Allows for a qualified abandonment of public town roads which grants a public easement over said road allowing it to be converted to walking, biking, and hiking trails and access to parks, nature preserves and other recreational facilities.
Summary
H5960 creates a new option for Rhode Island towns to “qualify” the abandonment of a town highway or driftway while preserving a public easement over the corridor. Under this approach, a town council may vote to abandon the road but keep the right for the public to use the former roadway as a walking trail, hiking trail, biking trail, or some combination of those uses, and may also provide public parking if appropriate. The bill is aimed at converting underused municipal road corridors into recreational and access routes rather than fully closing them off.
The bill also specifies that the town, not adjacent property owners, retains the maintenance and liability responsibilities associated with the retained public easement to the extent those duties apply to the permitted public uses. Existing utility easements are not affected, and the measure does not change the legal status of roads or driftways that were already abandoned before the act takes effect. The act would take effect immediately upon passage.
Impact
This bill amends chapter 24-6 of the Rhode Island General Laws, adding a new section governing “qualified abandonment” of town highways and driftways. It changes municipal abandonment law by allowing towns to preserve a public easement for recreational and access purposes while otherwise abandoning the roadway, and it clarifies notice, procedural, and decree requirements for that process. It also shifts maintenance and liability away from abutting landowners and keeps those obligations with the municipality for the retained public use, while preserving existing utility rights and leaving prior abandonments unchanged.
Sentiment
The available record suggests broad support for the bill. It passed the House on April 29, 2025 by a unanimous 69-0 vote, and there are no committee transcripts indicating opposition or significant debate. The bill’s purpose appears generally well received because it offers towns a flexible way to repurpose unused road corridors for public recreation and access.
Contention
No major points of contention are reflected in the provided materials. The main policy choices embedded in the bill are that towns may choose this form of abandonment at their sole option, that the municipality retains maintenance and liability for the public easement, and that abutters are relieved of those burdens. Potential areas of concern, though not documented in the record, could include municipal cost exposure, liability management, and how the new easement interacts with neighboring property interests and local planning decisions.