Not in Service: Riders push back against RIPTA budget cuts

"These service cuts need to be reversed," said Randall Rose. "We need to make sure that RIPTA is sustainable."

Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee’s budget, say advocates, insufficiently funds the Rhode Island Public Transporation Authority [RIPTA]. At a RIPTA Board meeting on Thursday, members of the public spoke out in defense of the bus service, which is experiencing a severe budgeting shortfall and a massive retirement of experienced drivers. These are known as the fiscal cliff and the “driver’s cliff.”

To be clear, Governor McKee and General Assembly leadership are choosing to underfund RIPTA. The amount of money RIPTA needs to function properly and even expand service is a fraction of the money the state would be cutting out of tax revenues were they to implement the Rhode Island Senate’s plan to cut the estate tax.

At the RIPTA Board meeting, after public comment, the board voted to propose a series of service cuts across the state. You can see the proposed service cuts in this footnote.¹

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The Rhode Island Transit Riders released the following ahead of the Board meeting:

“The Governor's budget, presented last week, provides only half of the bare minimum needed to cover RIPTA's projected deficit for next year. Furthermore, McKee is providing no additional funding to raise bus drivers' wages and avoid the ‘driver cliff’ - drivers retiring or quitting to get bus driving jobs with better pay elsewhere.

“RIPTA already reduced many bus lines throughout the state a year and a half ago when the driver shortage began. Without a pay raise, the driver shortage is about to get much worse. The frequency of buses on more routes will be reduced - and some lines will be eliminated altogether. Furthermore, in order to balance the books and cover the deficit, RIPTA will have to downsize even more.

“According to one projection RIPTA made some months ago, Park and Ride routes will be cut, as will all rural service to many destinations. Frequency will be reduced on city lines, including the popular Route 20 to TF Green airport and the key Route 92 service for the East Side. Frequency will also be reduced to East Bay buses. Furthermore, frequency of service to Rhode Island College, the University of Rhode Island and Providence College will be reduced. All Sunday and Holiday trips will be eliminated. And all special Providence Public School trips will be eliminated, causing massive overcrowding on school lines.

“We riders need to speak out! RIPTA is not the culprit here. It's the short-sighted state leaders. We will need to speak out at public hearings and at General Assembly committee meetings.”

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Under the law, service cuts cannot be made without a series of pro forma public hearings. The Providence Streets Coalition is asking people to attend these meetings and make their position on these service cuts clear.

“As a result of chronic and generational underfunding, the way we treat bus operators in this state is shameful,” writes the Providence Street Coalition. “The starting salary ($21.71/hr) cannot compete with school bus drivers, Amazon, UPS, etc; there are often no bathroom breaks; and drivers are working crazy overtime because of the shortage. No wonder more people aren't signing up to drive the bus. Transit riders and advocates must help drivers fight for competitive wages and a better work culture, otherwise, RIPTA will collapse.”

HEARING SCHEDULE:

Monday, February 12, 2024
Barrington Public Library
281 County Road, Barrington
Times: 12:30 pm – 2 pm & 5:30 pm – 7 pm

Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Pawtucket City Hall Council Chambers
137 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket
Times: 12:30 pm – 2 pm & 5:30 pm – 7 pm

Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Providence Foundation
30 Exchange Terrace, Providence
Times: 12:30 pm – 2 pm & 5:30 pm – 7 pm

Thursday, February 15, 2024
Newport CCRI Auditorium
One John H. Chafee Blvd., Newport
Times: 12:30 pm – 2 pm & 5:30 pm – 7 pm

Monday, February 19, 2024
URI Memorial Union, Room 360
50 Lower College Road, Kingston
Times: 12:30 pm – 2 pm & 5:30 pm – 7 pm

Wednesday, February 21, 2024
West Warwick Public Library
1043 Main Street, West Warwick
Times: 12:30 pm – 2 pm & 5:30 pm – 7 pm

These hearings will be accessible to people with disabilities and people with limited English proficiency. RIPTA will provide translation and interpreter services for the deaf and hearing impaired, provided such a request is made at least 72 hours before the hearing date. A request for this service can be made by calling (401) 784-9500 ex. 1242 or 800-745-5555 (RI Relay TDD).

