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. Average daily ridership as of the third quarter of 2023 is 40,700.[2] The agency operates 59 fixed-route bus routes and 7 demand-responsive routes, together serving 37 out of 39 Rhode Island municipalities.[1]
Service
The agency operates 59 fixed-route bus routes and 7 demand-responsive routes, together serving 37 out of 39 Rhode Island municipalities.[1]Paratransit service is branded RIde with a service area corresponding to that of non-express bus routes.[4] RIPTA operates a fleet of 229 buses, 13 cutaway vans for Flex services, and 72 paratransit vans. They are maintained at two garages in Providence and one in Newport.[1]
Fares for fixed-route and Flex trips are $2, with day and monthly passes available. Reduced fares are available for people over 65 and with disabilities. Fares can be paid with cash or with Wave smart card or mobile app, or RIde fares are $4.[5]
Routes
An R-Line bus in downtown Providence
RIPTA operates 59 year-round bus routes: 50 local routes, one rapid route, and eight limited-service express routes. Most of RIPTA's fixed-route bus lines are centered on three major hubs: Kennedy Plaza in Providence, Pawtucket/Central Falls station in Pawtucket, and Gateway Center in Newport.
The R-Line is a limited-stop "Rapid Bus" route between Cranston and Pawtucket via Providence. It has some bus rapid transit (BRT) characteristics, including frequent service and transit signal priority, but runs in mixed traffic without dedicated lanes. Nine routes combine to provide five-minute-or-better headways in the Downtown Transit Connector between Providence station and the Hospital District. This corridor has BRT elements including limited stops, bus shelters with real-time information, bus/bike lanes, and signal priority.[6]
In addition to fixed-route services, RIPTA also provides Flex Service service, primarily settled around less populated areas in the state. These demand-responsive routes have fixed schedules for certain stops, but allow passengers to reserve trips within certain geographic areas.[7] RIPTA operates special services to connect with the seasonal Providence–Newport ferry, to provide seasonal access to South County beaches, and to serve Providence Public School District high schools.
RIPTA was created in 1964 by the Rhode Island General Assembly to supervise what had been 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 (formerly the Rhode Island Company.[8] Woonsocket local service was expanded in 2011 to allow residents, many of whom do not own cars, to reach shopping areas outside town.[9] R-Line service began on June 21, 2014.
The 1 Eddy/Hope/Benefit and 35 Rumford lines were the first two RIPTA routes with stops outside of Rhode Island's borders, as both routes end in a northern terminus at the South Attleboro MBTA station in Massachusetts.[10] RIPTA was required to seek federal permission before the extending the routes across state lines to South Attleboro in 2013.[10] Soon, the 32 and 34 were extended over the Massachusetts border to Seekonk Square. In August 2019, RIPTA added a third line running to Massachusetts, the 24x, an express line which includes stops in Fall River and Somerset that connect to Southeastern Regional Transit Authority lines.[11][12]
