Rhode Island’s East Bay Bike Path

By: Agueda Pacheco Flores
January 14, 2025

Trail of the Month: January 2025

Ask a local Rhode Islander about the East Bay Bike Path (EBBP) and be ready to hear just how much they love it.  From its scenic vistas along the coast, and its many parks and restaurants dotting the thoroughfare, to its everyday utility, the rail-trail has something for everyone.

“It’s always an experience and always feels like something special every time I’m there, even though it’s something super routine in my life.”

—Alana Deluti, Providence resident and avid cyclist

Chris Menton, a retiree and member of the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition, which advocates for cyclists and bike paths in the state, rides his bike on the East Bay Bike Path year-round with his wife, Judy Menton, also a bike advocate. They live alongside the path and use it daily, sometimes to go to the store, sometimes to get drinks at a local brewery. “We see the regulars, people who walk and bike there all the time,” said Menton. “We’re talking hundreds over the course of the week.”

With about half the state’s population living within 10 miles of Providence, the Hall of Famer is one of the most popular trails in the state. From the capital, the East Bay Bike Path stretches 14.3 miles south to Bristol, connecting the communities of East Providence, Barrington and Warren along the way.

“The northern parts are right on the bay, and it connects many communities, parks and all sorts of historic areas,” explained Charles St. Martin, the chief public affairs officer for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT). “Bristol is home to the longest running Fourth of July Parade in the United States, and lots of people use the bike path to get to the parade as opposed to driving because there’s a limited number of roads that get you down there.”

From Rail to Trail

Before it was a trail, the corridor was used for another transportation purpose: the Providence, Warren and Bristol (PW&B) Railroad, which opened in 1855. The rail line changed ownership a few times before it was electrified in 1900. At the time, the line carried around a hundred commuter passenger trains daily as well as freight trains.

Passenger service on the PW&B ended in 1937, at which point the rail line was part of the Old Colony Railroad network (a reference to Plymouth Colony, which was settled by passengers of the Mayflower in neighboring Massachusetts). As the use of automobiles increased during the early 20th century, the use of rail lines in the area declined. Between 1970 and 1976, the PW&B was decommissioned and abandoned. Sections of the former railroad can still be seen running parallel to the East Bay Bike Path in some sections.

In 1976, RIDOT purchased the corridor, at the time believing that it could be revived for commuter trains. The idea to convert the corridor into a rail-trail instead was championed a few years later by former state representative Thomas Byrnes of Bristol, who is often called the “Father of the East Bay Bike Path.” A plaque dedicated to him can be found at the southern end of the rail-trail.

In 1980, Byrnes submitted House Bill 80-7676, which put in place a commission to study and promote bicycles as “an alternate energy-saving method of transportation,” and was charged with researching topics such as “the conversion of abandoned railroad and canal rights of way into recreational trails.”

A Father’s Day editorial that was published in The Providence Journal in 2013 and written by Byrnes’ children celebrated the legacy of their late father noting that, despite heated opposition from some who believed the bike path would attract crime, decrease property values and be a waste of taxpayer money, Byrnes stayed focused on the efforts to create it.  

At the time, Byrnes had the support of Gov. Joseph Garrahy and the director of RIDOT, Edward Wood, a lover of the outdoors and environmental advocate. Wood is quoted as saying the project “was one of the toughest things I ever did in state government, because of really deep-seated opposition from many politically connected people.” He added, “I think Representative Tom Byrnes and I drove Governor Garrahy crazy, and many times he wished the whole thing would just go away, but eventually we persevered.”

Construction began in 1986 on what was to become Rhode Island’s first multi-town bike path and was completed in four phases, with the final stretch finished in 1992.

Historical Sites and Scenery

Today, the experience of East Bay Bike Path offers a way to connect with the area’s history and culture going back centuries. The original Indigenous inhabitants of the region flourished for thousands of years due to the abundance of natural resources in the area, which are still apparent while taking a stroll or ride on the trail. But in the late 1600s, the main tribes—the Wampanoag and Narragansett people—were devastated by infectious disease epidemics due to contact with the arriving pilgrims who would go on to form Plymouth Colony.

Interestingly, Rhode Island was the first colony to declare independence from Britain but the last of the original thirteen colonies to become a state. Along the trail, numerous historical sites, museums and cultural centers highlight the colonial heritage of Bristol County, including Linden Place, a more than 200-year-old mansion that can be toured; the Coggeshall Farm Museum, which recreates the daily life of farm families in 18th century; and the Looff Carousel at Crescent Park, a wood-carved masterpiece from the late 19th century.

“A favorite spot to take photos [from the trail] is Pomham Rocks Lighthouse,” said Geoff Williams, a local cyclist, about the historic structure dating back to 1871. Williams estimates that he’s ridden more than 30,000 miles on the trail, which is part of his daily commute and active lifestyle. Prior to moving close to the bike path in 2006, he drove his car more often, but in the nearly two decades since, has primarily used his bicycle.

Current Developments

It wouldn’t be a Rhode Island trail without views of the water. The East Bay Bike Path begins at the southeastern most point of Providence at India Point Park, where it immediately crosses the Seekonk River into East Providence. Along the way, it traverses multiple waterways, including Watchemoket Cove, Bullock Cove, Brickyard Pond, the Barrington River and Palmer River. It also hugs the coastline in Providence and then again in the Riverside suburb, providing sweeping views of the Providence River and city skyline.

Navigating the area’s abundant waterways necessitated numerous bridges, some of which stem from the route’s railroad era and are more than 100 years old with significant deterioration. Menton said the 2019 closure of the aging wooden trestles over the Barrington and Palmer rivers was a huge loss for him and his wife, who used them to travel through the towns of Barrington and Warren. After a few years of cycling on alternative bridges meant for cars and dealing with oncoming traffic, Menton’s wife had had enough.

“Judy’s letters to The Providence Journal and local papers started the buzz for fixing unsafe conditions on the [East Bay Bike Path] bridges,” Menton said. “She made a lot of noise and contributed to getting the ball rolling on this.”

The pair of 300-foot-long bridges are now slated to be demolished and replaced with new bridges, which will open in 2026. Plans are also underway to further expand Providence’s Urban Trail Network, which the East Bay Bike Path ties into, to improve connectivity and transportation options throughout the city.

For Providence resident Alana Deluti, the trail is her main form of transportation. “The East Bay Bike Path tracks [Route 114], so it’s a really practical way to get to anywhere that’s along that main road,” she explained, adding, “If I have an appointment at the Kettle Point Orthopedics Building, it’s right on the bike path and easier for me to bike there than it is to drive.”

On its northern end, travelers on the East Bay Bike Path can connect to the developing Blackstone River Greenway, which will one day span 48 miles and continues into Massachusetts. And only about 4 miles of on-road riding separate it from the Washington Secondary Bike Path, which begins in the southwestern Providence suburb of Cranston and makes its way 19 miles toward the Connecticut border. All three trails are part of the East Coast Greenway, a multistate trail network stretching more than 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida.

“I ride the East Bay Bike Path all the time, and even though I’ve been on it hundreds of times, every time I ride it, I feel my jaw drop,” enthused Deluti. “It’s just so beautiful, it’s always an experience and always feels like something special every time I’m there, even though it’s something super routine in my life.”

Top 10 Trails in Rhode Island

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• Tags: Bike Commuting Connected Systems Hall of Fame Rail-Trail Trail of the Month Using Trails
• States: Rhode Island

Agueda Pacheco Flores

Agueda Pacheco Flores is a freelance writer based in Seattle, Washington. She was previously a writer at Crosscut.com where she covered arts and culture.

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