RIPTA's Annual Financial Crisis

[jencoleslaw]

As an aside, I think it is important to remember the consumers' bottom line...For example, I am looking at commuting from my new home in Northern VA to north of DC to College Park. It will cost me about 14.00 per day to do so. Is that cheaper than driving? Fare increases have to make sense to people. To get cars off the road, to get people to use transit it has to be cheaper in one way or another, than driving. Since I only have to pay for parking at the metro stop (4.50) and have free parking at my office in college park, i am not sure it is cheaper for me to take metro every day, although it sure is nice to have someone else drive through the traffic!

Some pros about the metro system which cannot even be compared to RIPTA btw, is that the fare system is flat. Well, it is flat twice--one fee (4.25) for rush hour and 2.25 (i think) for off peak hours.

Were I still in PVD I would advocate for a higher fare from the Park and Rides, since it is free to park, but not so much higher that it would discourage people from taking it.

[runawayjim]

In the end, though, this gets to what I was really talking about. Should RIPTA's mission include running all the way out to Westerly with a bus? Do other comparative metros do things like that? I guess that's worth some research. But for instance I don't see the MBTA serving Attleboro except by commuter rail. That would be the equivalent of RIPTA serving Westerly or Newport. In other words, I'm kind of stuck on this whole idea that the mission needs to be re-thought and then appropriate levels of spending should be used. I am a public transportation advocate but I think there are some issues.

Now, maybe RIPTA should get the money DOT wants for widening Route 95 down south and more of the road money in general now that iWay is winding down. Strengthening RIPTA is probably a more useful idea than making a new 6-10 mixing bowl, etc. But, a lot of that has to come from a higher level than the GA, it has to come from Congress.

I think we need a separate transit agency to cover the Providence metro (Providence, Pawtucket, East Providence, Cranston, Warwick, North Providence, and maybe Johston). Let RIPTA do the rest. The only other bus service I can think of is CT Transit. But they only cover the New Haven, Stamford, Hartford, and Waterbury areas, which covers most of the state's population. Greater Bridgeport has its own service (GBTA).

Is there really a plan to widen 95 south of exit 9? That seems like such a waste to me. I drive it a lot going to CT to see family (usually on weekends when traffic is worse) and I don't see the need for it to be widened. So I completely agree with you on that one. There's no need to spend money on widening highways in this state (didn't Recchia mention in another thread somewhere that widening highways is a futile effort because they just get clogged again?).

[mental757]

There are no plans to widen route 95 anywhere in RI that I am aware of.

The "all points lead to Kennedy Plaza" route system is the single biggest detraction from the overall network. There are many people who would use RIPTA if they could simply get to where they need to get to without having to go through KP.

[mr2448]

"In the end, though, this gets to what I was really talking about. Should RIPTA's mission include running all the way out to Westerly with a bus? Do other comparative metros do things like that? I guess that's worth some research. But for instance I don't see the MBTA serving Attleboro except by commuter rail. That would be the equivalent of RIPTA serving Westerly or Newport. In other words, I'm kind of stuck on this whole idea that the mission needs to be re-thought and then appropriate levels of spending should be used. I am a public transportation advocate but I think there are some issues. "

RIPTA's mission is to provide all publc transit within Rhode Ilsand. That is why the Newport run was purchased from Bonanza almost 30 years ago. Also bought from Bonanza was the Riverside/West Barington run. RIPTA bought the rights to its Route #9 bus from ABC busline. RIPTA also took over the privately owned Newport service. In fact, it is not legal to have a privately owned scheduled bus line serving point to point within Rhode Ilsand unless it is in conjunction with interstate service for pickup only.

The MBTA does not provide local service in the Attleboro area because GATRA serves it. Other Massachusett cities have state subsidized bus lines. GATRA's fare is $1.50 with no transfer fee and serves Providence-Taunton with 4 weekday runs.

I have a problem with the one state/one rate fare structure. I do agree express service should have a premium fare. Many city bus lines actually charge more during commuter hours, similar to the higher fares on MBTA commuter rail during commute hours. Local higher fared lines could go express, such as the Washington bus, and then have a fare of $2. The Woonsocket line should be express to North Providence, picking up pax only, and then continue to Woon. This line should also be $2. Other lines could be identified. At one time the 99 and 42 bus had an extra nickel fare once you went from one city to another and this is when fares were as low as 50 cents.

