Rhode Island Public Transit Authority

RIPTA Gillig #0517 picks up customers on the #51 line at Kennedy Plaza.
Slogan Ride The Wave
Founded 1966
Headquarters 705 Elmwood Avenue
Providence, RI 02907
Locale Rhode Island (statewide)
Service type transit bus, paratransit, demand responsive transport, rapid transit bus (2014)[1]
Routes 62
Hubs 3 (Kennedy Plaza, Newport Gateway Center, Pawtucket Transportation Center)
Lounge 3 (one at each hub)
Fleet 240 (fixed-route)
16 (Flex)[2]
Daily ridership 54,735 (2013)[3]
Fuel type Diesel, Diesel-electric, CNG
Chief executive Ray Studley
Website www.ripta.com

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) provides public transportation, primarily buses, in the state of Rhode Island. The main hub of the RIPTA system is Kennedy Plaza, a large bus terminal in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. The authority serves over 71,000 people a day, in 38 out of 39 Rhode Island communities.[4]

History

RIPTA was created in 1964 by the Rhode Island General Assembly to supervise what had been previously a system of privately run bus and trolley systems. RIPTA began operating buses on July 1, 1966, inheriting services provided previously by the United Transit Company. Ridership had decreased in Rhode Island after the construction of the Interstate Highway System, and although it never returned to 1940s levels, RIPTA's ridership has increased slightly over the years as RIPTA has improved and expanded service.[5]

Routes

RIPTA operates services in several categories. All services are operated from two garages, in Providence at 265 Melrose Street and Middletown at 350 Coddington Highway.

Fixed route

An R-Line bus in downtown Providence

Most of RIPTA's fixed-route bus lines are centered around three major hubs in the cities of Providence at Kennedy Plaza, Pawtucket at the Pawtucket Transit Center, and Newport at the Gateway Center. Two routes run between Providence and Newport, and four routes between Providence and Pawtucket. Three routes run between Providence and Warwick Mall, where they connect with a Coventry-Warwick Mall route and a Warwick crosstown route. A single circulator route in Woonsocket was introduced in 2011 to allow residents - many of whom do not own cars - to reach shopping areas outside town.[6]

R-Line

The R-Line is a limited-stop "Rapid Bus" route from Cranston to Pawtucket via Providence than combines the former 11 and 99 routes. The R-Line became operational on June 21, 2014.

Trolley service

The East Side Trolley Tunnel, from the west end.
CNG trolley replica #18

In 1999, RIPTA introduced its trolley service, providing service using tourist trolley style replica buses manufactured by Chance Coach & Optima Bus on two downtown Providence circulator lines going north and south of Kennedy Plaza and through the East Side Trolley Tunnel, and on a number of lines running through the Newport Gateway Center in Newport.

Demand response/Flex service

#0651 works the 211 Flex Service on the URI campus.
RIde #0141 in downtown Providence.

In addition to fixed route services, RIPTA also provides Flex Service service primarily settled around less-populated areas in the state, servicing the communities of Bristol, Burrillville, Coventry, Kingston (including the University of Rhode Island), Middletown, Narragansett, Newport, North Smithfield, Portsmouth, South Kingstown, Tiverton, West Warwick, Westerly, and Woonsocket.

Flex Service list

Line Route
203Narragansett Flex
204Westerly Flex
210Kingston Flex
211Kingston Connection
231South Aquidneck Island
242West Warwick/Coventry Flex
281Woonsocket Schedule Flex
282Pascoag/Slatersville Flex
Hillclimber(seasonal URI student commuter parking lot loop route)

RIde is the demand-response service operated by RIPTA, providing primarily paratransit service throughout the service area of RIPTA. The vehicles used for both service are cutaway vans.

