Zachary Agush

Food pantries near you 🍎 RIPTA is proud to support access to essential resources across #RhodeIsland. Visit RIPTA.com/Food to find local food pantries and the bus routes that serve them.

Meet your #RiderOfTheWeek! Providence residents Barbara and Justin ride RIPTA and RIde #paratransit to work, shopping, and appointments. This glowing bride-to-be and her fiancé even rode the Route 21 bus to the Big Cheese in Cranston to celebrate their engagement! #PublicTransit

Scared to #trytransit? Bus Buddy can help! Our trained travel experts will show you everything you need to know about riding the #bus, from waiting at the bus stop to paying your fare. Visit RIPTA.com/BusBuddy to learn more about this free training program from RIPTA.

RIPTA #RiderOfTheWeek Devin rides the bus from Central Falls to downtown Providence, where he runs errands like repairing his glasses and getting a haircut at Urban Fellow. 🚌 His tip for new riders? Thank your driver when you exit the bus!

#RiderOfTheWeek Stuart feels at home using transit to explore his new life in #RhodeIsland. Growing up in New York City, he didn't learn to drive until age 30 - and that's how he likes it! He traded in his keys for a bus pass which he uses to get to work and favorite restaurants.

Your #RiderOfTheWeek, delivered! 📦 We caught up with Tiffany and Carla who ride Route 10x and Route 28 to their jobs at Amazon in Johnston. Amazon covers their fare, letting these ladies worry about better things - like which show to watch next - while someone else drives!

Rewards for trading in your car keys for a trip by bus, train, carpool, walking, or bike? 🚌 It's not magic, it's the @drivelessri.bsky.social app! #Walktober #Transit

Hello @emzconk.bsky.social!

What's life like without a car in Rhode Island? Just ask Markus! Whether he's commuting to work, checking out a new restaurant, or thrifting at his go-to spots, this former car-owner relies on RIPTA service to get him everywhere he wants to go. Happy #WeekWithoutDriving, Markus!

Today’s sock choice: multimodality and @ripta.com

RIPTA #RiderOfTheWeek Marisa rides Route 65x to downtown Providence where she works for the educational non-profit @cityyear.bsky.social. 🚌 She finds commuting by bus to be less stressful than driving in traffic, plus she can catch up on her favorite books. Happy #TransitTuesday, Marisa!

L'Shana Tova #roshhashanah

Meet your #RiderOfTheWeek! Anastasiia's family rides RIPTA everywhere from the grocery store to the playground, treating each trip as a mini-lesson to teach her kids social skills and responsibility in a safe and supportive environment. Happy #TransitTuesday, Anastasiia!

Today was disheartening. It will be a moment that I’ll always remember. As a daily rider, I sympathize w/ the challenges that riders will experiencing statewide. I am not going anywhere and will work hard to keep moving transit forward for RI. (Strictly my personal opinion, not a RIPTA statement).

#RiderOfTheWeek Val started riding RIPTA on her commute to downtown Providence. Now retired, she rides to appointments, religious services, and the grocery store. Her tip for riding? Eligible seniors can apply for a Reduced Fare Bus Pass! To learn more, visit: RIPTA.com/seniors

Our #RiderOfTheWeek Alana started riding RIPTA while working at Brown University. Nowadays she works from home but continues to ride the bus to avoid parking hassles. Plus, this biker also likes to rack 'n ride! Learn how you can too with this video: bit.ly/3V0sKdQ

Japanese Pancakes in DePasquale Square

Meet Cindy, your Rider of the Week! 🚌 Cindy loves relaxing on her bus commute to Amica Insurance where she works in sales and client services. Did you know that Amica offers commuter benefits through RIPTA's Wave to Work program? Learn more at RIPTA.com/WaveToWork

Meet the RIPTA Rider of the Week! 🚌 Dally rides the bus to her job at @rwpzoo.bsky.social where she works as a horticulturist. Before that, Dally rode RIPTA to @rhodeislandcollege.bsky.social where she attended school. Happy Transit Tuesday, Dally!

One additional note: NJ Transit is the only zonal based bus service but it is extremely expensive and very hard to understand.

There is so much more I could say but I am sick to my stomach. Having watched the hearings and the written comments - we are being asked to bring harm and not uplift and contribute to Rhode Island’s opportunity.

Someone asked if we could interline more routes: that only works if the routes have the same frequency. The 31/56 works that way, or the 18/40. The TMP recommends a rapid route interlining the northern leg of the 1 with the 17 to create a NE/SW frequent route across the metro.

The proposal that was put together and brought to hearings was the least harmful option and that was thanks to the $15 million we received from the GA. If no $0 was given, trust me, you wouldn’t want to see it. And if we put it out, we’d be getting the same reaction now.

The Woonsocket Flex today, not a On Demand service, is overbooked. If we cut the 87 entirely (which the proposal doesn’t) we’d to triple the resources to make sure they’re covered.

Could we provide more micro transit? We have been doing a pilot in 203 but I can tell you that unless we are able to commingle trips (which is in no way easy since it only works if people are going the same way), you’ll still need many vehicles and operators to meet demand.

Even in the largest cities: London, Paris, even New York or LA, there are inefficient routes. They serve a purpose. They’ve asked for and are operated. They support communities and those have no choice.

There is always going to be inefficient routes in Rhode Island. There is no way around it. Every US operator has ones that run because there is purpose. How do you face those who live in South County, the West, the North?

There is the matter of ridership vs. coverage. You want us to increase ridership but that comes at the cost of rural and lower frequency service. We a statewide operator, so we’re always going to have ‘inefficient’ routes, but they exist as a lifeline.

One thing to keep in mind: the cost of riding the bus in New York is 2.90. Dallas buses are $3. Think about the capping impacts - the multiples.