The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will hold a public workshop to discuss the $20 million Local Equity Aid Program (RI-LEAP) on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 10 a.m. at the Providence Marriott, One Orms Street, Providence.
RI-LEAP, being funded by RIDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), was designed to improve the local infrastructure, provide additional economic stimulus at the local level and create jobs, by offering funding to all 39 cities and towns for local roadway improvements including resurfacing and sidewalk replacement.
Communities that will receive $250,000 of RI-LEAP funds include: Barrington, Central Falls, Charlestown, Cumberland, East Greenwich, Exeter, Foster, Glocester, Hopkinton, Jamestown, Johnston, Lincoln, Little Compton, Narragansett, New Shoreham, North Providence, North Smithfield, Portsmouth, Richmond, Scituate, Tiverton, Warren, and West Greenwich. These towns are eligible because they have fewer than 15 miles of local roads on the Federal Highway System. These State funds are flexible and can be spent on any local public road.
All of the other communities that have more than 15 miles on the Federal Highway System will receive $150,000 of flexible State funds plus additional Federal funds based on a proportion of the additional mileage. These communities must follow all FHWA requirements including design, permitting, and construction, and can only be used on the Federal Highway System. The additional Federal funds allotment (not including the State funds) breaks down as follows: Bristol ($458,038), Burrillville ($413,908), Coventry ($506,313), Cranston ($1,025,850), East Providence ($416,926), Middletown ($416,607), Newport ($677,523), North Kingstown ($1,042,361), Pawtucket ($972,266), Providence ($2,519,903), Smithfield ($383,350), South Kingstown ($757,704), Warwick ($929,550), Westerly ($358,321), West Warwick ($414,332), and Woonsocket ($707,047).