Providence Ditches Streetcar Plans; Goes With High-Frequency Buses Instead

"What began as a plan to revive the streetcar era in Providence has evolved into something simpler, a high-frequency downtown bus corridor to improve mass transit in Rhode Island and help reverse years of ridership declines," reports Patrick Anderson.

"Financed in large part through a $13-million federal grant, the $17-million corridor will funnel seven existing Rhode Island Public Transit Agency bus lines into a 1.4-mile route from the Providence train station to the cluster of hospitals on the upper South Side," adds Anderson.

The article includes more details about the hopes for the proposed transit corridor, while also explaining the benefits of frequency for a lay audience. To make the case, Anderson calls on Jarrett Walker, who says Providence's new bus plan is a "very smart way to go."