To the Editor,

So, I hope that immediately, everyone who has started a“RIDOT gets perks?” Yes, thaey do. At that same agency, we complain about every snowstorm, every pothole, and, oh, and don’t forget the G-W Bridge.

So, the perks I’m thinking about, not as a journalist but as a very concerned citizen, are free rides. What free rides are you asking? Pay attention next time you drive around and see a RIDOT vehicle (pickup truck, Explorers, etc.), parked in front of a private residence. That residence is owned by a RIDOT employee who has been given a vehicle to drive back and forth to work in, nice, huh? Okay, so now you're thinking, “What’s the big deal?”

First, I made several phone calls to RIDOT, and shockingly, no one answered the phone. I made multiple phone calls over several weeks, and finally, someone picked up (no name given) and hung up on me after I asked for justification for such a program. I don’t know about the rest of you, but in my 40 years of working, not one job offered me a vehicle to use in order to get back and forth to work.

In a state that is 37 miles wide and 48 miles long it only takes 30 – 45 minutes to travel end-to-end. I’m not sure how you justify that when I have friends who travel 90 minutes one-way to work and in their own vehicle. After several Access to Public Records requests, I received only some of my requested information, and I still hope to receive more information.

Let me give you the statistics I have so far. The RI Department of Transportation, according to Google, has 790 employees. Of that, I presume that 15% are administrative jobs, which should bring this down to about 670 “workers.” The administrative estimate of 120 people would include Director Peter Alviti, who I am sure has a vehicle and senior staff. There was a Chevy Tahoe worth about $55,000 that was probably assigned to the Director.

There are 119 vehicles in the RIDOT fleet that are broken down into sedans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles. I won’t break them down by make and model in the interest of expediency. All totaled, there are approximately $3,675,800.00 worth of vehicles in the fleet and being used daily by employees. These vehicles are taken home and sit in employee driveways. I have two, just in my small neighborhood.

All these vehicles require fuel, gasoline or diesel. I could not identify any electric vehicles based on the descriptions I received. We also have to figure in maintenance expenses, such as mechanics and parts, unless they outsource, which would probably drive the cost up even more. Let me add the government has to either self-insure or pay premiums to a company, and yes, if an employee gets into an accident traveling to or from work, your tax dollars will pay to replace that vehicle and also pay any injured parties from the accident. I ask again: Does this agency deserve these perks paid for by taxpayers? Regardless of job performance, I would say they definitely do not.

James Loffler

North Providence