Jef Nickerson
Due to a $4.6 million hole in their budget, RIPTA CEO Charles Odimgbe has proposed a 10% in services on RIPTA. Below is the proposed cuts and the schedule of hearings on the proposal. RIPTA Press Release:
The proposed cuts would affect thirty-five (35) communities, thirty-nine (39) bus routes, Flex zones and Park n’ Ride service and include the following changes: eliminating routes or route segments; decreasing service frequency; ending service at 10 pm on weekdays on many routes; and shutting down service at 10 pm on weekends on many routes. RIPTA is also proposing to eliminate all Holiday Bus Service, all Flex Service in Narragansett and some Park n’ Ride service.
Additionally, 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 may also be reduced wherever there is elimination of a route or segment of a route.
Pawtucket service will be greatly impacted by these proposed service cuts. Five of Pawtucket’s routes may be completely shut down on Saturday; four routes may cease to run on Sunday.
RIPTA to Hold 10 Public Hearings on Proposed Service Reductions Statewide [.pdf]
The public hearing schedule is as follows:
- Tuesday, July 26:
Newport City Hall Council Chambers 43 Broadway Newport, RI 02840 Time: 2-4 p.m. 6-8 p.m.Community College of Rhode Island Newport Campus Auditorium One John H. Chafee Boulevard, Newport, RI Time: 2-4 p.m. 6-8 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 27: Burnside Building 400 Hope St. Bristol, RI 02809 Time: 2-4 p.m. 6-8 p.m.
- Thursday, July 28: Warwick City Hall Council Chambers 3275 Post Road Warwick, RI 02886 Time: 2-4 p.m. 6-8 p.m.
- Monday, Aug. 1: University of Rhode Island Feinstein Providence Campus Auditorium 80 Washington St. Providence, RI 02903 Time: 2-4 p.m. 6-8 p.m.
- Tuesday, Aug. 2: Narragansett Town Hall Assembly Room 25 Fifth Ave. Narragansett, RI 02882 Time: 2-4 p.m. 6-8 p.m.
A 72-hour notice is required for persons with sensory impairment requiring auxiliary aids at public hearings. To request this service, call the RIPTA ADA Coordinator at 401-784-9553 or 800-745-5555.
RIPTA’s proposed cuts are as follows:
Elimination of all service on holidays
Complete Elimination of Regular Route and Flex Service
- Rte. 8 – Jefferson Boulevard
- Rte. 29 – Kent County
- Rte. 32 – West Barrington
- Rte. 53 – Smithfield Avenue
- Rte. 73 – Fairlawn/CCRI
- Rte. 75 – Dexter/Lincoln Mall
- Rte. 80 – Armistice Boulevard
- Rte. 203 – Narragansett Flex
Elimination of Saturday service
- Rte. 14 – West Bay
- Rte. 13 – Arctic/Washington
- Rte. 64 – URI/Newport
- Rte. 79 – Columbus Avenue
Elimination of Sunday service
- Rte. 34 – East Providence
- Rte. 35 – Rumford
- Rte. 52 – Branch Avenue
- Rte. 77 – Benefit/Broadway
Elimination of all weekend service
- Rte. 76 – Central Avenue
Route segment eliminations
- Rte. 1 – Eddy Street All service beyond Providence city line
- Rte. 19 – Plainfield Street Discontinue Atwood Avenue Service
- Rte. 27 – Manton Ave. All service beyond Providence city line on weekends
- Rte. 28 – Hartford Ave. All service beyond Providence city line on weekends
- Rte. 57 – Smith Street All service beyond Providence city line on weekends
Park n’ ride eliminations
- Rte. 90 – (Chopsist Hill) 1 Roundtrip
- Rte. 90 – (Exit 7/Route # 117) 1 Roundtrip
- Rte. 90 – (Westerly) 1 Roundtrip
Reduction in trip frequency or number of trips
- Rte. 9 – Pascoag Service reductions
- Rte. 13 – Arctic/Washington Weekday service reduced by 50 percent
- Rte. 14 – West Bay Service reductions
- Rte. 34 – East Providence Service reductions
- Rte. 66 – URI/Galilee Sunday & Saturday service reduced by 50 percent
Service ends at 10 p.m. on weekdays
- Rte. 1 – Eddy Street
- Rte. 11 – Broad Street
- Rte. 17 – Dyer/Pocasset
- Rte. 19 – Plainfield Street
- Rte. 20 – Elmwood Ave.
- Rte. 22 – Pontiac Ave.
- Rte. 27 – Manton Ave.
- Rte. 28 – Hartford Ave.
- Rte. 31 – Cranston St.
- Rte. 33 – Riverside
- Rte. 34 – East Providence
- Rte. 42 – Hope Street
- Rte. 50 – Douglas Ave.
- Rte. 52 – Branch Ave. (All Friday Only tips)
- Rte. 54 – Woonsocket
- Rte. 55 – Admiral Street
- Rte. 56 – Chalkstone Ave.