The Providence Streets Coalition is also asking people to tell state leaders how these cuts will impact you and your community, and ask for increased funding from state lawmakers:

• Governor Dan McKee: (401) 222-2080

• House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi: (401) 222-2447, rep-shekarchi@rilegislature.gov

• Senate President Dominick Ruggerio: (401) 222-6655, sen-ruggerio@rilegislature.gov

• Find your state senator and representative and their contact info: vote.sos.ri.gov/Home/PollingPlaces?ActiveFlag=3

Here are some of the comments made before the RIPTA Board on Thursday. Not one person spoke in favor of the proposed cuts.

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Daria Phoebe Bashir: While I recognize the board is not in aggregate responsible for the underfunding which will be triggering the massive service cuts that we're going to see the proposals for later, I must nevertheless say that it's going to be a disaster for riders and ask that you take every step available to you, both as the board and as individuals, to advocate for whatever resources are necessary from the state to avoid this. You're here to steer this organization and you're duty is to do the advocacy to get what's needed for RIPTA to continue providing the necessary services for our residents and workers.

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Patricia Raub: I was appalled and frustrated by the governor's stingy amount of money that he's allocating to RIPTA and I feel that it's up to the board and for the riders to get the money increased. We need a lot more than $19 million as you well know. That was a basement figure and if we are going to get started on the Transit Master Pan, we need a lot more. As a final comment, there's talk about 'Let's just wait and analyze how well RIPTA is doing." It has been analyzed and analyzed and analyzed and every report comes back saying that RIPTA does well and it does well against its peer agencies across the country.

Board member: Are you satisfied with the amount of money that's been allocated for the fiscal year 2025?

Patricia Raub: I don't think you should allocate money to RIPTA one year at a time. We need to have an increase in RIPTA's budget that is ongoing. The money that's been is paltry and doesn't nearly meet the needs thatRIPTA is facing.

Board member: It is the same as last year, is that correct?

Patricia Raub: It wasn't so good last year either, but at this point, we're up to the point where the fiscal cliff is beginning to kick in. We no longer have the COVID money to cover the money that's missing and now we have nothing else to depend on. The state needs to step up and pay for a first-class bus system, which it's not doing.

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Maddie Pena: I'm a disabled student and I rely on RIPTA. It is my everything. It is my lifeline. It's everything from how I get to work, how I get to school, how I get groceries, and how I go to healthcare appointments. With the service cuts I'm not going to be able to meet my life's needs. It's going to be so much more difficult to get anything done.

We need to implement the transit master plan to sustain the state in the long term. We are not going to survive as a state. We cannot connect physically and if we rely on private motor vehicles to get us around, causing congestion and accidents for pedestrians - it's just not as efficient as public transit. People need this and it's disheartening to see that there's a plan that seems so top [down] that's creating the new hub.

I talk to riders every day. I'm a rider myself every single day. The community engagement isn't there. It seems like people want something to happen that is not being asked for by riders and is against the general interest of riders in the state.

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Peter Broussard: The budget the governor announced, allocating $10 million towards plugging RIPTA's fiscal cliff is inadequate. It's short by $8 million, as has been said. RIPTA already found significant savings to reduce the fiscal cliff by eliminating training and maintenance. The governor has proposed nothing to address the bus driver shortage and the Transit Master Plan. Funding. ripped adequately is more than just providing transportation to people who don't have cars. Funding RIPTA is about addressing climate change in the transportation sector.

Electrifying the state's car fleet is a nice idea but it's not enough. Many who will get EVs are either well off or will be able to install charging stations at their home. In 20 years, roughly a quarter of the gas-powered vehicles that are sold today will still be on the road spewing carbon dioxide. It took six years for the General Assembly to replace the funds lost to municipalities by eliminating the car tax. The General Assembly just worked it into the budget, not raising any taxes. That was for $250 million. The very same can be done for RIPTA. This board needs to advocate with the governor and General Assembly leadership to appropriate the additional $8 million for the fiscal cliff, to provide separate funding to attract new bus riders and to make the first installment on implementing the Transit Master Plan.

