Connect Newport
The Devou Good Project is a nonprofit agency dedicated to building vibrant communities and, as part of that focus, desires to see more equitably mobile cities. To further the pursuit of that goal, Devou Good engaged YARD & Company to build and manage the Connect Challenge program that invites cities to compete for funding to design and install pilot street projects with the community that will inform permanent investment in safer, more active streets. The program’s first recipient was the City of Newport together with its nonprofit community development corporation, ReNewport. Over four months, YARD & Company engaged the community to identify the route, organize supporting private-sector partners, design the demonstration project, manage the installation of the project and monitor its use during a ten day run time. The project expanded access to the regionally significant Purple People Bridge and spanned over 7,000 linear feet of remade streets that included sharrows, buffered bike lanes, a two-way cycle track and bike boxes at intersections. The program also included parklets at painted bump outs, signage, marketing and regular programming such as slow rides, yoga and sidewalk dining.