Fares

These are the current RIPTA fares.[7]

Base fare Senior/disabled fare Transfers 1-day pass 7-day pass Monthly pass Passes
$2.004
  • Peak: $2
  • Off-peak: $1
 50¢1 $62 $232 $62 3,4
  • e-RIPtik (10 trips): $201,3
  • 15-ride pass: $261,3
  1. The transfer fee is charged only when the base fare is paid. Passes and RIPtiks include transfers at no extra cost.
  2. These passes are sold only on RIPTA fixed-route and Flex vehicles.
  3. These passes are sold only at Kennedy Plaza and participating business.
  4. Half-price monthly passes are available only to students attending schools participating in the U-PASS program.[8][9] URI students utilizing the 211 Flex Route and/or the Hillclimber are not subject to the $2 fare[10]

Active fleet

Not included here are cutaway vans normally used on Flex service and RIde paratransit and demand response services. The entire fleet is ADA compliant. Except for buses 1001-1010 (trolley replicas), all buses feature bike racks.

Year Manufacturer/Model Length
(feet)		 Width
(inches)		 Fuel Fleet numbers In service
1996 NovaBus RTS T70206 35 102 Diesel 9601-9602 2
2004 Orion V 05.501 40 102 Diesel 0461-0485 (refurbished) 25
2005 Gillig Low Floor G27E102R2 40 102 Diesel 0515-0550 36
2009 Gillig Low Floor 40 102 Diesel 0912-0935 24
2010 Gillig Trolley Replica 35 102 Hybrid Diesel-Electric 1001-1010 10
2010 Gillig BRT 40 102 Hybrid Diesel-Electric 1021-1073 (1065 inactive due to accident) 53 (52)
2010 Gillig BRT 35 102 Diesel 1081-1095 15
2013 Gillig BRT 40 102 Diesel 1301-1350 50 (50)
2016 Gillig BRT 40 102 Diesel 1601-1632 (Awaiting delivery of 1619-1632) 32 (18)
Grand total of fixed-route buses: 247 (231)

Gillig buses 0535-0550 are equipped with overhead luggage racks. Buses 0541-0550 are used primarily (but not exclusively) on long-haul routes from Providence to Newport (14 and 60), Providence to Narragansett (14), and Providence to Galilee-Block Island Ferry (66) during the week. On weekends, buses 0541-0550 are usually operated on route 60 as well as to supplement routes within Newport (63, 64 [to URI Bay and Kingston campuses], and 67).

NovaBus buses 9601-9602 are former Brockton Area Transit buses purchased in 2015 for Providence school trip service.

Retired fleet

Since the inception of service in 1966, RIPTA has operated a variety of equipment inherited from predecessor operators, purchased new by the agency, and purchased second-hand from other properties.

