Rhode Islanders see significant room for improvement in the infrastructure and amenities that shape daily life in their neighborhoods, with residents of the state’s core cities reporting greater concerns about safety, walkability and access to recreation.
Those are among the key findings from the latest Rhode Island Voices “Neighborhood Life” survey, a project of the R.I. Life Index, a partnership between Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and the Brown University School of Public Health.
The survey examined how Rhode Islanders experience their neighborhoods, including road conditions, sidewalks, transportation, bike infrastructure, safety and access to grocery stores, parks and other everyday amenities. The findings show concerns across the state, as well as differences between Rhode Island’s core cities — Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence and Woonsocket — and its suburban and rural communities.
Among the highlights of the survey:
- Roads: 68% of respondents rated the presence of protected bike lanes as poor or very poor and 48% rated road conditions as poor or very poor.
- Neighborhood Perception: 34% rated their neighborhood as the best place to live, including 21% in core cities and 39% in non-core areas.
- Recreation: 49% of core city residents reported too few places to walk or exercise for fun.
- Public Safety: 46% of core city residents said they worry about safety when walking in their neighborhood, compared with 17% in non-core areas.
- Public Transportation: 56% of non-core area residents said there is too little public transportation within an easy walk, and 55% said there are too few sidewalks.
- Amenities: A grocery store (52%) and parks, playgrounds or fitness facilities (46%) were the amenities most often rated very important to have within an easy walk.
The Neighborhood Life survey received 720 responses and was weighted to reflect the demographic distribution of Rhode Island’s adult population.