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John Flaherty: Grow Smart RI is very concerned that the state government might allow devastating service cuts to take effect due to the impending fiscal cliff at RIPTA and most other transit agencies around the country as well - are now facing in the aftermath of the pandemic. While other states are proactively confronting this fiscal crisis to avoid massive disruption to the millions of people and employers that would be affected, we in Rhode Island seem to be largely ignoring it. We hope the board will reconsider its budget request and appeal directly to General Assembly leadership to close the fiscal cliff without further cuts to service this.

But today I want to call your attention specifically to what seems to be a double standard, a double standard that's applied to those who use transit versus those who drive a personal vehicle. When it comes to improvements and equity in our transportation system, delaying the service improvements that are outlined in the very data-driven, heavily vetted, and state-approved Transit Master Plan is now three years old. Delaying that until the completion of yet another in a long line of fiscal reviews is not the answer. Punishing tens of thousands of people and employers who rely on public transport is wrong. And by the way, those previous reviews, including ones by the legislature, have concluded that RIPTA is managed well and that the agency outperforms its peers in just about every performance metric, including efficiency.

We wouldn't think of punishing motorists by halting improvements to our worst in the nation's roads until a thorough of [RIDOT] were performed. Reviewing any agency's performance can and should happen regularly while their vital work continues, just as RIDOT will be reviewed for the Washington Bridge crisis without halting new projects to improve roads and bridges.

If this board believes that implementation of the Transit Master Plan should not advance until you and perhaps members of the General Assembly are assured of optimum efficiency by another fiscal review, then surely this should also apply to advancing the development of a new transit hub as well.

Grow Smart Rhode Island has been a leading supporter of advancing the Dorrance Street Transit Center. However, if the application of double standards is to prevail, if our state and this agency do not commit to implementing the service improvements that are far more important to transit riders than a new hub, then Grow Smart would strongly oppose any further action to advanced development of any new transit hub at this time.

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Sam Butler: I'm here as a private and concerned citizen to echo many of the points that today's people who are much more knowledgeable have made. I'm car-free, mostly for economic reasons, and I get around on my bike and also RIPTA, especially during weather like we've just had - snowing and raining. It's my only way to get around the city as well as other parts of the state.

It's something to be proud of, in such a small state, that I can get on a bus and go all the way from Providence to Newport. I'm here because I'm concerned about the oncoming fiscal cliff and also about the proposed changes to the bus hus in Kennedy Plaza.

No one I've talked to has any idea why we would move the bus hub and who that's for. It seems to be punishing the people who need transit the most.

I'm here to ask the board to keep lobbying with lawmakers and with the governor to make sure that something that's a vital service for many people in the state and this public transit service doesn't continue to shrink and slowly die to the point where it is useless. The more we can invest in this and ensure service, the more returns we will get out of it as a state.

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Dexter Vincent: I left school early to come to this meeting today. Students rely on transit, especially in the urban core. Of the youth and adult staff at Providence Student Union, the majority ride transit daily. With the driver shortage, low frequency, and sparse service in Rhode Island, students are often made late to classes. They can't attend extracurricular activities or a job and that makes them resort to paying for Ubers. They have to get rides from their parents. Oftentimes they can't get rides from their parents, so they're stranded.

The legislator passed the Act on Clmate three years ago. It is not a self-executing act. We need to reduce vehicle miles travel and increase mode shift and this will only happen if we increase service for public transit in this state. As many other people have pointed out, I don't envy the position that this board is in. The governor's $10 million is truly insulting, but I encourage this board to advocate for more funding for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority and also to delay service cuts as long as this fight is ongoing in the legislature.

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Elizabeth Goodspeed: I am a daily bus rider. I, growing up in New York, I never had to get a driver's license and I am terrified of driving and don't have enough money for a car, so I take public transit every day. I take it everywhere I go. I'm really upset by the way the service cuts are going to affect low-income communities, but I also want to challenge the misconceptions.

I think about who takes the bus. I run a business here in Rhode Island. I teach a RISD. I'm a homeowner and I take the bus all the time. I think a lot of people have misconceptions about who is taking the bus. A lot more people would take the bus if it came more often if it was more frequent, and if it went more places.