Year Manufacturer/Model Length
(feet)		 Width
(inches)		 Fuel Fleet numbers Notes
1950 GMC TDM-4509 35 96 Diesel 504 ex-Transit Line, Inc. same numbers; orig. New England Transportation 392
1951 GMC TDM-4509 35 96 Diesel 501-503 ex-Transit Line, Inc. same numbers; orig. Short Line 201-202, 204
1953 GMC TDH-5105 40 102 Diesel 3801-3845 ex-UTC same numbers
1954 GMC TGH-3102 30 96 Gasoline 413 ex-Transit Line, Inc. same number; orig. Pawtuxet Valley 50
1955 GMC TGH-3102 30 96 Gasoline 400 ex-Transit Line, Inc. same number; orig. Orange St. Bus Line 12
1956 GMC TGH-3102 30 96 Gasoline 401-402 ex-Transit Line, Inc. same numbers
1957 GMC TGH-3102 30 96 Gasoline 100, 403 100 ex-Cranston Transvan C3, orig. Connecticut Ry & Lighting 414; 403 ex-Transit Line, Inc. same number
1960 GMC TGH-3102 30 96 Gasoline 404-407 ex-Transit Line, Inc. same numbers; 406-407 ex-Almeida Bus Lines 43-44
1960 GMC TDH-4516 35 102 Diesel 0801-0805, 1801-1815 ex-UTC same numbers
1962 GMC TDH-5301 40 102 Diesel 5003 ex-MTA/MBTA 275
1963 GMC TDH-5303 40 102 Diesel 5004-5014 ex-MTA/MBTA 5059, 5081, 5056, 5061, 5073, 5052, 5087, 5084, 5039, 5076, 5049
1964 GMC TDH-3501 30 96 Diesel 505-506 ex-Auch Inter-Borough Transit 643, 642
1965 GMC TGH-3501 30 96 Gasoline 408-409 ex-Transit Line, Inc. same numbers
1965 GMC TDH-3501 30 96 Diesel 507-508 ex-Auch Inter-Borough Transit 651-652; 508 orig. Huntingdon Coach 402
1966 GMC TGH-3501 30 96 Gasoline 410 ex-Transit Line, Inc. same number
1966 GMC SDM-5302 40 96 Diesel 4001 ex-Short Line/Bonanza 6623
1966 GMC TDH-5303 40 102 Diesel 5001 ex-MBTA 6020
1966 GMC TDH-4519 35 96 Diesel 6001-6102
1967 GMC SDM-5302 40 96 Diesel 4002-4004 ex-Short Line/Bonanza 6724-6726
1967 GMC TDH-5303 40 102 Diesel 5002 ex-MBTA 6154
1970 GMC PD-4905 40 96 Diesel 701-702 ex-Bonanza 7011, 7010
1970 GMC T6H-4521 35 96 Diesel 7001-7030
1970 GMC T6H-5306 40 96 Diesel 8001-8009
1970 GMC T6H-5306A 35 96 Diesel 9001-9006
1976 GMC T6H-4523 35 96 Diesel 761-769
1978 GMC RTS TW7603 35 96 Diesel 7801-7858, 7861-7879
1980 TMC CityCruiser T-30 30 96 Diesel 801-804
1981 GMC RTS T8J204 40 102 Diesel 8101-8134
1983 Neoplan AN-460A 60 102 Diesel 831-835
1985 GMC RTS T8J204 40 102 Diesel 4034, 4136, 4170, 4186 ex-NYCTA same numbers
1986 GMC RTS T8J206 40 102 Diesel 4361, 4365-4366, 4368, 4384, 4386, 4388-4389, 4405, 4473, 4493, 4495 ex-NYCTA same numbers
1985 Volvo B10M 40 102 Diesel 8501-8555
1988 Neoplan AN-440A 40 102 Diesel 8801-8864
1990 TMC RTS T80206 40 102 Diesel 9001-9028
1992 TMC RTS T80206 40 102 Diesel 9201-9248
1998 Nova Bus RTS RTNFD82 40 102 Diesel 9801-9850
1999 Chance Coach AH-28 28 96 CNG 1-15
1999 Nova Bus RTS RTNFD62 30 102 Diesel 9930-9934
2000 Nova Bus RTS T82VN 40 102 Diesel 0030-0057
2001 Orion V 05.501 40 102 Diesel 0101-0127 >27
2001 Chance Coach AH-28 28 96 CNG (16 converted to diesel) 16-19
2001 New Flyer C30LF 30 102 CNG 0201-0205
2003 Optima Bus AH-28 28 96 CNG 20

References

  1. ↑ http://www.ripta.com/r-line-
  2. ↑ RIPTA stats from the NTD Program
  3. ↑ http://www.ripta.com/about/
  4. ↑ ripta.com "RIPTA Accomplishments in FY2006" Check |url= value (help). Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority. Retrieved 2007-06-06. (25,943,883 boardings in 2007) / 365 days = 71,079 daily
  5. ↑ RIPTA History
  6. ↑ Saslow, Eli (16 March 2013). "Food stamps put Rhode Island town on monthly boom-and-bust cycle". Washington Post. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  7. ↑ RIPTA fares
  8. ↑ In the final Assembly hours, college-student bus passes are the hot topic | General Assembly | projo.com | The Providence Journal
  9. ↑ Lincoln Technical Institute Signs On for RIPTA's U-PASS Program
  10. ↑ http://m.ripta.com/stuff/contentmgr/files/0/6dedc10bbbc006853e273c3a797a66df/pdf/flex211_sep12_fin.pdf

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