As RIPTA moves closer to draconian service cuts, riders protest in Kennedy Plaza

“It’s so stupid that we’re forced to grovel, over and over every year, for basic transportation that is the backbone of any economy... This is an economic engine.”

“This is basic infrastructure that should be provided by the state,” said Liza Burkin, board president of the Providence Streets Coalition, to a crowd of over 100 people in downtown Providence’s Kennedy Plaza. “We only need $10 million to avert these cuts, and Governor McKee could make it happen if he cared - we know this - if he cared.

“We are here to say that he should care. He should care about the people, the 30,000 riders per day who traverse our state, the smallest state in the union. We should have the best public transit system in the country.

“It’s so frustrating,” continued Burkin. “It’s so stupid that we’re forced to grovel, over and over every year, for basic transportation that is the backbone of any economy. This is not just a social service for those who can’t drive. This is an economic engine.”

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The RIPTA Board of Directors will meet on Thursday morning to discuss draconian service cuts, the largest in the bus service’s history. The cuts are due to Governor Daniel McKee defunding RIPTA in his annual budget, and House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Valerie Lawson taking no action to restore funding. Some service lines will be eliminated, others will be drastically reduced.

“If state leaders fully funded RIPTA’s day-to-day operations, we could avoid these drastic cuts,” said Rochelle Lee, co-organizer of the Rhode Island Transit Riders. “Raise your voice about what is best for the bus riders. Talk about how your travel will be affected by these bus cuts. Talk about how putting $10 million on the backs of bus riders is not a sound strategy.

“Tomorrow morning, tell the RIPTA Board of Directors to just say no to budget cuts. Just say no.

“Bus riders are parents, grandparents, entrepreneurs, students, and teachers,” continued Lee. “We’re people going to work. We’re people going to visit friends, shop, get to appointments, and do our everyday business. We should be able to depend on reliable, affordable, and accessible buses because no matter where you live, no matter where you work, no matter where you do business, it means a lot to have a bus service that you can depend on.”

“We’ve got to make our voices heard,” said Randall Rose from the Kennedy Plaza Resilience Coalition. “They have these hearings around the state and the RIPTA Board meetings, but we need to get our voices heard at the State House because the people at the top of the State House are the ones who make the decisions about money. They’re the ones who decide to leave RIPTA $10 million short and cut almost all of the bus routes.

“Bus riders vote, but it’s not just bus riders who vote. A lot of people in Rhode Island love bus riders and have bus riders in their families. Politicians who don’t do the right thing will feel the difference in the next election.

“People move to Rhode Island because of the bus system,” continued Rose. “People choose their homes because they want to live on the bus line, and now they’re taking those buses away. They’re destroying the value of people’s homes. It’s time to say no to that. They’re taking away reasons for people to move to Rhode Island.”

“I remember a time before Kennedy Plaza was the central bus hub in the city,” said Charmaine Porter, a lifelong resident of Providence, Rhode Island. “I remember getting off the Manton Avenue bus on Fountain Street and walking to Weybossett to catch the bus to Elmwood to get to church on Sundays. It has been a slow uphill battle, and there is still a long way to go, but RIPTA has come a long way since the nineties.

“This budget cut will gut RIPTA’s infrastructure, resulting in massive cuts to our state’s bus lines. It will devastate not only RIPTA but the entirety of Rhode Island. From getting to work, school, and daycare to medical appointments, the grocery store, places of worship, seeing friends on the weekend, or going to the beaches, people use public transportation to live their daily lives.

“But I don’t need to tell any of you that. The people here at this rally know what it means. You take the bus every day. You’re friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors. You know the impacts because you are experiencing them, but where are the people with the decision-making power? They are not here. They’re not fighting with or for us. They’re not on the buses with us, tired and grumpy. They don’t have to wait for an hour when they miss their ride. They don’t have to get ready to leave the house two hours earlier than their coworkers with cars. They don’t have to worry about whether or not their shoes will survive the elements, the rain, and the snow. They don’t have to withstand unbearable temperatures while waiting for the bus to pass them.

“The people in the decision-making seats regarding RIPTA’s future are not committed to the future of Rhode Island and Rhode Islanders. They prioritize police over people, profit over people, and their own individual existence over the fabric that makes up a healthy, thriving community structure.

“We can never strengthen our state’s economic systems without a strong public transit system. We are already too tired, broke, and overworked. Our governor is too busy getting rides from his security detail.

“It’s 45 minutes to get from one end of our state to the other in a car,” continued Porter. “Our state is too small not to have the strongest public transportation system in the United States. Why is it so difficult for Rhode Islanders to get the necessary funding and infrastructure to build RIPTA up to what we deserve? Why is our state insisting on disinvesting from a system that is necessary to its success, because I promise you, Rhode Island cannot be successful in any way, shape, or form when so many of us living, working, and building our lives here depend on RIPTA for our daily transportation needs.”

“Ongoing funding shortages and political decisions are causing serious cuts, threatening jobs, transit access, and RIPTA’s future,” said Walter Melillo, President/Business Agent of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 618. “These reductions harm our community, strain our ATU members, and will lead to overcrowding and uncertainty in our transit system.

“Urgent action is needed to secure funding and prevent further losses. These cuts should be put on hold. Rhode Islanders should not be left behind. I ask you to contact your representatives, senators, mayors, and the governor. Please do your part. We appreciate it. The bus drivers and our ATU members appreciate it.”

“What we have before us is a broad coalition of Rhode Islanders from every walk of life,” said State Representative David Morales. “We have young people who rely on RIPTA to get to school. Working people use RIPTA to get to their jobs, medical appointments, and the laundromat. We’ve got seniors who depend on RIPTA to ensure they can get from point A to point B without stressing about using the sidewalk or their vehicle.

“Regardless of what the politicians choose to fund, we know that RIPTA is essential to our community. Even if our governor is too busy in the backseat of his Tahoe to understand its importance, we, as a community, understand why it’s so important that we stop the service losses of up to 50 lines because we know the impact that’s going to have on our neighbors.

“From January to June, coalitions of community members came to the State House, pleading with lawmakers to fully fund RIPTA. The job wasn’t done because RTO was left with a $10 million budget hole, which leaves us where we are today.

“Over the last two weeks, community member after community member has gone before representatives of RIPTA, cried tears, and pulled out the receipts to say this is the harm that will happen if you move forward with these cuts.

“We need to ensure that, as a community, we continue to stand in solidarity by attending board meetings and demanding that the board members delay a vote on any cuts to RIPTA. Make no mistake about it: The governor can shift money from different agencies back towards RIPTA.

“The idea that we need to cut RIPTA is an artificial emergency and an attack against working people,” concluded Representative Morales. “I’m calling on the Rhode Island General Assembly to convene a special session to shift the money as soon as possible so RIPTA remains fully funded. It’s up to the RIPTA Board to stop these decisions from happening. Because if they vote for these cuts, starting in September, we will all suffer.”