from Gary Bowen. RIDOT. Personal Communication. Nov. 15, 2000.
RI Department of Transportation. HPMS (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999). System Length and Daily Vehicle Travel. 11/15/2000. Received from Gary Bowen. RIDOT. Personal Communication. Nov. 15, 2000.
Car Busters Magazine. 10/15/00.
Where do I go from here within transportation? RIPTA Usage