RIPTA Gillig #0517 picks up customers on the #51 line at Kennedy Plaza. |
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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 |
Routes | 62 |
Hubs | 3 (Kennedy Plaza, Newport Gateway Center, Pawtucket Transportation Center) |
Lounge | 3 (one at each hub) |
Fleet | 240 (fixed-route) 16 (Flex)[1] |
Daily ridership | 49,360 (2010)[2] |
Fuel type | Diesel, Diesel-electric, CNG |
Chief executive | Charles Odimjbe[3] |
Web site | 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]
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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]
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.
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 Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, and Newport at the Gateway Center. There are also single bus routes operating within Warwick and Woonsocket. Some routes are through-routed through Providence and Pawtucket, such as the 1, 42, and 77 lines.
Line | Route |
---|---|
1 | Eddy / Gaspee |
3 | Warwick Ave |
6 | Prairie Ave / Roger Williams Zoo |
8 | Jefferson Blvd |
9 | Pascoag |
11 | Broad St |
13 | Arctic / Washington |
14 | West Bay |
17 | Dyer / Pocasset |
18 | Union Ave |
19 | Plainfield / Westminster |
20 | Elmwood / Airport |
21 | Reservoir / Garden City |
22 | Pontiac Ave |
26 | Atwells / Rhode Island College |
27 | Broadway / Manton |
28 | Broadway / Hartford |
29 | Kent County |
30 | Arlington / Oaklawn |
31 | Cranston St |
32 | West Barrington |
33 | Riverside continuing |
34 | East Providence |
35 | Rumford / Newport Ave |
40 | Butler / Elmgrove |
42 | Hope St |
49 | Camp St / Miriam Hospital |
50 | Douglas Ave |
51 | Charles St |
52 | Branch / Bryant University |
53 | Smithfield Ave |
54 | Lincoln / Woonsocket |
55 | Admiral / Providence College |
56 | Chalkstone Ave |
57 | Smith St |
58 | Mineral Springs / North Providence |
60 | Providence / Newport |
63 | Broadway / Middletown Shopping |
64 | Newport / URI |
66 | URI / Galilee |
67 | Bellevue Avenue / Salve Regina University |
71 | Broad Street (Pawtucket) |
72 | Weeden / Central Falls |
73 | Fairlawn / CCRI |
75 | Dexter / Lincoln Mall |
76 | Central Ave |
77 | Benefit / Broadway |
78 | Beverage Hill / Newport Ave |
79 | Columbus Ave |
80 | Armistice Blvd |
87 | Fairmount / Walnut Hill |
90 | Park and Rides |
92 | Green Line Trolley |
99 | Providence / Pawtucket |
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.
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.
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.
These are the current RIPTA fares.[6]
Base fare | Senior/disabled fare | Transfers | 1-day pass | 7-day pass | Monthly pass | Passes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$2.00 |
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50ยข1 | $6.002 | $23.002 | $62.00 3,4 |
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Not included here are cutaway vans normally used on Flex service and RIde paratransit and demand response services. All buses here are fully ADA compliant and feature bike racks.
Year | Manufacturer/Model | Length (feet) |
Width (inches) |
Fuel | Fleet numbers | In service |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | TMC RTS T80206 | 40 | 102 | Diesel | 9201-9248 | 46 |
1998 | Nova Bus RTS RTNFD82 | 40 | 102 | Diesel | 9801-9850 | 50 |
1999 | Nova Bus RTS RTNFD62 | 30 | 102 | Diesel | 9930-9934 | 5 |
1999 | Chance Coach AH-28 | 28 | 96 | CNG | 1-15 | 15 |
2000 | Nova Bus RTS T82VN | 40 | 102 | Diesel | 0030-0057 | 26 |
2001 | Chance Coach AH-28 | 28 | 96 | CNG (16 converted to diesel) | 16-19 | 4 |
2001 | Orion V 05.501 | 40 | 102 | Diesel | 0101-0127 | 27 |
2001 | New Flyer C30LF | 30 | 102 | CNG | 0201-0205 | 5 |
2003 | Optima Bus AH-28 | 28 | 96 | CNG | 20 | 1 |
2004 | Orion V 05.501 | 40 | 102 | Diesel | 0461-0485 | 25 |
2005 | Gillig Low Floor G27E102R2 | 40 | 102 | Diesel | 0515-0550 | 36 |
2009 | Gillig Low Floor | 40 | 102 | Diesel | 0912-0935 | 24 |
2010 | Gillig BRT | Hybrid Diesel-Electric | 53 | |||
2010 | Gillig Trolley Replica | Hybrid Diesel-Electric | 10 | |||
Grand total of fixed-route buses: | 327 |
Buses 9225 through 9248 have upholstered seats, all others have plastic or aluminum seats with felt lining.
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).
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 |