RIPTA and RIDOT Face a Critical Moment

RIPTA has a history of serving the transportation needs of Rhode Island residents since 1966. For 31 years, RIPTA has had to announce service cuts to routes repeatedly. Here in Woonsocket, we are served by two bus routes — one that goes across town and the other a route to Providence. Many of our fellow residents use the RIPTA and RIDE services as their only methods of transportation.  

RIPTA’s riders have had to take many service cuts on the chin frequently. This year is no different. RIPTA has said unless a more sustainable funding source is found for it, deep service cuts may have to be made, with some estimating cuts as deep as 25 percent. This will have a very negative impact on current riders who depend on the buses to get around.

If a 25 percent reduction in service sounds harsh, that’s because it is. RIPTA and RIDOT both depend heavily on gasoline taxes as a source of revenue. This presents a problem because as automobile drivers buy more efficient vehicles like hybrids, revenue continues to decline. Also, many people have started riding public transit as gas prices continue to go up instead of driving their cars. Both of these facts together means a big drop in funding for RIPTA. And just like gasoline for drivers, RIPTA also has to deal with the rising costs of diesel fuel.  

Thankfully, a bill has been drafted which will soon be voted on at the RI House. House Bill 7851 will transfer enough vehicle registration fees to both RIPTA and RIDOT to be able to avoid deep service cuts now and future pain for RIPTA riders for the foreseeable future.

A robust and efficient transit system is critical for Rhode Island’s workforce to be able to get around. As gasoline becomes more expensive, RIPTA will play an ever larger role. RIPTA has been scaling back operations as its funding has been shrinking. Both RIPTA and RIDOT provide services which we all rely upon to continue to be able to remain mobile. In other cities, public transit is a desirable way to move around and has shown to be vital part of what makes a community desirable to live in. It cuts levels of pollution and reduces traffic congestion in our urban areas.  

Woonsocket and Rhode Island both need RIPTA to continue its current level of service in order to prevent the economic crisis from deepening. There are organizations, such as the Sierra Club of Rhode Island, actively engaging the public to sign onto their petition to pass House Bill 7851. Residents wishing to sign can visit the online petition at: http://www.change.org/petitions/save-ripta and can also send a letter to their RI House Representatives here: https://secure.sierraclub.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=8083.