As a young person, I have a lot of friends who are thinking about places like Providence. A lot of people want to live somewhere like Providence. I love living in Rhode Island, but things keep young people from coming here. There aren't possibilities of living in different ways. I chose to move here because of the access to public transit. I came back because I loved going to school here so much and because I had job opportunities here, but if these service cuts continue, I might have to move somewhere else.

I want to be able to do what I used to do in New York. I want to go to the bar with my friends and come home on public transit and not have to worry about getting a car. I want to go grocery shopping on Sunday and be able to take it home. With the service cuts, lines that I take regularly, like the 40, are going to be cut. On Sunday, I won't be able to take it. I can't do the beach bus. That's separate from all the really important things like the bus I take to my medical appointments.

Public transit can be joyful. I love taking it. I love the people I meet on public transit. It makes me feel connected to my community and a lot of people feel like I do. It would be great if more money was allocated. The service cuts are upsetting and I encourage you to all consider the Trans Master Plan and other things to keep service running for people.

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Michael Tillinghast: I'm opposed to the Governor's budget because of the cuts to SNAP and RIPTA.

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Representative Enrique Sanchez: I'm here because recently, in the governor's budget proposal, there's a fiscal cut for RIPTA of $10 million that is going to be transferred over to RIDOT. RIDOT is to utilize those funds for RIPTA, but we all know that might be a misconception, that it might be an opportunity for RIDOT to withhold those funds.

Being in the legislature, I have seen firsthand how we're not prioritizing our public transportation system. I hear from a lot of folks in our communities who are upset with how our state is handling our public transportation system. Workers are missing work, wages are low, opportunities are low, and opportunities are being cut as well. We're not doing enough investment, recruiting drivers, or raising wages for our RIPTA drivers.

Direct Alviti, it is been disrespectful honestly, the way you have treated the General Assembly. You have not been transparent with us. You have not been communicative with us. I commented last month about the possibility of articles of impeachment. It's not personal, but it's becoming a problem. A lot of residents in our state are very concerned, frustrated, and mad. You may not be at fault completely, but people want accountability. They want to hear from our leaders. If I was getting a lot of calls for resignation or to step down, I would take it. It has come to the point where we are in a crisis right now with the high cost of living. So many people are struggling to make ends meet and then they have to deal with the Washington Bridge closing. That's a huge hit on our economy.

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Walter Melillo, President of the Rhode Island ATU: We all know we have a fiscal cliff here at RIPTA. It's been closed slightly, but year to year the funding is rapidly decreasing, right? So with the implementation of electric vehicles, it's only going to decrease because of the gas tax.

The ATU does not support service cuts. This affects so many people in the state with disabilities and people are just getting out of the hospital or going to doctor's appointments, I can go on and on.

Not only that, it's going to put a burden on our drivers. It's going to further [impact] their physical and mental health. I believe the workload is going to be harder on our workforce.

One of the biggest problems we're having here at RIPTA is getting people in the door, and attracting workers. That leads to manpower issues and then RIPTA can't cover the service. We also have members retiring and resigning at a high rate. I believe that out of 400 drivers, about 115 are eligible to retire. That's a high number. At ATU we're working with RIPTA to find solutions and get people in the door.

We're also working with other alliances and advocates to get the message across that RIPTA needs funding - RIPTA Riders Alliance, Providence Streets Coalition, and so many other people. I'm thankful for them because they're there to support RIPTA and our members.

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Randall Rose: Let's be frank about what these service cuts mean. The service cuts mean creating a mini-recession for the transit-using community in Rhode Island. I know it's not RIPTA's fault. I know the funding level is set at the State House not at RIPTA, but it is going to cause the equivalent of a mini-recession for the people who rely on transit, who are our neighbors, our relatives, the elderly, the disabled, students, low-income people, and a lot of people who just want to do their part for our community's future and the climate.

It's not acceptable and a lot of us know it's not acceptable. I don't have to reiterate that the Biden Administration has been trying to avoid a recession because they have an election year coming up. At the same time, what we are getting from the top level of the State House is service cuts that are creating that mini-recession, which is not a good idea in human terms, it's not a good idea.

