A federal funding earmark is expected to expedite two sidewalk projects in Barrington.

Members of the Barrington Town Council learned late last month about the funding for sidewalk projects on Massasoit Avenue and New Meadow Road. The council voted 3-0 to approve a special agreement between the town and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. The “sub-recipient agreement” calls for the town to pay for a portion of the work — $200,000, which is 20 percent of the Massasoit Avenue price tag. 

The new sidewalk will run along Massasoit from Woodward Avenue to Arvin Avenue. The Massasoit Avenue sidewalk work is expected to take place concurrently with the construction of a new sidewalk on New Meadow Road, from Christine Drive to Deep Meadow Road. The New Meadow Road sidewalk will cost about $1.4 million and will not require a local contribution, stated a memo from Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey to the council. 

“As the New Meadow Road sidewalk is also in the STIP (State Transportation Improvement Program) and within the same general area, RIDOT has agreed to enable both projects to be built at the same time,” stated the memo.

Rhode Island DOT Spokesman Charles St. Martin said Thursday that the sub-recipient agreement allows the municipality to run the project — he said Barrington will hire the design firm and the contractor for the sidewalk projects. St. Martin said federal funding for the projects will go first to the RIDOT. 

“It’s not unusual that we do this,” St. Martin said, adding that sub-recipient agreements are often used for smaller projects, such as sidewalks and streetscapes, and not for larger projects, such as a bridge replacement.

On Tuesday, Aug. 11, U.S. Senator Jack Reed will join Barrington officials, Rhode Island Department of Transportation Interim Director Robert Rocchio, and community members to celebrate the $800,000 federal earmark that Sen. Reed secured for the Massasoit Avenue sidewalk.

Design and planning for the sidewalk projects are ongoing and expected to continue into next year. Construction is expected to begin by early 2028, stated a press release from Sen. Reed’s office.

Excited about sidewalks

Members of the town council were excited to hear about the upcoming sidewalk work. 

Jordan Jancosek said the Massasoit Avenue and New Meadow Road sidewalk projects are important to Barrington, especially for residents who live in the Hampden Meadows section of town. Jancosek credited the town manager, town planner, the Barrington Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Sen. Reed’s office, and her fellow councilors for their work. Jancosek said the sidewalks will make Barrington a safer place. 

During the July 27 meeting, Barrington Town Planner Herb Durfee told council members that the project is still two to three years out. He also cautioned that residents who live along Massasoit Avenue and New Meadow Road where the work is planned will have to deal with the survey work and other construction impacts. 

Some residents have shared their frustrations about the length of time required to move these sidewalk projects from discussion phase to construction phase. In 2024, Hampden Meadows resident Bronwyn Ellis wrote a letter to the editor explaining the situation. She wrote, at that time, that the project start date was between 2026 and 2029.

“…if you go through the paperwork, find the old notes, you will see that Barrington had submitted a request for safe sidewalks over and over again, for over a decade,” Ellis wrote. 

She also referenced the safety concerns surrounding Massasoit Avenue. 

“This is not a small neighborhood road, it is a throughway for people going to Warren, Seekonk, 195 and elsewhere, people rushing through during their commutes,” she wrote. 

“Would you want to have your children walk down that road, ride a bike down that road?”

Barrington Town Council member Kerry O’Neill spoke about the pedestrian safety concerns also. He said his son’s friend had been hit by a car while on Massasoit Avenue. 

What’s next

Barrington town officials shared a timeline for the sidewalk projects:

• 2026–2027: Final design, structural engineering, environmental permitting, and bid document preparation will take place over the coming year.

• 2028: Physical construction is scheduled to begin.

• 2029: Full project completion and delivery.