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PROVIDENCE – On June 19, the federal holiday Juneteenth, many Rhode Islanders had a rude awakening when they arrived at their favorite beach to find it packed. Traffic was backed up, and many parking lots were full before noon, according to news reports.
There’s only so much you can do when thousands decide to go to the beach on the same day, but one thing you can usually account for is whether parking is available. Many beaches – both state and town-managed – post updates on parking status, letting visitors know if there is space in their lots.
Here’s a handy guide for checking if parking lots at your favorite beaches are full:
The State Parks division at Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management keeps a near real-time status of parking lots at the following state beaches:
Parking passes are required at state beaches during operational hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Purchasing a pass in advance helps reduce traffic, as well as waiting time at the ticket booth, and gives you access to express lanes available at most state beaches, as passes now use vehicles’ license plates, making it easier and quicker to scan.
More: The votes are in, and this South County spot is selected as RI’s best beach. Find out where
Some beaches, such as East Beach and Charlestown Breachway in Charlestown, have limited parking, and checking availability in advance may not be possible.
Middletown posts updates on its Facebook and Instagram accounts when parking lots at its beaches fill up. The town also has a live camera of the parking lot at Sachuest Beach – known locally as Second Beach – where you can check in real time if space is available.
Seasonal beach passes may be required to park at Middletown’s beaches. They are available in person at the gazebo at the intersection of Hanging Rock Road and Sachuest Point Road as well as online. But beware: Online passes will not be available for pickup at the gazebo until 48 hours after purchase.
Other popular beaches, such as Narragansett Town Beach, may not post updates online about parking availability. According to Narragansett’s Parks and Recreation Department, during busier days the West Lot – which is open to non-residents – fills up around 11 to 11:30 a.m. Only residents can park in the North and South Lots – except on weekdays after 1 p.m., when the South Lot is open to non-residents. These lots usually have spaces available unless it is a very busy holiday.
Parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Seasonal parking passes are $50 per sticker, and a photo ID, vehicle registration and proof of residence or taxpayer status is required. West Lot parking rates are $15 on weekends and holidays and $10 on weekdays.
This story will be updated with more information about parking availability.
WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — Two people are dead and another person seriously hurt after a crash involving two vehicles on the highway in Warwick Saturday.
Rhode Island State Police said the crash happened around 1:34 p.m. on the ramp from Route 113 West to I-95 South.
According to police, a Hyundai SUV that was driving in the middle lane of the highway started to drift to the right, crossed the first lane, and then crossed onto the on-ramp lane. The car struck the guardrail twice before driving through the grass median.
The Hyundai then struck the driver’s side of a Mercedes SUV that was on the ramp, causing the Mercedes to roll over and come to a rest. The impact sent the Hyundai over the guardrail and down an embankment.
The driver of the Hyundai, a 73-year-old man, and his passenger, a 69-year-old woman, were both pronounced dead at the hospital.
A woman who was in the Mercedes was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital in critical condition.
State police said all lanes of traffic were reopened by 4:30 p.m.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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A federal judge on Friday tossed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit aiming to force Rhode Island to hand over its voter information as part of the Trump administration’s push to acquire voter data from several states.
Rhode Island U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy wrote that federal law does not allow the DOJ “to conduct the kind of fishing expedition it seeks here,” siding with Rhode Island election officials. She added that the DOJ did not provide evidence to suggest that Rhode Island violated election law.
McElroy, a Trump appointee, wrote that she sided with the similar decision in Oregon. That decision ruled that the DOJ was not entitled to unredacted voter registration lists.
“Absent from the demand are any factual allegations suggesting that Rhode Island may be violating the list maintenance requirements,” she said in her ruling.
Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore (D) praised McElroy’s decision. He said in a statement that the Trump administration “seems to have no problem taking actions that are clear Constitutional overreaches, regularly meddling in responsibilities that are the rights of the states.”
“Today’s decision affirms our position: the United States Department of Justice has no legal right to – or need for – the personally-identifiable information in our voter file,” he said. “Voter list maintenance is a responsibility entrusted to the states, and I remain confident in the steps we take here in Rhode Island to keep our list as accurate as possible.”
The Hill reached out to the DOJ for comment.
The DOJ called for the voter lists as it investigated Rhode Island’s compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which allowed Americans to register to vote when they apply for a driver’s license.
The DOJ sued at least 30 states, as well as Washington, D.C., in December demanding their respective voter data. This data includes birth dates, names and partial Social Security numbers.
At least 12 states have given or said they will give the DOJ their voter registration lists, according to a tracker operated by the Brennan Center for Justice.
The department stated after it lost a similar suit against Massachusetts earlier this month that it had “sweeping powers” to access the voter data and that, if states fail to comply, courts have a “limited, albeit vital, role” in directing election officers on behalf of the administration to produce the records. The DOJ cited the Civil Rights Act as being intended to unearth alleged election law violations.
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