RIPTA: Add streetcars, expand bus service

PROVIDENCE – Expanded bus service, more park-and-ride lots and a network of streetcars could be coming to the city if the state implements recommendations outlined in a report released last week by the R.I. Public Transit Authority.
The agency’s Providence Metropolitan Transit Enhancement Study says an investment in public transportation would lead to a cleaner environment, economic growth and a better quality of life. The report comes as RIPTA experiences some of the highest levels of ridership in its history – nearly 25 million people rode its buses last year – and ongoing budget troubles.
To meet the agency’s current needs, the report suggests increasing bus service by 10 percent, improving customer service, increasing park-and-ride capacity and re-envisioning the hub-and-spoke model.
The report imagines reconfiguring Kennedy Plaza to eliminate several bus berths and make the plaza more pedestrian-friendly. As part of that, the agency would also introduce four new transit hubs on the outskirts of the city that would reduce bus layover time. The report suggests hubs on the West Side, College Hill, Smith Hill and the hospital district.
In the long term, the report suggests instituting rapid bus service, strengthening connections between different transportation modes and spending $76 million to install a streetcar system in Providence. &#8226