June 26, 2025
Press Releases
Hearings Scheduled for July 28 to August 6 in Barrington, Providence, West Warwick, Warwick, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, Newport, Wakefield and Kingston
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) will hold public hearings on proposed service reductions and a fare increase in all five Rhode Island counties starting on July 28 and continuing through August 6, 2025. The Authority announced that the reductions in service and the fare increase are part of the cost controls it is imposing to manage a 17.6 million dollar deficit for FY 2026, which begins on July 1, 2025.
RIPTA will announce its plans for a fare increase and which routes will be affected in the coming days as it finalizes the necessary reductions for its fall service plan. However, riders should anticipate the following changes: elimination of routes or route segments, decreased service frequency, reduced service span, and reduced or eliminated weekend service. The reductions would include the elimination of South County Express Beach Bus service.
“RIPTA’s primary source of operating funds, the state gas tax, has failed to keep pace with inflation, making it inadequate to sustain a quality transit system and contributing to the agency’s budget deficit,” said RIPTA Chief Executive Officer Christopher Durand. “We’ve worked diligently to manage our operations with limited resources, and an independent efficiency study has confirmed what we already knew: there are no hidden savings left to be found. At this point, in order to close the budget gap, we must reluctantly consider reducing service, increasing fares and laying off our workforce. Without new revenue, we simply have no other choice.”
RIPTA’s recent efficiency study, which was requested by Governor McKee and the General Assembly as a condition in last year’s state budget, concluded that “no short-term cost reduction strategy would generate significant savings to avoid near-term service reductions.”
Under state law, the Authority must post the hearing schedule prior to holding any public hearings. All input from the public at the hearings will be submitted to RIPTA’s Board of Directors in August and the Board will vote on the proposed service reductions at a special board meeting. If approved, service changes will go into effect on September 6, 2025. Information on the proposed service reductions and fare increase will be available at RIPTA.com/PublicHearings.
Schedule for Public Hearings
CCRI Knight Campus, 400 East Ave., Warwick
Time: 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Woonsocket Public Library, 303 Clinton Street, Woonsocket
Time: 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Tuesday, July 29
Newport CCRI Auditorium, One John H. Chafee Blvd., Newport
Times: 12:00pm – 1:30pm and 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Wednesday, July 30
South Kingstown Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield
Time: 12:00pm – 1:30pm
West Warwick Public Library, 1043 Main St, West Warwick
Time: 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Kingston Free Library, 2605 Kingstown Road, Kingston
Time: 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Thursday, July 31
Pawtucket Public Library, Campbell Auditorium, 13 Summer Street, Pawtucket
Time: 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Monday, August 4
Providence Foundation, 30 Exchange Terrace, Providence
Times: 12:00pm – 1:30pm and 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Wednesday, August 6
Barrington Public Library, 281 County Road, Barrington
Times: 12:00pm – 1:30pm and 5:00pm – 6:30pm
These hearings will be accessible to people with disabilities and people with limited English proficiency. RIPTA will provide translation and interpreter services for the deaf and hearing impaired, provided such a request is made at least 72 hours prior to the hearing date. A request for this service can be made by calling (401) 784-9500 ex.1203 or 800-745-5555 (RI Relay TDD).