Infrastructure

A visual representative of bureaucracy blocks access to a highway

Johnston’s unreachable neighborhood illustrates the problem with insider-ocracy.

By Justin Katz | January 28, 2024 |

Johnston’s challenge gaining access to a neighborhood during emergencies exposes several problems of RI’s way of doing things.

A 1950s coach has a bad idea

Politics This Week: RI Pols Put the Exploitation in “Team”

By Justin Katz | January 22, 2024 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz review the ways in which RI’s self-appointed “coach” and self-presumed captains manipulate the “team” of Rhode Islanders.

A water drop and ripples

The predictable costliness of an unused ferry.

By Justin Katz | January 9, 2024 |

The state has announced the end of the sparsely used ferry from Bristol to alleviate traffic on the Washington Bridge. Amanda Milkovits has some of the details: Since its inception on Dec. 21, when just 162 passengers boarded the ferries, ridership on the ferries between Bristol and Providence has reached 2,814, through Sunday, Dec. 31.…

RIDOT About Bridge Inspections: Psych! You Need a Data Key

By Monique Chartier | January 7, 2024 |

The featured image is by RIDOT of a broken steel rod on the Washington Bridge Westbound, one of the critically failed components that caused the sudden closure of Interstate 195 west on December 11. How these components went critical between July, its most recent inspection (link to report) until December 8, when they were purportedly…

Dan McKee as a cartoon fantasy knight

Politics This Week: Living the Fantasies of the Powerful

By Justin Katz | December 27, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz discuss various fantasies of the ruling class in RI and the U.S.

A bridge on fire

Politics This Week: RI’s Bridge to Self Awareness

By Justin Katz | December 19, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz review the moments of clarity following the Washington Bridge fiasco.

Say, How About We Start Repairing Bridges Worst to First?

By Monique Chartier | December 14, 2023 |

You may remember that truck-only tolls were passed with dire statements about the condition of Rhode Island bridges.  “People will die if we don’t get this new revenue stream to repair Rhode Island’s poor bridges” was repeatedly stated or heavily implied during the debate about and passage of the proposed new, legally quizzical, unnecessary toll…

A water drop and ripples

We have to stop rewarding incompetence with more money and power.

By Justin Katz | December 12, 2023 |

John is exactly right, here:

A mechanic stares down a destroyed machine

Politics This Week: The Era of Mismanagement

By Justin Katz | December 4, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz challenge the common wisdom in RI government, media, and higher education.

A water drop and ripples

RI still has the worst roads. What happened to RhodeWorks?

By Justin Katz | October 3, 2023 |

Remember when then-Governor Gina Raimondo (a Democrat, if that needs saying) insisted we needed truck tolls to fund her RhodeWorks program to finally fix the state’s infrastructure?  Well… As with the state’s pension system — which the state went right back to reamortizing as soon as Raimondo left her treasurer role — she’s a master…