Fixing Transit in Providence Requires More Than a New DOT Director

by Matt McDermott

Peter Alviti’s resignation last week as director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation marks the end of a long and troubled chapter for the agency.  For many Rhode Islanders — especially those of us in Providence — his departure feels long overdue. From the [...]

In February, We Celebrate Rosa Parks As a Champion of Transit Equity. But Rhode Island – and Providence – Have a Ways to Go.

by Barry Schiller

Rosa Parks, who famously resisted segregation on public buses in Montgomery, Alabama, was born on February 4. So this time of year has come to be associated with celebrating “Transit Equity.” While of course today’s Rhode Island buses are not segregated, we have not achieved [...]

Providence Has Many Reminders of the Revolutionary Era. I Lead Tours to Highlight Them.

by Scott Alexander

If Ken Burns’s recent documentary series about the American Revolution proved one thing about our understanding of the birth of our nation, it’s that there are numerous stories to be told. Every colony had their own unique experiences which ended up comprising our national story.  [...]

The Closure of Roger Williams and Fatima Hospitals Would be Catastrophic for Providence. City and State Officials Must Find a Solution.

by Betty Rawls Lang, Fraser Lang

On January 18, the Providence Journal reported that the Centurion Foundation, the Georgia-based nonprofit and potential purchaser of Roger Williams and Fatima Hospitals, had missed a deadline to complete the acquisition. In a state already dealing with multiple challenges, from a broken Washington Bridge to [...]

Photo Essay: The January 8th Anti-ICE Protest at Providence City Hall

by Rebecca Atwood

On January 8th – the day after the 37-year-old poet and mother of three, Renee Good, was fatally shot in Minneapolis by an ICE agent – hundreds of Rhode Islanders gathered at Providence’s City Hall to protest against ICE. I live in Providence’s West End, [...]

Editor’s Note for Brown Shooting Essays

by Philip Eil

Last week, after the Brown shooting, I wrote an essay for the Eye that included an invitation for people to share their own thoughts. The responses were extraordinary. They came from all over the city: Elmhurst, Fox Point, Mount Hope, the West End. Some offered [...]

Notes from A Providence College Student On A Mass Shooting’s Ripple Effects 

by Riley Londraville

“A suspect is still outstanding and it’s unclear whether there is only one suspect.” There’s a birdseye view and the cameras from helicopters circle a building of a campus only five minutes from me and my roommates while we sit and watch the news. Now [...]

After the Shooting, A Neighbor Asks: Why Didn’t Brown’s Emergency Siren Go Off?

by Lee Kossin

Brown has a warning system which they test once or twice a year. During these tests, there is a siren loud enough to hear in the area surrounding campus and an announcement that it’s a test. Why didn’t Brown’s safety director activate those systems on [...]

After the Brown Shooting, More Surveillance Will Not Bring Comfort or Safety.

by Jackie Goldman

I came to Providence eight and a half years ago to complete my masters in epidemiology at Brown University. I continue to work there conducting research in overdose prevention and harm reduction. Though I have many critiques about Brown University, my life is intertwined with [...]

Shock, Fear, and Distrust: A Bike Ride Interrupted by a Mass Shooting.

by Brandon Pearse

I never imagined I’d have to decide whether it was safer to book it home across the city or find somewhere to hide.   On Saturday, December 13, when the tragedy at Brown University happened, I was out on a bike ride, barely 2,000 feet from [...]