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The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) provides public transportation, primarily
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
es, 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. In 2020 the authority served an average of 36,776 people a day, in 36 out of 39 Rhode Island communities.


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 has never returned to 1940s levels, RIPTA's ridership has increased slightly over the years as services have been expanded and improved upon.


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

Most of RIPTA's fixed-route bus lines are centered around three major hubs in the cities of
Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
at Kennedy Plaza, Pawtucket at the Pawtucket Transit Center, and
Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...
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 Warwick Mall is an enclosed American shopping mall in Warwick, Rhode Island, on the north side of Interstate 295 near the junction with Interstate 95. Composed of more than of retail space, it features more than 80 stores and a food court. ...
, where they connect with a Coventry-Warwick Mall route and a Warwick crosstown route. A single circulator route is operated in Woonsocket; service was expanded in 2011 to allow residents—many of whom do not own cars—to reach shopping areas outside town. In November 2019, RIPTA received $8 million in federal funding to add additional hubs at the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick and the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.


R-Line

The R-Line is a limited-stop "Rapid Bus" route from Cranston to Pawtucket via Providence that combines the former 11 and 99 routes. The R-Line became operational on June 21, 2014. It has many BRT style elements, like unique branding and frequent, limited stop service and traffic signal priority but runs in mixed traffic and is therefore not BRT.


Downtown Transit Connector

The Downtown Transit Connector, or DTC is a transit emphasis corridor, from the Providence Station to the Hospital District. Routes 3, 4, 51, 54, 58, 62 (soon to be 66) and 72 run on this corridor providing 5 minute or better frequency on weekdays. There are stops at Kennedy Plaza, Dorrance Street, Ship Street and South Street. This corridor is BRT like, with limited stops, bus shelters with real-time information, frequent streamlined service, bus/bike lanes and traffic signal priority.


Trolley service

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. File:Providence20June071914ShelterTunnel.jpg, The East Side Trolley Tunnel, from the west end. File:Newport Bus.JPG, CNG trolley replica #18


Demand response/Flex service

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 Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...
, North Smithfield, Portsmouth, South Kingstown, Tiverton,
West Warwick West Warwick is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,012 at the 2020 census. West Warwick was incorporated in 1913, making it the youngest town in the state. Prior to 1913, the town, situated on the wester ...
, Westerly, and Woonsocket.


Flex Service list

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.


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 Ada may refer to: Places Africa * Ada Foah, a town in Ghana * Ada (Ghana parliament constituency) * Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria Asia * Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, Tur ...
compliant. Except for buses 1001–1010 (trolley replicas), all buses feature bike racks. All buses are wide.


List of Rhode Island Public Transit Authority routes

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) operates a number of bus routes in Rhode Island. Most are local bus routes based out of
Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
; a number of local routes are also based from
Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...
, Pawtucket, or Woonsocket. The agency operates six express routes to park and ride lots around the state, and one local rapid bus route. The only Rhode Island towns not served by a RIPTA bus route are
Foster Foster may refer to: People * Foster (surname) * Foster Brooks (1912–2001), American actor * Foster Moreau (born 1997), American football player * Foster Sarell (born 1998), American football player * John Foster Dulles (1888–1959), American ...
, Little Compton, Charlestown and New Shoreham. Some rural towns, such as
Glocester Glocester is a New England town, town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 9,974 as of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. The villages of Chepachet, Rhode Island, Chepachet and Harmony, Rhode Island, Har ...
, Burrillville,
Scituate Scituate is the name of some communities in New England in the United States: *Brunswick, Maine, formerly named Scituate *Scituate, Massachusetts, a New England town **Scituate (CDP), Massachusetts, an area in the town of Scituate *Scituate, Rhode ...
,
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
,
West Greenwich West Greenwich is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 6,528 at the 2020 census. West Greenwich was named for the historic town of Greenwich, Kent, England. It was separated from East Greenwich in 1741. Stude ...
and Tiverton, are only serviced by a single or limited-use line. While two routes run through Jamestown, neither operates on Sundays. 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. RIPTA was required to seek federal permission before the extending the routes across state lines to South Attleboro in 2013. Soon after, the 32 and 34 were extended over the Massachusetts border to
Seekonk Square Seekonk may refer to: * Seekonk, Massachusetts, a town in the United States **Seekonk High School * Seekonk River, a body of water in Rhode Island, United States * Seekonk (band) Seekonk is a slowcore band formed in Portland, Maine in the wint ...
. In August 2019, RIPTA added a third line running to Massachusetts, the 24x, an express line which includes stops in
Fall River Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state. Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
and Somerset that connect to
Southeastern Regional Transit Authority Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) is a public transport authority in Bristol County and Plymouth County, Massachusetts. It serves 10 municipalities in Massachusetts' South Coast region: Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Fall River, ...
lines. All routes serve at least one transit center or transfer point. Providence-based routes operate from Kennedy Plaza, Pawtucket-based routes operate or serve the Pawtucket Transit Center, Newport-based routes from Newport's Gateway Center, Woonsocket-based routes from
Woonsocket Depot Square Woonsocket station is a former railroad station located at Depot Square in downtown Woonsocket, Rhode Island. It was built by the Providence and Worcester Railroad in 1882 to replace a previous station built in 1847. History Hachiko Depot ...
, Warwick based routes from CCRI's Warwick Campus, and local South County routes from
URI Uri may refer to: Places * Canton of Uri, a canton in Switzerland * Úri, a village and commune in Hungary * Uri, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province * Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, a town in India * Uri (island), an island off Malakula Islan ...
's Kingston Campus. Some Providence routes continue through Kennedy Plaza to Providence Train Station or Hospital District as part of the Downtown Transit Connector.


Notes

:a.1335 has been retired due to a bus fire


References


External links


RIPTA home page

RIPTA Riders Advocacy Group
{{authority control . 1964 establishments in Rhode Island Bus transportation in Rhode Island Government agencies established in 1964 Intermodal transportation authorities in Rhode Island Public transportation in Rhode Island Transit agencies in the United States Transit authorities with natural gas buses