INCREASED BOAT PATROLS SET FOR THIS WEEKEND

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

INCREASED BOAT PATROLS SET FOR THIS WEEKEND

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) will join partners across the country this weekend for the annual Operation Dry Water campaign – a national crackdown on impaired boating.  DEM’s Division of Law Enforcement will be conducting increased patrols from Friday – Sunday and monitoring for boaters under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

 

“It is our job as law enforcement officers to identify and remove drunk or impaired boaters from the water – so that everyone can continue to have an enjoyable and safe boating experience,” said Lieutenant Steven Criscione, boating safety coordinator for DEM’s Division of Law Enforcement.  “The effects of impairment on the water can be severe. Boaters tend to have far less experience and confidence operating a boat versus an automobile, and stressors common to boating – sun, wind, noise, vibration, and motion – can intensify the effects of drugs and alcohol.”

 

The U.S. Coast Guard finds that alcohol use is the leading cause of recreational boating deaths – with 15 percent of all recreational boating fatalities nationwide attributed to alcohol use. According to Rhode Island law, the limits (.08) and penalties are the same for driving and boating under the influence.  Testing standards are also consistent.   

 

"Operating a boat under the influence has impacts both on the water and off,” continued Criscione.  “Many boaters trailer their boats. An intoxicated boater, if undetected, could eventually get behind the wheel of a car and onto our highways – putting countless people at risk. Regardless of whether you personally boat or not, we all have the potential to be impacted by an impaired boater.”

 

Partners in Operation Dry Water include DEM, National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, U.S. Coast Guard, and many others. As part of the 2016 campaign, DEM boarded 61 vessels; issued 36 warnings and citations for boating-related equipment, operation, and other violations; and made 3 arrests.

 

For more information on Rhode Island boating laws, visit www.dem.ri.gov.  Follow DEM on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) or Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM for timely updates.

Foster Town Council Meeting June 22, 2017

Foster Town Council Meeting June 8, 2017

MINIMAL TRAFFIC IMPACT EXPECTED FROM PROPOSED ARCADIA NATURAL RESOURCES & VISITORS CENTER

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) today released findings of a recent traffic study conducted in the vicinity of the planned Arcadia Natural Resources & Visitors Center on Arcadia Road in the Arcadia Management Area. The study, performed by the engineering firm Gordon R. Archibald (GRA), found that the potential traffic generated by the new facility is not likely to diminish roadway safety or result in chronic traffic congestion in the surrounding area.

 

Among the factors evaluated in the study were:

 

Traffic counts: Automated traffic counts were collected on Arcadia Road from July 15, 2016, to July 18, 2016, as part of a broader traffic study commissioned by RIDOT in connection with the replacement of the Browning Mill Bridge. The data showed very low traffic volumes, with less than 60 vehicles per hour traveling in either direction.

 

Predicted employee and visitor data: During the work week, 26 employees are expected to travel to the site daily. The number of regular visitors to the Center is expected to reach 30 per day at least once per week consistently throughout the year. Additional seasonal and/or weather-dependent visitation is also expected. Based on these assumptions, 31 vehicles will enter the site, and 11 vehicles will exit the site during the morning commuting hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. Between 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., 10 vehicles will enter and 30 vehicles will exit the site. A review of local routes suggests that due to ease of access, much of the traffic will come from and return to the north where Arcadia Road bisects Route 165.

 

Location of the proposed driveways for the site: The projected trips by employees and visitors were used to evaluate the impact on the site driveways on the west side of Arcadia Road, immediately south of Tefft Hill Trail. The study found that there is such little activity predicted at these driveways that those trips are expected to have a negligible impact on traffic operations on Arcadia Road. Re-grading the embankments adjacent to the road to ensure sufficient sight distances was recommended and will be done. Once construction begins, speed limit and supplemental signage along Arcadia Road is also recommended and will be installed.

 

Crash data: GRA evaluated four years (2013-2016) of crash data for Arcadia Road in Exeter and Richmond. Four crashes were recorded during this period, with three involving wet/slick roadway conditions and one involving a deer in the road. Two crashes occurred near the intersection of KG Ranch Road, and two occurred at the intersection of Tefft Hill Trail.

 

DEM continues to promote and build on the outdoor recreational opportunities available throughout Rhode Island. Over the last year, as part of Rhode Island’s Outdoor Recreational Council, DEM worked to advance an actionable vision for investing in our state’s wealth of historic parks, beaches, management areas, and other recreational spaces. With over 14,000 acres, Arcadia Management Area is the state’s largest conservation and recreational area.

 

Information on recreational opportunities – from hunting and fishing to kayaking and birdwatching – at Arcadia will be available at the new Arcadia Natural Resources & Visitors Center. Comfort facilities and community space will also be available. The Center will also house wildlife and fisheries biologists and foresters, allowing them to better coordinate and be proximate to the resources managed by DEM. The facility’s location is within ten miles of the majority of DEM’s 51,000 acres of management lands, making it an ideal base of operation for staff working on environmental conservation. The Center has been carefully designed to complement its surrounding rural setting.