NORTH SMITHFIELD – The Rhode Island Department of Transportation plans to close five of the eight passing zones on Route 7 after a traffic study requested by members of the Town Council found that the areas do not meet national standards for safety.
The decision comes after a review of crash data from the past three years showed that there have been seven accidents on the road, including two with injuries. According to a letter from State Traffic Commission Secretary Sean Raymond addressed to Town Councilor John Beauregard, RIDOT documented five side-swipe and two angle-type crashes during the period.
Beauregard initiated efforts to get the agency to look at the road – along with Route 5 – last year following feedback from residents.
“Friends of mine who live on Route 7 have complained to me how dangerous it is pulling out of their driveways and when they slow down to pull in,” Beauregard said this week, noting that he also spotted a thread dedicated to discussion of the issue on social media.
He brought the idea to the council, noting that both of the state roadways have become more residential over the years. At a meeting on March 4, councilors voted unanimously in favor of a resolution asking RIDOT to take a look at the problem.
“Although it was my initiative, the entire council deserves credit for recognizing the dangers these passing zones present to motorists and residents,” Beauregard said.
In the letter, Raymond notes that the STC considered the request at a monthly meeting last June, and then commissioned an engineering study. The speed limit along most of the road is 40-miles-per-hour – save a stretch from Farnum Pike and Mattity Road, which is posted at 30-miles-per-hour. RIDOT found that 85 percent of drivers travel at or below around 52 or 53 miles per hour.
According to the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, that speed requires a minimum passing sight distance of 900 feet on a two-lane highway, and passing zones should be spaced at least 400 feet apart. Raymond notes that five of the eight current passing zones on Douglas Pike did not meet that criteria.
Beauregard said that the speed problem seemed to get worse following the recent repaving of Route 7.
“With new smooth pavement comes higher speeds, which creates more of a danger for the motoring public, as well as residents,” he said.
In discussion of the issue last year, both he and others on the council seemed to agree that current speed limits do not need to be reduced – but should be enforced.
Raymond said that RIDOT will handle all of the needed adjustments to the state road, including signage and striping changes.
“Changes to these passing zones will be programmed and implemented through the RIDOT Project Management Division,” he noted.

Three passing zones will remain on Douglas Pike: from #168 to #217 in both directions, from #648 to #1396 in both directions, and from the Smithfield town line to just north of the driveway at #1396 in the northbound direction.
Asked if he agrees with the changes, Beauregard said, “I trust their traffic study, if they think it’s safe to pass in those areas. I just appreciate that they looked at it.”
He said he has not yet heard feedback from RIDOT regarding the request for a similar study of Route 5.
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The worst area for speeding on Douglas Pike is from #168 to #217 in both directions, with cars passing 2 and 3 vehicles at a time. Numerous times, we have almost been hit by speeding cars passing while collecting the mail and turning into our driveway by a passing vehicle behind us.
Closing 5 of 8 passing zones that had nothing to do with the few accidents on the road. It’s literally the straightest road in the state, I don’t see how this will help anyone.
That is government for you. Do anything to appease people even if it isn’t the logical solution to an issue.
I live on Rte 7 and there are zero speed limit signs from the Smithfield line all the way through Rankin Path going both directions…how do we also get the speed limit signs? Hard to enforce the speed limit when no one knows the speed.
This page of the RIDOT has a form you can complete to make a request for that.
https://www.dot.ri.gov/about/help.php
Why don’t you pave the crumbling road and really add some value. Maybe if our TA and council members actually advocate for some road paving NS could see some progress. I see many state roads in horrible condition.
The road was repaved back in October…
Thank you John, this is greatly appreciated!
I travel that road every day. The biggest problem I have , are people backing out of there driveway and people stopping to turn into there driveway. They should be pulling over until it’s clear.