Founded | 1966 |
---|---|
Headquarters | 705 Elmwood Avenue Providence, Rhode Island united states |
Locale | Rhode Island (statewide) |
Service type | transit bus, paratransit, demand responsive transport |
Routes | 59 fixed-route 7 demand-response |
Hubs | 3 (Kennedy Plaza, Newport Gateway Center, Pawtucket/Central Falls station) |
Lounge | 3 (one at each hub) |
Fleet | 229 buses, 13 vans, 72 paratransit vans [1] |
Daily ridership | 41,800 (weekdays, Q4 2023) [2] |
Annual ridership | 12,005,200 (2023) [3] |
Fuel type | Diesel, Diesel-electric, CNG, Battery-electric |
Chief executive | Christopher Durand (interim) |
Website | www.ripta.com |
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) provides public transportation, primarily buses, in the U.S. 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 fourth quarter of 2023 is 41,800. [2] The agency operates 59 fixed-route bus routes and 7 demand-responsive routes, together serving 37 out of 39 Rhode Island municipalities. [1]
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]
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.
Number | Route | Link |
---|---|---|
R-Line | Broad/North Main | Link |
1 | Eddy/Hope/Benefit | Link |
3 | Oakland Beach | Link |
4 | Warwick Neck | Link |
6 | Prairie / Roger Williams Park Zoo | Link |
9x | Pascoag Park-n-Ride | Link |
10x | North Scituate Park-n-Ride | Link |
12x | Arctic/117 Express Park-n-Ride | Link |
13 | Coventry/Arctic/CCRI | Link |
14 | West Bay | Link |
16 | Bald Hill/NEIT/Quonset | Link |
17 | Dyer/Pocasset | Link |
18 | Union Ave | Link |
19 | Plainfield/Westminster | Link |
20 | Elmwood Ave/T.F. Green Airport | Link |
21 | Reservoir/Garden City/CCRI | Link |
22 | Pontiac Ave | Link |
23 | Arctic/Crompton/Centre of New England | Link |
24L | Newport/Fall River/Providence | Link |
27 | Broadway/Manton | Link |
28 | Broadway/Hartford | Link |
29 | CCRI Warwick/Conimicut | Link |
30 | Arlington/Oaklawn | Link |
31 | Cranston St | Link |
32 | East Providence/Wampanoag/Seekonk Square | Link |
33 | Riverside | Link |
34 | East Providence/Seekonk Square | Link |
35 | Rumford/Newport Ave | Link |
40 | Butler/Elmgrove | Link |
50 | Douglas Ave/Bryant University | Link |
51 | Charles St/Twin River/CCRI | Link |
54 | Lincoln/Woonsocket | Link |
55 | Admiral/Providence College | Link |
56 | Chalkstone Ave | Link |
57 | Smith St | Link |
58 | Mineral Spring/North Providence | Link |
59x | North Smithfield/Lincoln Mall Park-n-Ride | Link |
60 | Providence/Newport | Link |
61x | Tiverton/East Bay Park-n-Ride | Link |
63 | Broadway/Middletown Shops | Link |
64 | Newport/URI Kingston | Link |
65X | Wakefield Express | Link |
66 | URI/CCRI Warwick/Providence | Link |
67 | Bellevue/Salve Regina Univ. | Link |
68 | CCRI NPT/Mem. Blvd./First Beach | Link |
69 | Narragansett/Galilee | Link |
71 | Broad Street/Pawtucket Ave | Link |
72 | Weeden/Central Falls | Link |
73 | Mineral Spring/Twin River/CCRI | Link |
75 | Dexter/Lincoln Mall | Link |
76 | Central Ave | Link |
78 | Beverage Hill Ave/East Providence | Link |
80 | Armistice Blvd | Link |
87 | Fairmount/Walnut Hill | Link |
88 | Simmons Village Service | |
89 | Walmart Cranston | |
92 | RI College/Federal Hill/East Side | Link |
95x | Westerly Park-n-Ride | Link |
203 | Narragansett Flex | Link |
204 | Westerly Flex | Link |
231 | South Aquidneck Flex | Link |
242 | West Warwick/Coventry Flex | Link |
281 | Woonsocket/Manville Flex | Link |
282 | Pascoag/Slatersville Flex | Link |
301 | Westerly/Hope Valley Rural Ride | |
QX | Quonset Point | Link |
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]
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. [13]
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit provides public transportation for Hillsborough County, Florida. The agency operates fixed-route local and express bus service, paratransit service, demand-response service, MetroRapid service, and the TECO Line Streetcar system. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 12,929,700.
South Attleboro station is a temporarily closed MBTA Commuter Rail Providence/Stoughton Line station in Attleboro, Massachusetts. It is located under Newport Avenue in the South Attleboro neighborhood, just north of the Rhode Island border. The station had two side platforms serving the two tracks of the Northeast Corridor, connected by a footbridge to a park-and-ride lot.
The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA), branded as TheRide, is the public transit system serving the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area in the U.S. state of Michigan. In fiscal year 2021, the system had a ridership of 1,725,797.
Monterey–Salinas Transit (MST) is the public transit system for Monterey County, California. Service is primarily to the greater Monterey and Salinas areas, but extends as far south as Paso Robles and Big Sur and as far north as Watsonville. Most lines follow a hub-and-spoke system, connecting at hubs in Monterey or Salinas. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,470,300, or about 8,100 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.
