Cash-Strapped RIPTA Unveils Massive Cuts to Bus Service Across the State

This article by Christopher Shea was originally published in Rhode Island Current. It has been shortened.

To cover a $10 million deficit, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) on Thursday laid out a wide-ranging plan for service cuts.

And just how deep are they? Well, it might be easier to say what’s not on the chopping block.

That’s because the agency is proposing to cut or reduce 58 of its 67 routes — around 86% — ranging from connections to the Block Island Ferry, weekend service to Roger Williams Park Zoo, and the trolleys connecting Newport’s North End to the city’s beaches.

Eleven routes would be totally eliminated. Thirty routes would see reductions in trip frequency or number of trips. A half dozen routes serving park and rides would be eliminated or have round trips reduced.

But just how many jobs are on the line remains unclear. [RIPTA CEO Christopher Durand] had previously told reporters that between 90 to 100 employees could be let go, but walked back his projections Thursday.

Proposed service changes arrive four days before a series of public hearings are scheduled to begin across the state. The first will be held Monday, July 28 at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Knight Campus in Warwick from noon to 1:30 p.m. 

After those hearings, Durand said the board will consider approving the final plan when it holds a special meeting Aug. 7.

Should the panel move forward with the recommendations, the cuts would take effect Sept.13.

But Durand told the board a fare increase will remain off the table — at least for now.

“That is something we’re going to take a little more time to understand to make sure whatever we do is thoughtful and effective,” Durand said. 

The agency plans to conduct a study to analyze impacts of a potential fare increase on “ridership, revenue, and equity,” according to its announcement of the proposed service cuts.