NEWPORT — Citing rising maintenance costs, record visitation, and what officials described as “unsustainable levels of dog poop,” the Newport Coastal Walkway Authority announced this week that a pedestrian toll will be introduced along the Cliff Walk beginning this summer.
The good news, officials said, is that Aquidneck Island residents will be eligible for a discounted local rate by scanning their existing EZ-Pass transponder. Residents who wish to use the discount must retrieve the EZ-Pass from their vehicle prior to entering the Cliff Walk.
To facilitate scanning, the city will mail Newport residents a complimentary lanyard designed to hold the transponder around the neck for hands-free use. Officials emphasized that no new EZ-Passes will be issued as part of the program.
“We felt this struck the right balance between convenience and personal responsibility,” said Cliff Walk Warden Marianne DiSouza-Frantangelo.
For pedestrians without an EZ-Pass, officials said the city will rely on facial recognition technology to assess and bill the toll retroactively. Cameras installed at access points will capture an image upon entry, which will be cross-referenced with a global database of Instagram selfies to generate an invoice.
Officials also confirmed that walkers who descend the Forty Steps will be subject to an additional per-step toll. Pedestrians will be charged five cents per step, each way. A portion of the revenue generated from the step toll will be directed to a dedicated fund supporting fire department rescues of visitors who attempt to swim from the steps. City officials cited an increase in such incidents in recent years and blamed the trend on what they described as “YOLO culture.”
DiSouza-Frantangelo also announced a promotional contest to mark the launch, with the pedestrian who records the most toll scans during the first month receiving a commemorative Cliff Walk t-shirt featuring the Cliff Walk’s infamous falling hazard warning graphic. DiSouza-Frantangelo notied that the design was selected to “reinforce safety messaging while celebrating program participation.”