Providence RIPTA Services

[Arlington]

I noticed in the discussion of Providence's proposed streetcar that there were express-bus projects and there didn't seem to be a place to discuss them. (I've named this so it can take the Streetcar posts out of the "Providence Projects" thread if people like that)

First, consider the proposed R-Line which will overlay the two busiest bus routes in the system: Route 99 (on the north, serving Pawtucket) and Route 11 (serving Broad St on the south) and connecting the two of them with a routing connecting to the Amtrak Station:



Much better detail, which gives a sense of how far apart the limited stops are, is available here:
In this overview map and the official site:http://www.ripta.com/r-line-

[Arlington]

THere is also a kind of system map found here:
http://providencecoreconnector.com/map/

Basically the R-Line is proposed to be a limited stop service from Pawtucket to Broad Street in Cranston. If it works, it seems to me they should then run it on Post Road (Route 1) to the Airport.

[BostonUrbEx]

Sounds like what we should do with our 77 and 1 buses.

[Commuting Boston Student]

It's a travesty that RIPTA doesn't make their system map available on their website for download or viewing except by some ridiculous plugin I do not have nor care to get.

That having been said, what I've seen so far of the R-Line is promising, and a great first step forward.

I'm not putting it past RIPTA not to make an absolute mess of things at this point, though.

[Commuting Boston Student]

Originally Posted by Commuting Boston Student

It's a travesty that RIPTA doesn't make their system map available on their website for download or viewing except by some ridiculous plugin I do not have nor care to get.

Nevermind, figured out how to get to the real files.

I also figured out that the reason they are using the ridiculous zoom.it API is because half of their map is absurdly, unreasonably huge - this is a 14100 x 21292 pixel image.

The other half of their map (Greater Providence) is fine, though. Only 7199 x 10741 pixels.

[Ron Newman]

Why doesn't RIPTA run buses across the state line to serve South Attleboro station, connecting it to Pawtucket? The Attleboro transit authority runs a bus line into Pawtucket, so there can't be any legal barrier to multi-state service.

[Commuting Boston Student]

Originally Posted by Ron Newman

Why doesn't RIPTA run buses across the state line to serve South Attleboro station, connecting it to Pawtucket? The Attleboro transit authority runs a bus line into Pawtucket, so there can't be any legal barrier to multi-state service.

Not necessarily true. There could be a legal barrier on the state level preventing RIPTA from operating outside of the state. If such a barrier existed on the Rhode Island side but not the Massachusetts side, it would explain this discrepancy.

More pragmatically, the bus line you're referring to connects Pawtucket to Attleboro station, so there's no need to connect South Attleboro station as well. Furthermore, the R-Line is going to run straight over the proposed location of the Pawtucket/Central Falls infill, which is going to connect South Attleboro and Pawtucket far better than a bus line between the Transit Center and South Attleboro station would.

[Frankie811]

I can't remember the law or exact terminology, but MA and RI busus cannot cross state lines unless it has been mutually agreed upon, like when GATRA (Greater Attleboro/Taunton Regional Transit Authority) ran buses between downtown Taunton and downtown Providence. This route was subsidised by one of the two states. This run ended several years ago because of low ridership.

[Frankie811]

Oh, look what I found. Gotta love that Google.

RIPTA buses may stop near Mass. trains



In a recent interview with Providence Business News, John Flaherty, co-chair of the Coalition for Transportation Choices, said the state has been prevented from running a bus directly to the South Attleboro station because of federal rules which bar bus systems that receive federal money such as RIPTA from crossing state lines.

By building the turnaround just inside of Rhode Island, RIPTA would avoid needing to cross into Massachusetts.

http://www.pbn.com/RIPTA-buses-may-s...s-trains,46942

[Matthew]

The joys of arbitrary political boundaries.

[Ron Newman]

GATRA still runs at least one bus route into Rhode Island, according to their website. And lots of New Jersey Transit trains (maybe some buses, too?) serve Manhattan.

[Matthew]

Lots and lots of NJTransit buses go into Manhattan.

A 35 mph moving line of buses shuffles around the "helix" into the Lincoln tunnel XBL during morning rush, many of them NJT, and from there into the Port Authority NY/NJ bus terminal. And also there's buses on the other Hudson river crossings. So there's that.

[Commuting Boston Student]

Originally Posted by Frankie811

Oh, look what I found. Gotta love that Google.

RIPTA buses may stop near Mass. trains



In a recent interview with Providence Business News, John Flaherty, co-chair of the Coalition for Transportation Choices, said the state has been prevented from running a bus directly to the South Attleboro station because of federal rules which bar bus systems that receive federal money such as RIPTA from crossing state lines.

By building the turnaround just inside of Rhode Island, RIPTA would avoid needing to cross into Massachusetts.

http://www.pbn.com/RIPTA-buses-may-s...s-trains,46942

Dated Christmas Eve... 2009.

So much for that!

[Commuting Boston Student]

See, my real problem with RIPTA is that there's zero or near-zero impact things they can be doing right now to drastically improve their service, but they're not doing any of them.

These require zero new roads, bridges, bus lanes or tunnels. Some creative minor scheduling adjustments and the abolishment of the accursed 'Park-n-Rides' bus (yes! It's literally designated Park 'n' Rides!) most likely takes care of the South County Service and both extensions, and I don't see any reason why you couldn't cover the other two new services with five new buses or less.

Hell, the 66 reroute only requires someone to get a clue and figure out that maybe, just maybe, our shiny new Wickford Junction train station is a better place to stop the bus than A PARK AND RIDE THAT'S HALF A MILE AWAY FROM IT.

If even one of those service changes went into effect at any point in the next five years, I'd be overjoyed. Hell, all six of them probably combine to a total cost of less than $2 million and 80% of THAT is likely the cost of the new buses.