The real problemwith the fare increase is the transfer fee going from 10 cents to 50 cents! Newport to Providence $1.75, Hope street to Broadway $2.25. I have a problem with that. I talked to Mark Therien of RIPTA and he says they hope this entices people to buy monthly passes.

Overall I would prefer a two tiered rate system based on distance with free transfers and a simple $1 fare each time you get on a local bus within one of the zones. The cost of transfers would disappear and the lower one way fare could encourage more one way trips.

Hope to see you at a RIPTA forum!

[runawayjim]

There are no plans to widen route 95 anywhere in RI that I am aware of.

The "all points lead to Kennedy Plaza" route system is the single biggest detraction from the overall network. There are many people who would use RIPTA if they could simply get to where they need to get to without having to go through KP.

That's my reason for not using RIPTA. It doesn't get me where I need to go. The only cross town buses go east-west. There are people who want to go north-south without having to transfer at KP.

I have a problem with the one state/one rate fare structure. I do agree express service should have a premium fare. Many city bus lines actually charge more during commuter hours, similar to the higher fares on MBTA commuter rail during commute hours. Local higher fared lines could go express, such as the Washington bus, and then have a fare of $2. The Woonsocket line should be express to North Providence, picking up pax only, and then continue to Woon. This line should also be $2. Other lines could be identified. At one time the 99 and 42 bus had an extra nickel fare once you went from one city to another and this is when fares were as low as 50 cents.

The real problemwith the fare increase is the transfer fee going from 10 cents to 50 cents! Newport to Providence $1.75, Hope street to Broadway $2.25. I have a problem with that. I talked to Mark Therien of RIPTA and he says they hope this entices people to buy monthly passes.

Overall I would prefer a two tiered rate system based on distance with free transfers and a simple $1 fare each time you get on a local bus within one of the zones. The cost of transfers would disappear and the lower one way fare could encourage more one way trips.

Yikes! That's nuts. The transfer rates should not change. They should not be using fare increases in boost sales of monthly passes.

[JimmyGreaves]

There are other ways to voice your opinion of the fare increase even if you cannot attend the public hearing. Everyone who can't attend but still wants to comment should go to www.ripta.com and click on "Contact Us". There's an e-mail form that we would then fill out. The more voices that are heard the better so please help get the word out.

[JimmyGreaves]

I think going forward that RIPTA will have to make a substantial investment in public outreach. Transit 2020, New Publice Transit Alliance, Sierra Club, all these initiatives are a good base to build off of. But they really need to find a way to drill down into the public consciousness and cultivate potential riders. Everybody thinks the buses don't run frequently enough. But the #99 and #11 routes runs every 5 minutes at times. They should be screaming this from the roof tops.

Also, more business outreach in educating workers what routes they can take and learning from people how they can structure the schedule to account for people's timelines would help.

Basically, they cannot rely on people picking up a timetable and realizing that the bus is an option. They have to communicate more personally and with more detail.

[runawayjim]

I think going forward that RIPTA will have to make a substantial investment in public outreach. Transit 2020, New Publice Transit Alliance, Sierra Club, all these initiatives are a good base to build off of. But they really need to find a way to drill down into the public consciousness and cultivate potential riders. Everybody thinks the buses don't run frequently enough. But the #99 and #11 routes runs every 5 minutes at times. They should be screaming this from the roof tops.

Also, more business outreach in educating workers what routes they can take and learning from people how they can structure the schedule to account for people's timelines would help.

Basically, they cannot rely on people picking up a timetable and realizing that the bus is an option. They have to communicate more personally and with more detail.

the 99 and the 11 don't serve everyone. that's the issue. what's more annoying is that multiple routes that may service a single dense residential area don't run opposite enough. the 27 and 28 both going down broadway, which hits a pretty large portion of residents run just a couple minutes apart (according to the timetables).

