PAST
Providence began as a port city, having an inner and outer harbor by the 1800s. These were the the “Old Salt Cove” separated by Weybosset Neck from an outer harbor on the Providence River, and the outer harbor on the Providence River. In 1828, the Blackstone Canal opened. This canal linked Providence and Worcester, Massachusetts. The canal allowed raw materials and manufactured goods to travel by barge or canal boat.
Shortly thereafter, in 1835, a competing rail line was built. This lead to the quick decline of the canal system. 1849 marked the year that passenger rail arrived in Providence, with lines terminating at the salt cove. With rail expansion, the salt cove was lled over time to provide for increased rail capacity, discontinuing its use as an inner harbor. Because of this, the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket Rivers were diverted into underground, man-made tunnels. The arrival of the railroad also lead to escalating racial tension as the immigrant population grew exponentially. By 1835 there were 1,005 non-naturalized foreigners in Providence, who were almost entirely of Irish Catholic Descent. This was a significant increase from 1820, when there were only thirty-nine un-naturalized citizens in Providence. Racial tensions grew volatile between the free black population and the Irish-catholic population; both were low-income groups who competed for inexpensive housing and labor/factory jobs. Irish-catholic immigration only continued to increase with the onset of the Irish Potato Famine, which began in 1845.
The 1930’s brought the harbor further down into the Narranganset Bay, allowing for larger ships to enter. The next large scale transportation systems arrived with the world wars and the highway act. Like many U.S. cities, the highways ran through the city, cutting o parts of downtown and areas of the waterfront.
The 1970's brought continued railroad expansion and track realignment to the city, as well as highway expansion. Then, in the 1980s, a massive infrastructure project was undertaken to re-route I-195, to allow the downtown to regain access to the waterfront, creating space for parks and new development. The city of Providence is now currenlty in the nancing stage of a streetcar
system.
The railroads, and subsequent public works projects spurred by the railroads, strengthened the continually growing factory industry in Providence.
Shortly thereafter, in 1835, a competing rail line was built. This lead to the quick decline of the canal system. 1849 marked the year that passenger rail arrived in Providence, with lines terminating at the salt cove. With rail expansion, the salt cove was lled over time to provide for increased rail capacity, discontinuing its use as an inner harbor. Because of this, the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket Rivers were diverted into underground, man-made tunnels. The arrival of the railroad also lead to escalating racial tension as the immigrant population grew exponentially. By 1835 there were 1,005 non-naturalized foreigners in Providence, who were almost entirely of Irish Catholic Descent. This was a significant increase from 1820, when there were only thirty-nine un-naturalized citizens in Providence. Racial tensions grew volatile between the free black population and the Irish-catholic population; both were low-income groups who competed for inexpensive housing and labor/factory jobs. Irish-catholic immigration only continued to increase with the onset of the Irish Potato Famine, which began in 1845.
The 1930’s brought the harbor further down into the Narranganset Bay, allowing for larger ships to enter. The next large scale transportation systems arrived with the world wars and the highway act. Like many U.S. cities, the highways ran through the city, cutting o parts of downtown and areas of the waterfront.
The 1970's brought continued railroad expansion and track realignment to the city, as well as highway expansion. Then, in the 1980s, a massive infrastructure project was undertaken to re-route I-195, to allow the downtown to regain access to the waterfront, creating space for parks and new development. The city of Providence is now currenlty in the nancing stage of a streetcar
system.
The railroads, and subsequent public works projects spurred by the railroads, strengthened the continually growing factory industry in Providence.
PRESENT
Because of Providence’s proximity to Boston, at approximately 44 miles, it is included in the Greater Boston combined statistical area, along with Manchester, New Hampshire and Worcester, Massachusetts.
Providence, as a city, does not solely rely on itself to draw new business, services, or population. The draw of Boston, Massachusetts creates a stable corridor of economic growth. Because of this, Providence is not only a local job center, but also serves as a bedroom community for Boston, Massachusetts, and other cities in close proximity. This can be proven through the study of transportation behaviors by people living within the city of Providence, and by those living within the Greater Providence area. Though the distance between Providence and Boston may not be the lowest, the variety of transportation options lowers the friction, which in turn creates higher accessibility. For those choosing to commute for work, or make other trips between Boston and Providence, there are a variety of methods to choose from. If traveling by rail, one may choose to take AMTRAK or the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail (see appendix 2 and 3). If traveling by bus, the options are even greater; one can choose from Peter Pan Bus Company, Megabus, Bonanza Bus, or Greyhound Bus Company. Driving a personal vehicle is also an option, with a trip time of approximately one hour. The trip can be made entirely on the interstate routes of 95 and 93.
All of these modes of transportation not only strengthen the accessibility between these two places for trip generation due to jobs, but can also be analyzed in terms of trips generated for leisure or other purposes. The ease of travel between Boston and Providence has increased their strength as a regional entity, and promotes tourism between the two places as well as job sharing.
Providence, as a city, does not solely rely on itself to draw new business, services, or population. The draw of Boston, Massachusetts creates a stable corridor of economic growth. Because of this, Providence is not only a local job center, but also serves as a bedroom community for Boston, Massachusetts, and other cities in close proximity. This can be proven through the study of transportation behaviors by people living within the city of Providence, and by those living within the Greater Providence area. Though the distance between Providence and Boston may not be the lowest, the variety of transportation options lowers the friction, which in turn creates higher accessibility. For those choosing to commute for work, or make other trips between Boston and Providence, there are a variety of methods to choose from. If traveling by rail, one may choose to take AMTRAK or the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail (see appendix 2 and 3). If traveling by bus, the options are even greater; one can choose from Peter Pan Bus Company, Megabus, Bonanza Bus, or Greyhound Bus Company. Driving a personal vehicle is also an option, with a trip time of approximately one hour. The trip can be made entirely on the interstate routes of 95 and 93.
All of these modes of transportation not only strengthen the accessibility between these two places for trip generation due to jobs, but can also be analyzed in terms of trips generated for leisure or other purposes. The ease of travel between Boston and Providence has increased their strength as a regional entity, and promotes tourism between the two places as well as job sharing.
FUTURE
The newest transportation endeavor being undertaken by the City of Providence is the addition of a street car line. The proposed route is 2.5 miles long and the route travels between Upper South Providence and College Hill. The goal of the street car line is to connect major activity centers in the downtown.