These service cuts need to be reversed. We need to make sure that RIPTA is sustainable. People who can't use cars or who are disabled should be able to have the same kind of transit opportunities as other people and the state has a responsibility to create that. We've created that in the past.

I know costs are going up. There's been a lot of inflation. The fundamental reason why we have a driver's cliff is because of inflation. The inflation came from Covid. Covid has also caused a drop in ridership, but we need to adapt and make sure that our society works post-Covid and post-inflation as well as pre-Covid and pre-inflation.

I ask you, as a board, to add your voice to try to make this happen. One of the big things that's attractive about Rhode Island is that we have a reasonably functional transit system. I know it has some problems, but it's been reasonably functional. I know several people who move here from say, Boston, because Rhode Island, or specifically the areas around Providence, have good transit. But if we're getting rid of routes, we're destroying the advantage that makes people want to move here.

It doesn't make any sense. It makes it harder for people to get to jobs and harder for people to get to school and get trained. It's not a good idea at all and I want that you to pay attention to that.

One of the great things about RIPTA is that it is reducing the number of vehicle miles traveled, which is good for the climate. It's good for an efficient economy, unlike companies like Uber that increase vehicle miles traveled and are abusive in other ways.

I see on your agenda today that you have a paratransit pilot where you're being asked to have Uber temporarily take over some of RIPTA's roles or take over some of the Ride programs and expand part of the Ride program. Regardless of the merits of that - and I understand the board packet says Uber is the only choice - I think we should be wary of Uber getting into this space. I do not want RIPTA to be partnering with Uber in a way that is a wedge that leads to the privatization of the system because Uber is a company that does not respect customers.

It's overcharging and it is nowhere near as responsible as RIPTA is. A one-year pilot may be okay, but let's not get into a situation where people are pushing RIPTA to devolve its responsibilities onto Uber because that would not be good for anyone.

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Amber Ma: I appreciate the opportunity to speak on why maintaining service is important to me and my household. I've been a Providence resident for over 12 years. My husband and I are working professionals. We own a home on the West End and we went car-free back in August 2022, by choice.

Rhode Island is a great place to go car-free and we love having this option RIPTA makes that very possible and Rhode Island is a wonderful place to live. In addition to walking and biking, I take RIPTA to live my life and get around, run errands, make doctor's appointments, and go to the gym, the airport, and the train station. It makes it fairly easy.

The availability of RIPTA today is fairly adequate and meets most of my needs. To be honest, it's not always the easiest or the quickest option, but it's been sufficient.

So I wish that we could be talking about how we can expand on that great resource instead of defending the bare minimum. I am worried about the possible service cuts ahead if RIPTA is not fully funded.

One of many examples that affect me: I take RIPTA's already limited Sunday service to Johnston because I volunteer at an animal shelter and I'm the shift leader on Sunday nights. Without Sunday service, there may be a cascading effect on other volunteers and the poor animals who depend on those volunteers and myself. So RIPTA not only affects riders like me but also folks in the community who depend on the riders, who depend on RIPTA. It's just one of many examples for me and one of thousands of examples from folks who rely on RIPTA and how service cuts would have many layers of disruption in our state.

I want to see my tax dollars going towards ensuring that RIPTA is fully funded and that service is maintained. A well-funded transit agency is key to lifting our state's reputation as being an amazing place to live, work, and play while ensuring that we meet our sustainability and climate goals. I'll be writing to Governor McKee and my state legislators. I'm hoping you all can work with them as well, with due diligence, and we can work towards a solution.

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Arthur Flanders: I am here to speak about the bus frequency cuts. First of all, we should be increasing bus frequency. I know that's difficult with the budget the way it is, but the board should approach the state and demand more money for the constituents that use the bus. It's fiscally irresponsible to make cuts and do a massive expansion of services or a new bus hub amid this transportation crisis that we're facing.

This [crisis] disproportionately affects working-class Rhode Islanders. We're the smallest state in the United States. We should have the best transit. There should be no one who needs to own a car in Rhode Island. The new bus hub is a failed idea, right out of the gate. It doesn't serve the people - it serves whoever owns the buildings around Kennedy Plaza and doesn't want to look at public transportation.

