Downtown Newport has become a vibrant hub for a diverse range of businesses, including food, retail, athletics, self-care, and health services. The area has grown far beyond the predictions made during construction. This growth has turned the area into a popular center for activity, attracting heavy traffic from residents and visitors alike.
However, the increased congestion has made local intersections chaotic and difficult to navigate. The sheer amount of vehicles has worsened these challenges, affecting all businesses in the area.
“When Chick-fil-A’s wrapped around the building twice, cars can’t drive past the drive-through, and it causes a lot of traffic. When people are trying to enter Larosas through the back way or they are trying to leave Chipotle they can’t use our parking lot,” Kenna Urlage (11), Chick-fil-A worker, said.
The heart of businesses in the area has exacerbated this issue for workers and students. A nearby High school, Newport Central Catholic (NCC), is largely affected by these traffic conditions.
“7Brew customers are a major problem because they block the entrances to NCC when they are in line for the drive-thru. There’s traffic at the entrance to Newport Pavilion, too, and the lights take forever to change,” Emma Krebs (10), student at NCC, said.
The layout of the Newport Pavilion has not helped with the persistent traffic issues. With the surplus of popular businesses in such a tight squeeze, traffic has exceeded the expected ranges for local areas.
“I think it’s not smart that they put Chick-fil-a, one of the most fast-paced moving restaurants, next to Target, T.J. Maxx, and that whole area. It’s a lot of businesses right on main streets, which wasn’t really smart, especially during rush hour. It’s horrible,” Urlage said.
These conditions have affected workers and students alike, making it difficult to go from one location to another in a timely manner.
“It affects my ways of transportation because when I’m leaving Chick-Fil-A or when I’m trying to enter during rush hour, it can be very clustered. Especially when I’m trying to turn in Chick-fil-A’s parking lot and people are trying to pull into a spot that’s by Target. It’s very crowded and stressful,” Urlage said.
Even without entering a popular restaurant’s parking lot, it can be extremely difficult to travel to one’s desired location. NCC is located directly by a variety of businesses that have a large pull of customers.
“Traffic is so bad on Grand Avenue towards NCC that we never go that way in the morning,” Krebs said.
Despite the interruptions with traffic, being close to the Newport area exposes students to what popular business hubs look like.
“I think going to school in Newport exposes me to the daily challenges people face in the community regarding traffic and access to stores,” Krebs said.
The traffic creates many issues beyond the flow between cars. First responders have firsthand experience of how difficult it can be to respond to emergencies.
“It can make accessing scenes difficult as well. Responders have to be aware of traffic and that citizens may not be paying attention or might be distracted,” Chris Adkins, former Bellevue Fire Chief, said.
