Rhode Island Public Transit Authority

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.

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 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.

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.

F-Line

The F-Line is a permit-stop "Rapid Bus" route for Foster to Scituate via Providence that combines the former FR1 to FR10 Routes. The Foster Routes became operational on February 28, 2017.

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.

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, North Smithfield, Portsmouth, South Kingstown, Tiverton, West Warwick, 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 compliant. Except for buses 1001-1008,1699-1700 (trolley replicas), all buses feature bike racks new buses will be Purchased New RIPTA City Buses and New Trolley Replicas.

Gillig buses 0912-0935 are equipped with overhead luggage racks. Buses 1601-1632 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 1725-1739 are usually operated on route 60 as well as to supplement routes within Newport (63, 64 [to URI Bay and Kingston campuses], and 67).

Gillig buses 1633-1639 are old Brockton Area Transit buses buy for buses in 2016 and 2017 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.