Bristol access walk showcases exemplary ROW caretaking

A grassy path between two houses leads you to the Peck Road ROW in Bristol

August 1, 2024, BRISTOL — The Town of Bristol has taken the responsibility of maintaining and protecting its rights-of-way to the shore seriously. Rights-of-way are marked with thick granite markers – they won’t be damaged or removed – with the words “public right – of – way” on them. The town also has funding for improvements to these sites, including stairs, and kayak racks available to all who’d like to rent a slip, and stormwater improvements.

Aaron Avenue ROW in Bristol

The R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) and Rhode Island Sea Grant held a walk in Bristol to highlight a number of these rights-of-way on July 22, 2024. A crowd of 35 people walked Aaron Avenue, Peck Avenue and Gibson Road ROWs situated along the East Bay bike path, along with staff and Janet Freedman of the University of Rhode Island Coastal Institute and Bristol Harbormaster Gregg Marsili.

Marsili monitors the sites, as well as neighborhood groups like the Bristol Highlands Improvement Association – members of which maintain a pollinator garden at the Gibson Road ROW which abuts their property – and even neighboring property owners. It’s a team effort, all executed toward the goal of keeping these CRMC-designated rights-of-way open to the public.

This walk is part of an ongoing effort by the CRMC and RISG to educate the public about shoreline public access, the CRMC’s ROW designation process and program, and efforts to make shoreline access more accessible to all Rhode Islanders.