R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-18-21
Except in the cases of limited access roads, and/or roads of less than twenty-three feet (23') in width, the director of the department of transportation is authorized and directed to provide for the accommodation of bicycle and pedestrian traffic in the planning, design, construction and reconstruction, and to consider this in the resurfacing and striping of any project undertaken by the department, unless the director, after appropriate review by the director or his or her designees, determines that the inclusion of bike facilities and pedestrian access would be contrary to acceptable standards of public safety, degrade environmental or scenic quality, or conflict with existing right-of-way. In his or her deliberations, the director shall take into consideration the cost of the facilities in relationship to available funding. Bike facilities may include bicycle lanes, routes, paths or trails; permeable paved shoulders; and/or signage.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-18-21