FEWER RIDERS and higher costs put RIPTA $18 million in the red in fiscal 2021, but CARES Act funding allowed the agency to balance its budget. / PBN FILE PHOTO/ ELIZABETH GRAHAM
PROVIDENCE – Dramatic drops in ridership combined with new costs for technology, cleaning and personal protective equipment are anticipated to put the R.I. Public Transit Authority $18 million in the hole in fiscal 2021, according to RIPTA CEO Scott Avedisian. Luckily, the $91.2 million in CARES Act funding the state transit agency received - separate…