Save RIPTA official statement on Governor's "budget deal" for RIPTA
"While slightly better than the initial proposal, the Governor’s new budget deal still reduces frequency and weekend service on 46 of RIPTA’s routes..."
From a Providence Streets Coalition press release:
After months of sustained advocacy and an avalanche of opposition from across the state, we are glad that Governor Daniel McKee is bringing the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) back from the brink by choosing a pathway to avert massive layoffs and cuts to entire routes that would devastate our transit system beyond repair. This solution was available in January, but bus riders are always forced to beg for basic services that strengthen our economy before any action is taken. We sincerely hope this cruel tradition will come to an end.
While slightly better than the initial proposal, the Governor’s new budget deal still reduces frequency and weekend service on 46 of RIPTA’s routes, making the system less convenient and reliable overall. To grow ridership and build the robust, convenient, and comfortable transit system Rhode Islanders deserve, we must expand RIPTA, not shrink it.
“People will lose their mobility, jobs, independence, and quality of life. It is not something to celebrate.”
A permanent funding solution is still required to move RIPTA in the right direction. We thank the General Assembly for its work on sustainable transit funding last session, and look forward to continuing to collaborate in January. We do not agree that a fare increase will solve RIPTA’s problems.
While the pressure of our advocacy is moving the conversation in the right direction, this new proposal will still harm tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders with cuts to services in trips, frequencies, and on weekends. People will lose their mobility, jobs, independence, and quality of life. It is not something to celebrate.
McKee is torturing RIPTA, its employees and its riders with these halfway measures. The $7 million still needed, is a drop in the bucket compared to state spending, for example about $250 million to widen I-95 north in the center of historic Providence, and about $238 million every year to eliminate local property taxes on cars, a big gift to those with many expensive cars. And in June, even the Gov said he could provide $15 million to RIPTA from unallocated funds. So at this point I think it is still appropriate to call the Governors Office, 222-2080 and ask him to fully fund RIPTA and avert the cuts.
And it is ludicrous that despite the service cuts he is OK with, the Governor is still calling for RIPTA to spend (borrow?) a fortune to move its Kennedy Plaza hub to an inferior location where few passengers want to go, but it shows he thinks there is money available for what he wants - in this case to clear KP of its passengers - too many of which are low income and/or people of color so nearby real estate interests want them gone. Sad!
There is a RIPTA board meeting at 1:30 this Thursday. (They've changed the time twice.) They will take public comment. It's at 269 Melrose St Providence, off Elmwood Ave, near the #20 bus line. Basically the RIPTA board agenda Thursday contains almost nothing except voting on McKee's proposal.