Rhode Island Transit Avoids Driver Layoffs, But Cuts Still Coming to 46 Bus Lines

The agency revised a previous plan that would have reduced service on 58 of its 67 bus lines.

1 minute read

September 2, 2025, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


White Pawtucket RIPTA Bus on Roosevelt Avenue in downtown Pawtucket, Rhode Island

A RIPTA bus in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. | Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority’s (RIPTA) approved a plan that reduces service on 46 of its 67 bus lines — cuts not as deep as predicted, but painful to riders nonetheless.

As Christopher Shea explains in an article for Rhode Island PBS, a prior plan would have also prompted driver layoffs and cuts to 58 bus lines. The new plan was drafted by the board after Governor Dan McKee intervened, offering $3 million in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funds as a loan. 

However, the cuts are still “among the largest in RIPTA’s 59-year history,” according to John Flaherty, senior adviser for Grow Smart RI, adding, “It will inflict severe hardships on many people, businesses, and institutions while undermining the value of public transit.”

Friday, August 29, 2025 in Rhode Island PBS

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