I want to look at the pictures on the walls that show all the beautiful street cars and trolleys and all this transportation that we had at one point. Why don't we have that anymore? Why don't we bring that back? Providence and Rhode Island would be a destination people would want to go to if we had those types of things in place.

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Bethany David: There's no need for a [new bus] hub. I'm a rider, I'm a customer - When I talk to other riders, [they say] the more important thing to spend money on would be service and providing more service.

I choose to not have a car anymore and have been using RIPTA for 10 years. I use the R, the 1, the 3, the 4, the 72, the 92, and probably about five other ones regularly on a weekly to monthly basis. I speak to a variety of people who are riders and their sentiment is the same, that service cuts would be the worst thing to do for your customers.

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Ed Soares: The fiscal cliff, if this gets too far out of hand and we lose say Bus 14, because I live in North Kingstown, I will not use the RIde bus to get around where I need to go. We need to repair the fiscal cliff and get rid of it for everybody who uses public transit.

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Archana Ramanujam: I'm speaking today as a transit rider and Providence resident. I use bus route 1 and the R line to get to work and to get downtown and to the train station, among many other things. I was shocked that Governor McKee's budget did not address RIPTA's fiscal cliff at all. I am glad that there are still procurements happening, but I'm asking the board to work with the General Assembly to make the case for expanding public transit, instead of implementing service cuts.

I would ride the bus more often if it came more frequently. I own a car, but I choose to ride the bus and bike as much as possible. In addition, I would also ride the bus more if it ran on time. Every 20 minutes is sort of a bare minimum, I would say. The 1 goes down to 40 minutes in the evenings and the weekends, at which point I think most people would decide, unless they couldn't otherwise, to drive.

It isn't truly public transit if it doesn't serve the public, and I would say [that at] every 40 minutes, it doesn't. Ridership is a function of service, which is a function of funding - so we need more funding. I'm imploring you to make the case for more funding. People like me across Rhode Island are counting on you to fight for us.

Finally, I also want to make a point about meeting the state's climate targets. This expansion of funding is necessary to get more people out of cars and onto the bus. We could have it so much better for everyone, but we need more funding.

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Pat Ford: I would argue that when I look at this budget and I look at the overall direction of the state of Rhode Island, it seems hell-bent on gentrification without any [regard] for the generational businesses, the individuals in this community, the academic community, all of which is what makes Rhode Island special.

Reconsider that direction, because frankly, I moved here 30 years ago because I didn't want to live in Boston. I didn't want to live in one of these cold, amorphous big cities that lacked community, neighborhoods, diversity, and a comprehensive lifestyle. Contrary to what a lot of people say, I would argue, based on the community that's here, the community that's in South Providence, it's a community that's academically motivated.

Rhode Island is one of the great places to retire to in this nation and that is put at risk if we focus on the elimination of mass transportation.

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Nicole O'Laughlin: I represent the state RIPTA Coalition and we're encouraging you guys to vote no on the service cuts. As you know, RIPTA is necessary for so many, including students, those who cannot afford a car, or those struggling with housing. Transportation is the second highest cost in their household.

Seeing the governor's budget with only $10 million allocated to RIPTA and with an unnecessary study is unacceptable. Cuts to service are unacceptable. RIPTA needs more investment than just continuously plugging the deficit every year. We need more investment in raising wages and quality of life for the drivers themselves. With the staffing crisis, the need is to bring new people into the career and that's just not happening with the current pay. It's going to continue to set a downfall as drivers leave and people retire.

We're going to have nobody to fill those seats. We need to start thinking about that now and filling those gaps.

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In related news, per the Rhode Island Transit Riders:

“The RIPTA board is having a meeting at 9:30 am Tuesday to approve an initial design contract on the proposal to move the Kennedy Plaza hub, which RI Transit Riders is opposed to. As usual with this bad hub proposal, a lot of things are being kept under wraps. The proposal is so bad from a public transit perspective that they are no longer even calling it a hub - the agenda for Tuesday instead calls it a ‘Joint Business Development Project.’ But RIPTA has acknowledged that it's for moving the Kennedy Plaza hub. No one has even confirmed the location where the hub will be moved to, but it is thought to be far out on I-195 land next to Clifford St.