- Rte. 57 – Smith Street
- Rte. 60 – Newport/Providence
- Rte. 66 – URI/Galilee
- Rte. 78 – Beverage Hill
- Rte. 99 – Providence/Pawtucket
Service ends at 10 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday
- Rte. 11 – Broad Street
- Rte. 54 – Woonsocket
- Rte. 60 – Newport/Providence
- Rte. 66 – URI/Galilee
- Rte. 99 – Providence/Pawtucket
Service ends at 10 p.m. on Saturday
- Rte. 1 – Eddy Street
- Rte. 19 – Plainfield Street
- Rte. 23 – Pasotore/Malls/CCRI
- Rte. 27 – Manton Ave.
- Rte. 28 – Hartford Ave.
- Rte. 31 – Cranston St.
- Rte. 42 – Hope Street
- Rte. 52 – Branch Ave.
- Rte. 55 – Admiral Street
- Rte. 56 – Chalkstone Ave.
- Rte. 57 – Smith Street
- Rte. 78 – Beverage Hill
Hot Dang RIPTA!
Why don’t they just shut down the whole thing why they’re at it? Only poor people ride the bus anyway (tongue firmly in cheek).
Actually, why doesn’t the whole city just go into hibernation mode at 9pm? That way the whole gaggle of college students who pour into Providence at night via RIPTA can just stay at home and not worry about spending all their money. We could make it impossible for people to get to Newport on the weekends too.
Also, I’ll be sure to tell my employer that I wont be able to make it to work on Victory over Japan Day as well.
This would be really bad. No #20 after 10pm, no #14 on Saturdays, and no #8 at all. All those buses serve the airport and/or the new InterLink. Ugh.
Completely eliminating Bus 29? That would not be good for me. Not at all.
No 60 after 10pm? Be on the look out for a wave of drunk drivers from Providence -> RWU on Thursday nights
This is because the politicos are afraid of the anti-taxers, so successful both as a political movement and in undermining public services. We still finance RIPTA thru a gas tax that not only doesn’t grow with inflation, it actually ha declined wth the recession and more efficient cars.
he politcos know this. Former Governor Carcieri’s “blue ribbon” panel of business, planners, economic development and auto interests (no transit folks, enviros, hippies!) saw this was not sustainable for RIPTA and RIDOT and seeing the importance of transit as well as roads, recommended considerable increases in their revenues. To no avail, neither the Governor nor the Assembly did anything to solve the problem.
At this point, it may be a downward cycle, since as less folks use RIPTA, the less support for it. But there is still time to head this off if enough energy is put into saving the service.
Thanks Barry. This article references the insufficiency of the gax tax vis-à-vis the lack of public support for finding a solution.
I knew the 53 line was going to be cut. Which means the 72 line is going to be packed because it serves most of the same route.
BTW, this is standard RIPTA tactic every year. Publish a list of draconian service cuts and then watch as legislators clamor to find cash for it.
How many businesses are there on Jefferson Blvd?! Not to mention the airport being so close. If i didn’t JUST get a car, I would need the #8 to get to and from work everyday. With that being completely eliminated, I would have no way of getting to work.
And i’ve definitely needed to get home past 10pm on weeknights, say after a show or event. So, being stranded or having to rely on cabs is not fun.
Well if we had a cab system like NYC you wouldn’t be stranded and it wouldn’t cost $35 to go from say Warwick to Providence.
I was in NYC a couple weekends ago for Gay Pride. I was amazed at how easy it was to get a cab. They are EVERYWHERE, thousands of them, all that taxi yellow with the NYCTaxi logo on them and they took credit cards!
The price of cabs in New York is highly regulated. The reason why New York has such a successful cab culture is that the city has an outstanding mass transit system. The two compliment and reinforce each other, resulting in lower car ownership and usage.
Why isn’t the 49 (Camp St/Miriam) listed as a cut? This is probably one of the most redundant routes in the city. People could easily walk 2 blocks to Hope Street or 3 blocks to the 99 on North Main.
RIPTA and the City of Pawtucket today are celebrating the arrival of hybrid trolleys which will run on routes 73 & 80.
Both routes are slated for complete elimination if RIPTA cannot find a way to fill its budget gap.
ProJo: RIPTA considers major service cuts
There is a group “ripta-riders” trying to avert the cuts. One plan is to leaflet passengers at Kennedy Plaza to urge attending one of the hearings. As turnout will be considered an indication of interest I think those wnting to build a decent transit system should indeed attend a hearng. And anyone interestd in helping “ripta-rders” is invited to attend a plannng meeting 12:15pm on Tues July 26 at the Sierra Club, 17 Gordon Avenue (between Broad and Prairie, call 521-4734 for directions)
The RIPTA ATU union just elected a new President and perhaps the ATU will play an active role in the campaign.
There is a need to consider a short-term stategy to avoid current proposed cuts, and a long-term strategy so we are not back to the same situation almost every year as gas tax revenue shrinks. I had a list of ideas in mind for this when I spoke at the “public comment” part of the last Board meeting.
RIPTA has added a Pawtucket Community Meeting on the proposed service reduction. Thursday at 6:30pm at Pawtucket City Hall.
Why not shut it down permanently? With all of thier cuts & increasing rates it doesn’t even make sense to keep it running. Pretty soon it will cost the same as a taxi. And when you ride in a cab you don’t run the risk of sitting in a seat that has urine or feces in it. Also the cab drivers are pleasant, not rude like the RIPTA drivers, who act like they are driving thier own personal behicles2. To the point.That they geel free to swear at passengers.and then tell them to get off if they don’t like it.