RIPTA Ridership Dropped 12% After Cuts Forced Riders to Quit Jobs, Lengthen Commutes

Service cuts made by the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) last fall are having major impacts on riders, forcing some into much longer commutes or even changing jobs, reports Ben Berke for Ocean State Media.

As part of the cuts, “45 of RIPTA’s 63 routes saw reductions in service, which RIPTA CEO Christopher Durand described as the largest service cut in the agency’s 59-year history. Ridership across the system quickly dropped 12%, according to RIPTA.”

The cuts were made to help the agency achieve financial stability and amounted to roughly $4.4 million in annual savings, less than 3 percent of the agency’s total budget and 0.03 percent of the state’s budget. But it has had significant negative effects on residents who rely on transit. “In interviews conducted on bus routes across Rhode Island, Ocean State Media heard from riders who lost hours of free time, reduced their working hours, or started paying for Uber and Lyft rides that eat up much of their earnings.”