[Recchia]

(didn't Recchia mention in another thread somewhere that widening highways is a futile effort because they just get clogged again?).

Yes, it's known as "triple convergence."

The Providence-Taunton GATRA bus is $3.00 and the hours suck or else I'd take it. Driving the route will be cheaper until gas hits $5/gallon for me. GATRA is cancelling the route anyway.

[Frankie811]

The Providence-Taunton GATRA bus is $3.00 and the hours suck or else I'd take it. Driving the route will be cheaper until gas hits $5/gallon for me. GATRA is cancelling the route anyway.

I'm not surprised, considering the extremely low ridership on this route.

From GATRA's web page:

Route 19 Taunton, Rehoboth, Seekonk,MA and Providence, RI has been discountinued. Its last day of service will be Friday, May 16, 2008.

[JimmyGreaves]

Bus fare increase denounced

Disappointed that the public hearnings have gotten very little coverage. However, this article does offer a lot of insight into the funding challenges that RIPTA faces.

[runawayjim]

Bus fare increase denounced

Disappointed that the public hearings have gotten very little coverage. However, this article does offer a lot of insight into the funding challenges that RIPTA faces.

having some trouble with posting?

on a more serious note, i saw this quote from the article:

Consider eliminating trolley routes serving the State House and Atwells Avenue in Providence, which he said aren

[Bil]

I just came back from a trip to Seattle, Victoria BC, and Vancouver, with lots of bus-taking to get around. All three cities had excellent, regular service, and the fares were all equal or more than RIPTA.

In Seattle, anywhere within the downtown core is a free ride during non-peak hours, so that was convenient for us as visitors. They had peak pricing which was about $0.75 more than non-peak. All the downtown buses were powered by electric lines, so there was no fumes and they were much more quiet. I was pretty impressed with their system, except for the local from the airport to downtown, which was full of the hygiene-impaired and a couple drug users (the express was much better).

Victoria was also easy and extensive, we traveled around downtown and through their suburbs easily. Vancouver had a similar set up as Seattle, with the electric and diesel buses.

Most bus stops had signs with the route numbers and schedules served by the stop, which was a big help for us out-of-towners.

[jencoleslaw]

I just came back from a trip to Seattle, Victoria BC, and Vancouver, with lots of bus-taking to get around. All three cities had excellent, regular service, and the fares were all equal or more than RIPTA.

In Seattle, anywhere within the downtown core is a free ride during non-peak hours, so that was convenient for us as visitors.

Portland also has a "fareless square" for downtown, or at least it did when I lived there. Although I don't think that it was tied to a specific time.

[Cotuit]

The Atwells inbound trolley is standing room only during the morning rush.

Perhaps people would ride the State House trolley if the state employees didn't have 4,000 acres of free parking.

[Frankie811]

The Atwells inbound trolley is standing room only during the morning rush.

With gas now @ $ 3.97/gal I'm not surprised. They're now talking $ 5/gal before the end of next month. It's just too bad RIPTA doesn't have enough buses/trolley's to meet demand. Perhaps with gas prices so high it might be easier to obtain transportation dollars from Congress.

[Cotuit]

Doesn't have anything to do with gas, its always been like that. It drops off during the summer though when the schools let out.

[Frankie811]

Gov. Donald L. Carcieri today called for a review of finances at the ailing R.I. Public Transportation Authority, and named a panel of state officials to help agency Chairman John Rupp to

[Frankie811]

Summit looks at RIPTA finances

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority is calculating when it will run out of cash and have to shut down the state

[runawayjim]

Summit looks at RIPTA finances

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority is calculating when it will run out of cash and have to shut down the state

[Cotuit]

Seriously. Why is there no talk of impeachment?

[runawayjim]

Seriously. Why is there no talk of impeachment?

because the general assembly has no balls.

[Frankie811]

RIPTA budget plan would cut services, 165 jobs

The budget-balancing plan before the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority

[mr2448]

RIPTA budget plan would cut services, 165 jobs

The budget-balancing plan before the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority

[mental757]

PROJO: "RIPTA still counts on state rescue"

http://www.projo.com/news/content/ripta_bo...v5.3827d9c.html