RIPEC’s comprehensive report on road and bridge spending, Rhode Island’s economic outlook, and RIPEC’s 83rd Annual Meeting are featured this month education
RIPEC on Public Policy
- RIPEC released a report finding that while Rhode Island spends heavily on public surface transportation infrastructure, a concentrated focus on bridge construction has led to nation-leading debt burdens, underfunded routine maintenance, and non-interstate secondary roads that rank worst in the country. Rhode Island directs half of its capital outlays to bridges, while dedicating a smaller share to roadways than any other state. RIPEC recommends policymakers rebalance capital and maintenance spending, prioritize resurfacing on non-interstate state routes, limit future debt issuance, and establish a dedicated state matching mechanism.
- WPRI 12, “Study: RIDOT’s big spending on bridges left roads, maintenance neglected”
- Providence Business News, “RIPEC: Rhode Island bridge spending has left other roads behind”
- Rhode Island Current, “Rhode Island road and bridge repairs only scratched the surface, RIPEC report finds”
- WPRO, “Roads and Bridges Report”
- Go Local Prov, “RIPEC Report on RI’s Roads and Bridges Finds Lack of Maintenance as Root of Failures and Driving Costs”
- What’s Up Newp, ““RIPEC: Rhode Island’s state roads rank worst in the nation after a decade focused on bridges”
- At the Rhode Island Hospitality Association’s Economic Outlook Breakfast, RIPEC’s Director of Policy and Research Justine Oliva highlighted Rhode Island’s weakening labor market, noting that the state’s labor force participation rate has fallen for eight straight quarters to 62.1%. Her insights were covered by Providence Business News and What’s Up Newp.
- In an Ocean State Media article on the financial strain facing Rhode Island nonprofits, RIPEC President & CEO Michael DiBiase suggested the stateconsider directing funds to individuals rather than solely to service organizations. “The state’s policy response to those losing Medicaid has been to provide assistance to health care providers, through increased reimbursement rates or grants, rather than to provide direct assistance to the affected individuals,” DiBiase said.
- In an article from The Providence Eye on proposals to apply Providence’s unenforced Real Estate Non-Utilization Tax to commercial properties, Michael DiBiase noted that a municipal surcharge on abandoned and vacant buildings could incentivize development. “[If] somebody is speculating that the market’s going to be better in five years, they’re going to sit, and meanwhile the community is bearing the costs of that,” he said.
- A national story by Stateline on state housing ballot measures cited RIPEC’s report finding that Rhode Island’s 2024 housing bond financed new rental units at an average cost above $512,000 per unit. RIPEC Senior Policy Analyst Jeffrey S. Hamill told Stateline that recent housing spending has produced too few homes at too high a cost and any additional borrowing for housing should be paired with structural reforms, including per-unit development cost limits and a more consolidated funding system.
Inside Insights
- The Rhode Island Department of Revenue released an evaluation of the Wavemaker Fellowship, finding the program breaks even on state revenue if at least 38% of the jobs associated with the program would not have existed without the incentive. The report also found that administrative costs accounted for 31% of total program costs and recommended retaining the program with changes, including reducing administrative costs and considering income-based adjustments to award amounts.
- The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training’s August jobs report showed the state’s unemployment rate fell to 3.7%, down from 4.3% a year earlier. However, the decline coincided with a shrinking labor force, as the number of employed Rhode Islanders fell by 12,500 over the year, reinforcing a trend identified in RIPEC and Bryant University’s latest KPI briefing.
- In its annual Best High Schools report, U.S. News & World Report rankings placed Rhode Island eighth in the nation, trailing regional neighbors Massachusetts (first) and Connecticut (second). The ranking reflects strong participation in Advanced Placement coursework and college readiness metrics, though stark achievement gaps persist in the state’s urban districts.
What to Look for in October
- RIPEC will release its annual How Rhode Island Compares Report, detailing the Ocean State’s taxing and spending relative to the 50 states.
- RIPEC’s 83rd Annual Meeting will take place on October 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. The event will feature Jonathan Martin of POLITICO in conversation with Edward Fitzpatrick of The Boston Globe Rhode Island. Tickets are available to purchase here.