Overview
The RIPTA Downtown Transit Connector (DTC) is an enhanced bus corridor that provides our riders with improved service frequency, reliability, and design features. The project includes substantial and attractive transit stops for passengers, and features that give priority to transit vehicles, enhance local placemaking, and improve pedestrian accessibility. The following is a description of key design features.
DTC stops include high-quality shelters with seating, real-time bus information, lighting, and digital schedule and wayfinding information. Each stop has been designed with placemaking in mind, using special pavement treatments, attractive materials, and other features to help integrate with the surrounding neighborhood. All DTC stops are fully accessible and include features to improve the pedestrian experience, such as curb extensions or “bulb-outs” for bus boarding, safe and convenient crosswalks, and pavement markings and patterns to delineate bus stops.
Streets in the corridor have been modified to better accommodate high-frequency bus service, while maintaining traffic flow and safety for all modes. The DTC corridor incorporates proven measures for improving the speed and reliability of transit, providing safe and convenient pedestrian access, and minimizing conflicts between DTC buses and pedestrians, especially at intersections and stations. Design features include the extension of green traffic signals for buses (and emergency vehicles) along the corridor, special signal phases allowing buses to “jump” the traffic queue and move ahead of regular traffic, and dedicated bus lanes. In some areas, on-street parking spaces have been eliminated.
RIPTA operates 7 existing routes along the DTC corridor, meaning a bus will arrive every 5 minutes (or better) on weekdays going both north to Providence Station and south to RI Hospital. Routes operating in the corridor include:
- 3 Oakland Beach
- 4 Warwick Avenue
- 51 Charles St/Twin River/CCRI
- 54 Lincoln/Woonsocket
- 58 Mineral Spring/N. Providence
- 62 URI/Providence Station
- 72 Weeden St/Central Falls
Routes 1 and 92 also serve parts of the corridor.
Bus trips to the Hospital and Jewelry Districts were more than doubled by RIPTA in preparation for DTC service, with bus transfers at Kennedy Plaza eliminated for many workers in these areas. Six colleges and universities can also utilize DTC service for direct connections to Providence’s innovation and medical districts: URI, Bryant, PC, RIC and CCRI campuses in Lincoln and Providence.
RIPTA has created a unique design for shelters at DTC stops, introducing a recognizable “look” and identity for the DTC. DTC shelters include canopies and seating, attractive materials, a consistent color theme, and distinctive signage and lighting. Digital information kiosks will provide real time bus arrival information and other updates.
PROJECT PARTNERS
