PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS
PBN pbn.com
JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022
WITH THIS ISSUE
FOCUS: INSURANCE
PBN’s 2022 Book of Lists
After lull, cost of coverage for cars could rise again | 16
YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS NEWS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND | VOL. 36, NO. 19 | $5
Leading Bryant with the eye of an economist
BATTLE
LANES
BY JACQUELYN VOGHEL | Voghel@PBN.com
(Editor’s note: This is the fourth installment in an occasional series of interviews with the state’s new wave of higher education leaders.)
BRYANT UNIVERSITY President Ross Gittell was trained as an economist, so it’s no surprise that he keeps a close eye on metrics such as “return on investment” – or to be more precise, “return on education investment.” It’s one of the ways he assesses student success, and he’s proud that Bryant has in recent years ranked among the top 2% of U.S. colleges in that category, based on debt and earnings after graduation, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education. SEE GITTELL
Mobility advocates fight for space on Providence roads, but pockets of opposition remain
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BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com
THE TOP BULLDOG: Bryant University President Ross Gittell in the Koffler Rotunda on campus.
8½-MILE CYCLING ROUTE FROM ROBERT ISENBERG’S Cranston home to his job at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island on Providence’s East Side is equal parts scenic and harrowing. At some points, Isenberg pedals past river views along bike trails far from car traffic. At other points, he feels exposed on busy roads, with only a painted line separating him and his bike from vehicles whooshing by, if there’s a line at all. He doesn’t bike to work often, but when he does, he’s never entirely comfortable. “I do pretty much feel constantly unsafe,” Isenberg said. “I don’t blame the drivers. A lot of the streets are very narrow, there’s a lot of motor traffic and drivers have a hard time seeing cyclists.” But that’s changing as the city forges ahead with plans to install a network of protected bike lanes in the hopes that more people like Isenberg – including more women and children – will feel safe to use bikes and scooters as reliable, inexpensive forms of transportation around the city. Supporters of Mayor Jorge O. Elorza’s Great Streets Initiative to create
SELF-POWERED: Liza Burkin, organizer for the Providence Streets Coalition, makes use of new bike lanes on the Clifford Street bridge over Interstate 95. Burkin has been a leading advocate for the city’s bike infrastructure. PBN PHOTO/ ELIZABETH GRAHAM
SEE BIKES
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
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PREMIER EVENT
2022
February 17th | 5:30-8pm The Graduate | Providence