By Antonia Noori Farzan — Narragansett Town Beach had a profitable summer, officials said this week, while also defending themselves against charges of exclusivity.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — Unable to afford fertilizer back in the Azores, Raymond Xavier's great-grandfather would gather seaweed and plow it into the ground…

By Antonia Noori Farzan — RIDOT initially said that "fishing accommodations will not be provided" on the new East Bay Bike Path bridges, but now says that it doesn't intend to prohibit fishing.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — The Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association, which has maintained the property since the 1980s, says it will continue to provide public access once it takes over. But some in Westerly have doubts.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — Records show that the City of Providence could be at risk of losing Camp Cronin, its seaside camp in Narragansett, over unpaid property taxes. The city spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to renovate the long-neglected Ocean Road property last year, but failed to pay the $16,721 that it owed in back taxes.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — Coastal property owners have filed a federal lawsuit to overturn Rhode Island's new shoreline-access law. The suit claims that the new legislation, which allows the public to use the shoreline up to 10 feet inland of the seaweed line, amounts to an unconstitutional taking under the Fifth Amendment.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — A small plane with a banner stating, "THE RHODE ISLAND SHORE IS NOT PRIVATE!" flew over South County beaches on Saturday. "The point is the Rhode Island shore belongs to the Rhode Island public — always did," said Scott Keeley, the activist who organized the demonstration.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — The South Kingstown man just wanted some exercise with an ocean view. But seawalls, "no trespassing" signs and other barriers often block the way.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — Spending the day at Town Beach could be more expensive next summer. The town's Parks and Recreation Department proposes raising the daily walk-on admission fee from $12 to $15 and raising the parking fee from $10 on weekdays and $15 on weekends to $20 every day. (Prices of discount seasonal passes, which are available only to Narragansett residents and taxpayers, would not change.)

By Antonia Noori Farzan — After discovering that waterfront neighborhoods were littered with fake "No Parking" signs, the City of Warwick is moving forward with designating public parking spots near coastal rights of way.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — … A few years ago, that would have been unimaginable: Shoreline access was barely on the radar of politicians seeking state-level office. But that's changing, and candidates are realizing the issue has broad popular support among voters who otherwise don't see eye to eye.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — For years, if not decades, "RISD Beach" was one of Rhode Island's worst-kept secrets… Since 2020, visitors have been greeted by a locked gate, and RISD says it's decided to permanently restrict parking to faculty, students and staff.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — The House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously on Thursday to advance House Bill 8055, which would establish that the public has the right to be 6 feet above the "recognizable high tide line" on any sandy or rocky shoreline.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — RIPTA plans to eliminate those express beach bus routes, citing low ridership and staffing issues — Update: On Wednesday afternoon, following the publication of this story, Gov. Dan McKee said that he would RIPTA to run express beach buses this summer

By Antonia Noori Farzan — The Narragansett Town Council narrowly voted to approve the change late Monday night during a raucous meeting that lasted for more than four hours.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — Is the General Assembly willing to throw its weight behind an idea with broad popular support, knowing that it's all but guaranteed to lead to lawsuits?

By Antonia Noori Farzan — If you have access to an old ox cart, now would be the time to get out a tape measure and figure out exactly how wide it is. The answer to that seemingly esoteric question could determine where you're allowed to walk on the beach this summer.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — Most members of the special legislative commission on lateral shoreline access agree that it's absurd to use 18.6-year metonymic cycles to determine where the public beach ends and private property begins.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — … Gloria is one of countless Rhode Islanders with a deep emotional attachment to privately-owned Rose Nulman Park, which sits on top of a crumbling bluff near the Point Judith Lighthouse. When boulders blocking the entrance and a sign reading "CLOSED" appeared just days before Christmas, there was a collective sense of mourning.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — Over the past few years, demands to improve shoreline access have ramped up across Rhode Island. Yet the politicians vying to be the state's next governor have been curiously silent on the topic.