Municipal Freight Scans

In the Fall of 2018 and Spring of 2019, the Division of Statewide Planning (RIDSP) conducted municipal freight scans in the Town of North Kingstown and the City of Providence to better equip and educate the staff of municipal departments, particularly planning, with an increased understanding of freight trends and freight issues. These scans consisted of site visits to freight companies and freight generating areas such as the Quonset Business Park and the Port of Providence.  During these events RIDSP staff, municipal staff, and elected officials discussed freight transportation planning issues in their community and gained a better understanding of the economic impact of freight companies on municipal and the state’s economy. From these freight scans, RIDSP compiled data and freight narratives that were used to create interactive online GIS Story Maps for the Town of North Kingstown and the City of Providence.



This information can used by the municipalities as the basis for the preparation of new transportation studies, recommended system improvements, or for refining the vision for growth and development in their long-range comprehensive plans. Lastly, these products will serve as a tool to better educate the public, the business community, and elected officials about the role that freight movement plays in our transportation system and the impact it has on the local and state economy.

Other Freight Resources

• Rhode Island Freight Finder Mapping Application
• 2016 Freight and Goods Movement