”If the board does approve this initial design contract on Tuesday, it wouldn't move the hub, but it would spend $16.9 million to do most of the design work. That $16.9 million is money that RIPTA can't afford to lose. It's most of what's left from bond money that voters approved 10 years ago for "enhancements and innovations to mass transit hub infrastructure throughout the state", a good objective but one that the money has never been used for in reality. Approving this contract would put RIPTA under pressure to later approve a second contract to build the hub, which would be far more expensive and unaffordable. Gov. McKee is pushing for this hub move, and he says, ‘We're not going to put it out in Siberia at someplace,’ but the I-195 location he's vocally supported is way too far from where bus riders want to go, and would snarl up many bus routes.

“It's important for people to show up at this RIPTA board meeting at 9:30 am Tuesday at 269 Melrose St to oppose this ‘Siberian’ hub project.”

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1. PROPOSED SERVICE CHANGES:

Note that because ADA service is offered within a ¾ mile corridor of fixed-route service, the paratransit ADA service that RIPTA provides through the RIde Program would also be reduced wherever there is the elimination of a route or a segment of a route.

Increase in Trip Frequency or Number of Trips
Route 51 (Charles St./Twin River/CCRI)
Route 54 (Lincoln/Woonsocket)
Route 72 (Weeden/Central Falls)
Route 92 (East Side/Federal Hill/RI College)

Trip Time Changes for Better Service Reliability
Route 14 (West Bay)
Route 16 (Bald Hill /New England Tech)
Route 21 (Reservoir/Malls/ CCRI)
Route 58 (Mineral Spring/North Providence)
Route 72 (Weeden/Central Falls)
Route 92 (East Side/Federal Hill/RI College)

Regular Route Eliminations
Route QX (Quonset Express)
Route 10x (North Scituate Park-n-Ride)
Route 12x (Arctic/117 Express Park-n-Ride)
Route 23 (Arctic/Crompton/Centre of NE)
Route 59x (North Smithfield/Lincoln Mall)
Route 61x (Tiverton/East Bay Park-n-Ride)
Route 68 (CCRI Newport/Memorial Blvd./First Beach)
Route 73 (Mineral Spring/Twin River/CCRI)
Route 76 (Central Ave.)
Route 80 (Armistice Blvd.)
Route 88 (Simmons Village Service)

Route Segment Eliminations

Route 14 (West Bay): North Kingstown to Narragansett Segment (Saturday only)

Route 16 (Bald Hill /New England Tech): New England Tech to Quonset Segment

Route 58 (Mineral Spring/North Providence): Mineral Spring to Rte. 146 Segment (one trip affected)

Elimination of Saturday Service
Route 18 (Union Ave.)
Route 58 (Mineral Spring/North Providence)
Route 64 (Newport/URI/Kingston Station)

Elimination of Sunday Service
Route 4 (Warwick Ave./West Shore)
Route 16 (Bald Hill /New England Tech)
Route 71 (Broad St./Central Falls)
Route 69 (URI/Galilee)

Elimination of All Weekend Service
Route 6 (Prairie Ave./CCRI/RW Zoo)
Route 13 (Coventry/Arctic/CCRI)
Route 29 (CCRI Warwick/Conimicut)
Route 30 (Arlington/Oaklawn)
Route 75 (Dexter/Lincoln Mall)

Reduction in Trip Frequency or Number of Trips
Route 6 (Prairie Ave./CCRI/RW Zoo)
Route 9x (Pascoag Express)
Route 16 (Bald Hill /New England Tech)
Route 18 (Union Ave.)
Route 21 (Reservoir/Malls/CCRI)
Route 65x (Wakefield Express)
Route 87 (Fairmount/Walnut Hill)
Route 95x (Westerly Express)

Route Realignment
Route 6 (Prairie Ave./CCRI/RW Zoo)

Under state law, the Authority must post the hearing schedule before holding any public hearings. All input from the public at the hearings will go to RIPTA’s Board of Directors in February and the Board will vote on the proposed service changes at its February 22, 2024, Board meeting. If approved, service changes would go into effect on Saturday, April 6, 2024. For more information on these changes, passengers can visit RIPTA.com/PublicHearings.