Rhode Island Governor Opposes Railroad Expansion Plan Through Southern Part Of State
Protestors gathered at the RI Statehouse rotunda. Photo by John Bender for RIPR
Gov. Gina Raimondo’s position statement came as a welcome surprise to dozens of protestors gathered at the Statehouse Wednesday.
Residents and lawmakers had crammed into the Statehouse rotunda to protest federal plans to move rail infrastructure in parts of Charlestown and Westerly. Then, Charlestown Town Councilor Virginia Lee told the crowd the governor agreed with them.
Laying new track is part of the federal Northeast Corridor Expansion project, which would expand rail capacity and speed up trips from Boston to Washington, D.C. Raimondo said she still supports the plan to expand high speed rail through Providence.
But the governor is taking sides with protestors who expressed concerns that one section of new track would have too large an impact on protected green space and private property.