Here’s what bus riders think of RIPTA’s proposed service cuts

Eighteen-year-old Angela Sarmiento is a regular on RIPTA bus 18. She uses it to get from her home in Cranston to school, or to her job at a retirement home on the East Side of Providence. She says it’s pretty reliable.

“It comes on time. It’s never late,” she said.

But Sarmiento’s commute might get a lot harder soon. The governing body of RIPTA is currently considering cutting some bus lines entirely and reducing others. Under the proposal, Sarmiento wouldn’t be able to take her bus on the weekend and the weekday service would be reduced starting April 6. She says it will be a major problem.

“I can’t take any other route because it doesn’t go in the same direction, so I would have to walk probably almost an hour and thirty minutes just to get to my job,” she said. 

Right now, RIPTA is holding a series of public hearings around the state to hear how riders like Sarmiento would be affected by the proposed cuts. The agency plans to eliminate 11 lines entirely, cut or scale back weekend service on another 12 routes, and reduce service on 8 lines. Almost every corner of the state would be affected. RIPTA is also considering whether to expand service on four other lines that get more riders, and change the times of 6 lines. 

Three dozen people came out to a lunch time hearing in Providence last week to share their thoughts on the potential cuts. Eloi Rodas was one of them. He lives in Providence’s Elmwood neighborhood and works in Olneyville. He says RIPTA service is bad as it is without the cuts, and he’s worried that it could get worse. 

“My home country is Guatemala and it’s one of the poorest countries in the world. And we have a pretty robust public transit despite that,” said Rodas. “It boggles my mind to see that the richest country in the world, and one of the most populated states, we don’t have anything that compares to anything decent.”

RIPTA says it needs to make cuts somewhere because it’s short 20 drivers, though many people in the audience weren’t convinced. Going into this fiscal year, RIPTA had an $18 million deficit. Governor Dan McKee allocated an additional $10 million, which still left a significant shortfall. Transportation advocates like Randall Rose say if the agency were properly funded by the state, it could offer salaries that would entice more applicants. 

“You can quibble about the details. But if you pay enough money to match the going rate in today’s market, you’ll get enough drivers,” Rose said at the hearing.

RIPTA says the cuts and service reductions it is considering are to its routes with the lowest ridership. And it will consider bringing them back if it gets up to full staffing again. 

RIPTA’s leader, Scott Avedisian, is pushing back against criticisms from riders who think the cuts are related to funding. Avedisian says he wants to avoid situations where riders are stranded because there’s no driver for their bus route, and the cuts don’t have anything to do with the budget shortfall. 

“I know that some of the transit advocates are trying to conflate the two issues together. That’s absolutely incorrect as for the reasoning,” Avedisian said. 

Ultimately, it’s up to RIPTA’s board to decide whether to make the cuts to service it is currently considering. The vote is scheduled for Feb. 22. If implemented, the cuts will go into effect in the spring.

Future RIPTA Public Hearings:

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

Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Blackstone Valley Visitor Center
175 Main Street, Pawtucket
Time: 5:30pm – 7pm

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

RIPTA proposed service changes:

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 – Eliminated Segment
Route 6 (Prairie Ave./CCRI/RW Zoo) – This route will no longer serve Colony House Route 14 (West Bay) – North Kingstown to Narragansett (Saturday only)
Route 16 (Bald Hill /New England Tech) – New England Tech to Quonset
Route 58 (Mineral Spring/North Providence) – Mineral Spring to Rte. 146 (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)

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