The East Side Trolley Tunnel, also known as the East Side Transit Tunnel or the College Hill Tunnel, is a bi-directional tunnel in Providence, Rhode Island, originally built for trolley use in 1914, and now used for public transit buses. The East Side Trolley Tunnel could be considered the first bus rapid transit link in North America, because of its exclusive and continuous bus use since 1948.
The Delaware Transit Corporation, operating as DART First State, is the only public transportation system that operates throughout the U.S. state of Delaware. DART First State provides local and inter-county bus service throughout the state and also funds commuter rail service along SEPTA Regional Rail's Wilmington/Newark Line serving the northern part of the state. The agency also operates statewide paratransit service for people with disabilities. DART First State is a subsidiary of the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT).
TheLehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTa) is a regional public transportation authority that provides public bus and rapid transit service throughout the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, including Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and their respective suburbs.
The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) is the public transport agency serving Cincinnati and its Ohio suburbs. SORTA operates Metro fixed-route buses, bus rapid transit, microtransit, and paratransit services. SORTA's headquarters are located at the Huntington Building in Cincinnati’s Central Business District. The agency is managed by CEO and General Manager Darryl Haley along with a 13-member board of trustees. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 13,091,500, or about 44,800 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.
Williamsburg Area Transit Authority (WATA) is a multi-jurisdiction transportation agency providing transit bus and ADA Paratransit services in the City of Williamsburg, James City County, York County in the Historic Triangle area and Surry County, VA of the Virginia Peninsula subregion of Hampton Roads in southeastern Virginia.
The Providence/Stoughton Line is an MBTA Commuter Rail service in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, primarily serving the southwestern suburbs of Boston. Most service runs entirely on the Northeast Corridor between South Station in Boston and Providence station or Wickford Junction station in Rhode Island, while the Stoughton Branch splits at Canton Junction and terminates at Stoughton. It is the longest MBTA Commuter Rail line, and the only one that operates outside Massachusetts. The line is the busiest on the MBTA Commuter Rail system, with 17,648 daily boardings in an October 2022 count.
The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is the public transit operator serving the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Beginning operations in 1967 as the Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority (SEMTA), the agency was reorganized and renamed SMART in 1989. SMART operates 44 bus routes, plus paratransit and microtransit services.
The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) is the transit authority that operates in Denton County, Texas. It operates transit service in three cities within Denton County, as well as the A-train, a regional commuter rail line to Carrollton. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,852,000, or about 12,100 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.
Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) is a public, non-profit organization charged with providing public transportation to the city of Worcester, Massachusetts and the surrounding towns. The WRTA was created in September 1974 under Chapter 161B of the Massachusetts General Laws. This act also created several other regional transit authorities in Massachusetts, including the Greater Attleboro-Taunton Regional Transit Authority and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority among others; in terms of ridership, the WRTA is the second largest regional transit authority and third largest transit system in Massachusetts.
The Providence metropolitan area is a region extending into eight counties in two states. Its core is in the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and it is the 38th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The largest city in the Providence MSA is Providence, Rhode Island, with an estimated population of 1,622,520, exceeding that of Rhode Island by slightly over 60%. The MSA covers all of Rhode Island and Bristol County, Massachusetts, with an average population density of 2300 per mi2.
Demand-responsive transport (DRT), also known as demand-responsive transit, demand-responsive service, Dial-a-Ride transit, flexible transport services, Microtransit, Non-Emergency Medical Transport (NEMT), Carpool or On-demand bus service is a form of shared private or quasi-public transport for groups traveling where vehicles alter their routes each journey based on particular transport demand without using a fixed route or timetabled journeys. These vehicles typically pick-up and drop-off passengers in locations according to passengers needs and can include taxis, buses or other vehicles. Passengers can typically summon the service with a mobile phone app or by telephone; telephone is particularly relevant to older users who may not be conversant with technology.
Pawtucket/Central Falls station is a commuter rail station in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It opened for MBTA Commuter Rail Providence/Stoughton Line service on January 23, 2023. The station has two side platforms serving the two tracks of the Northeast Corridor. It is also a hub for RIPTA local bus service.
Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority (BARTA), previously Berks Area Reading Transportation Authority, is a public transportation system serving the city of Reading and its surrounding area of Berks County, Pennsylvania. The South Central Transit Authority owns BARTA and the Red Rose Transit Authority (RRTA). In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,276,000, or about 9,400 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.
Wichita Transit is the public transportation department of the City of Wichita which operates paratransit and transit bus services within Wichita, Kansas, United States. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,169,400, or about 4,300 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.
The R-Line is a Rapid Bus service in Rhode Island, United States, running from Pawtucket to Cranston via downtown Providence. This route was a combination of the old routes 11 and 99. Operated by the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), it is the agency's first rapid bus route, and the second such system to open in New England. After several years of planning and construction, R-Line service began on June 21, 2014.
The United Electric Railways Company (UER) was the Providence-based operator of the system of interurban streetcars, trolleybuses, and trolley freight in the state of Rhode Island in the early- to mid-twentieth century.
Media related to Rhode Island Public Transit Authority at Wikimedia Commons