Home Economy RIPTA launches multifamily residential pilot program offering free passes

RIPTA launches multifamily residential pilot program offering free passes

By

PBN Staff

-

11/10/2025

THE R.I. PUBLIC Transit Authority launched a new multifamily residential pilot program where property owners and managers of properties with 10 or more units can order free monthly transit passes from the agency and give to tenants for transportation in December and January. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Public Transit Authority launched a pilot program on Monday that will allow multifamily property owners and managers to order free monthly transit passes for their tenants for December and January. Eligible participants include owners and managers of multifamily properties with at least 10 units at a location near a bus route.

Already a Subscriber? Log in

To Continue Reading This Article

Become a Providence Business News subscriber and get immediate access to all of our premier content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Critical RI business news and analysis updated daily.
1 year of print (26 issues).
Unlimited access to all subscriber only content on our website, on any device.
Free email alerts.
Annual Book of Lists Print Edition.
All special issues produced during subscription term.

Click Here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article

PBN Branded Content

Everyone needs science. Science needs everyone.

The Amgen Foundation is guided by the belief that all students should have the opportunity…

Learn More

No posts to display

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Public Transit Authority launched a pilot program on Monday that will allow multifamily property owners and managers to order free monthly transit passes for their tenants for December and January. Eligible participants include owners and managers of multifamily properties with at least 10 units at a location near a bus route. Interested applicants can apply here. For additional information, call 401-784-9500 Ext. 1283 or email pilot@ripta.com. The program is being funded by the state's Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council’s fiscal year 2025 spending plan and will not draw from RIPTA’s operating budget, the transportation agency said in its press release. “By partnering directly with multifamily property owners and managers, we’re helping residents experience the convenience and value of public transportation in communities that are already transit-accessible,” said RIPTA CEO Christopher Durand. “This initiative makes it easier for more people to choose transit over driving.” In August, RIPTA approved a proposal to reduce the frequency of rides along 40 “lower-ridership” routes, after a month of public outcry against service cuts. In July, the agency originally released a proposal with cuts that would have affected 58 of RIPTA’s 67 service routes, including the complete elimination of 16 routes. The plan drew intense backlash from bus riders, transit advocates and allies, with business organizations and municipalities eventually chiming in with formal statements against the cuts. The RIPTA board was originally scheduled to vote on that proposal on Aug. 7, but delayed the vote after Gov. Daniel J. McKee, who had also faced criticism for providing RIPTA with inadequate funding in the fiscal 2026 budget, and Durand directed the board to rework the plan to avoid driver layoffs and route eliminations. The statewide public transportation agency, which was facing a $10 million operating deficit, also enacted a plan in August that involves a multiyear schedule of fare increases for the first time in 15 years, along with the “targeted” elimination or reassignment of administrative positions and raising advertising revenue and federal reimbursements by $2.5 million.