‘An emergency and a downpour’

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority announced last week that the proposed statewide reductions in service are part of the cost controls to manage a $17.6-million deficit for fiscal year 2026, which began July 1.

The proposed service reductions would affect 58 bus routes, 17 of which would be eliminated. With only 67 total routes, about 86% of the transit network would be affected.

Despite the RI General Assembly increasing the gas tax by two cents from $0.0975 to $0.1175 during the most recent session, RIPTA is still left with a major budget deficit. According to a July 24 RIPTA press release, the Authority has reduced the deficit to $10 million through one-time federal reimbursements, revised gas tax estimates, fuel lock savings and reallocating federal funds. However, according to CEO Christopher Durand, RIPTA executives “believe these changes will be able to fully balance the budget” for this year.

In an interview Monday evening, Governor Dan McKee cited a decline in ridership over the years as a significant challenge facing RIPTA. He said that balancing the needs of riders with the cost to taxpayers would be necessary to move forward.

RIPTA must “make sure taxpayers are represented in a way that’s fair to them,” he said. “I have confidence that they will figure out the correct balance.”

At the first of 12 public hearings, which took place on Monday at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Knight Campus in Warwick, Durand gave opening remarks and Edward Brown, RIPTA executive director for service planning and scheduling, gave a presentation on the proposed changes.

A comprehensive list of the proposed service changes, including the elimination of routes, can be found on RIPTA’s website at https://www.ripta.com/publichearings/.

Durand alluded to RIPTA’s future and the shortage of drivers in his remarks. “We’re not trying to burn [RIPTA] down; we’re trying to build the situation for the future. We’re looking to retain the drivers that we’ve hired … but we know we have a large number of retirements coming up.”

Brown’s presentation was followed by a public comment session that lasted almost 90 minutes, with riders and advocates voicing their opinions on the proposal.

Lynne Radiches, a Warwick resident, advocated for her brother, from West Warwick, who is elderly and has disabilities. While Radiches is not a bus rider, she said her brother relies on RIPTA for his daily independence.

“We take for granted our ability to jump in our own cars and go anywhere we want at any time,” said Radiches. “Most people rely on the bus out of necessity, and RIPTA has an obligation to provide transportation to the people who need it. If an emergency fund or a rainy-day fund needs to be accessed, well, it’s an emergency and a downpour.”

Randall Rose, representing the Kennedy Plaza Resilience Coalition, emphasized that RIPTA relies on state funding and encouraged members of the public to contact state politicians, including calling the governor’s office.

“RIPTA does not want to do these cuts,” said Rose. “They just have to work with the money they’re given by the state government.”

“The people at the top level of the State House, what they like to do is, even if they know people need something, they’ll experiment with cutting it to see if they get a backlash. If they don’t get a backlash after they cut funds, then they figure it’s OK,” he said. Rose emphasized the importance of the public voicing their concerns to their elected officials.

RIPTA is holding a series of 12 public hearings around Rhode Island to solicit feedback on the proposed changes.

“I think what we hear the most is people going to work, people going to school, people receiving medical treatment – those are the priorities for us. ...But with the limited resources, we don’t have a lot of options,” said Durand.

RIPTA’s Board of Directors will hold a special meeting on Aug. 7 to vote on whether to approve the service reductions. They would take effect on Sept. 13 if approved, according to RIPTA’s press release.

Durand says that whether these proposed changes could be reversed next year is a conversation for the future. “We’re making very major service changes right now,” he said. “We’ll see what the [FY 27] budget looks like, and we’ll start thinking about it next year.”

“We’re trying to think through what the future looks like. If there’s no additional funding that comes in, then we’re going to be looking at more cuts and more [fare] increases, and our ability to be effective will really be compromised,” he said.

According to RIPTA’s website, all interested parties are invited to submit comments concerning the proposed service changes by Aug. 6. Comments may be sent to RIPTA, Office of the CEO, 705 Elmwood Ave., Providence, RI, 02907. Comments may also be sent to marketing@ripta.com or by calling (401) 784-9500 ext. 1101.