PROVIDENCE – With extensive service cuts on the table and a $10 million deficit to cover, the R.I. Public Transit Authority "provides an essential service for the region" but has no immediate access to cost-saving measures, according to a new efficiency study.
The 119-page independent
study, released Friday and compiled by WSP USA and Foursquare ITP, states that in order to address its financial shortfalls, RIPTA may have to reduce its annual services by up to 20%.
Mandated by the 2025 state budget and initially due in March, the study comes on the heels of last week's RIPTA board meeting, where the transit agency proposed cuts to 58 of its 67 service routes. Transit advocates have described the proposed cuts as devastating to vulnerable residents.
RIPTA's cuts propose the complete elimination of entire routes or segments in some lines, and reduced service frequency in others. Impacted services include four Flex Zones and six Park & Ride routes.
The study bases recommendations on RIPTA's previously announced fiscal 2026 deficit of $18 million, which the agency reduced by $8 million using "one-time federal reimbursements, revised gas tax estimates, fuel lock savings, and reallocating federal funds," RIPTA CEO Christopher Durand said last week.
A spokesperson for RIPTA did not immediately respond to a PBN inquiry on how or if the updated deficit impacts the efficiency study's findings.
In navigating cuts, the report recommends that RIPTA prioritize its top-performing local, express and seasonal routes, as well as routes that serve vulnerable populations and allow access to jobs, medical appointments, shopping and other services.
The report also recommends federalizing positions tied to capital assets; increasing federal formula funds to reimburse rural, low-income, and reverse commute services; and refining flex service structures.
Alongside the grim shortfall, the study found that RIPTA maintains a cost per trip in line with five surveyed "peer" agencies, despite serving an area nearly double in size; lower than average administrative costs and similar overall operating costs compared to most peers; a higher farebox recovery rate and advertising revenue than most peers; and a well-performing fixed-route service, especially in "core urban corridors."
The five surveyed peer agencies service the metropolitan areas of Hartford, Conn.; Norfolk, Va.; Albany, N.Y.; Rochester, N.Y.; Kansas City, Mo. and Kan.; and the state of Delaware.
But like other transit authorities throughout the country, RIPTA has struggled with declining ridership and increased expenses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Meanwhile, the agency has exhausted pandemic-related federal relief sources.
On Monday, RIPTA began holding a series of statewide public hearings and comment sessions on the proposed cuts. These meetings will continue in Providence and Barrington on Aug. 4 and 6, respectively. Members of the public can also submit comment via post, email or phone. The full schedule and contact information are available on RIPTA's
website.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
