Rhode Island Public Transit Authority#27

The agency operates 59 fixed-route bus routes and 7 demand-responsive routes, together serving 37 out of 39 Rhode Island municipalities. Paratransit service is branded RIde with a service area corresponding to that of non-express bus routes.{{cite web |url=https://www.ripta.com/ride-paratransit-program/ |title=RIde Paratransit Program |publisher=Rhode Island Public Transit Authority |access-date=September 26, 2023}} RIPTA operates a fleet of 229 buses, 13 cutaway vans for Flex services, and 72 paratransit vans. They are maintained at two garages in Providence and one in Newport.

Fares for fixed-route and Flex trips are $2, with day and monthly passes available. Reduced fares are available for people over 65 and with disabilities. Fares can be paid with cash or with Wave smart card or mobile app, or RIde fares are $4.{{cite web |url=https://www.ripta.com/fares/ |title=Fares |publisher=Rhode Island Public Transit Authority |access-date=September 26, 2023}}

File:Southbound R-Line bus on Park Row West, October 2014.JPG

RIPTA operates 59 year-round bus routes: 50 local routes, one rapid route, and eight limited-service express routes. Most of RIPTA's fixed-route bus lines are centered on three major hubs: Kennedy Plaza in Providence, Pawtucket/Central Falls station in Pawtucket, and Gateway Center in Newport.

The R-Line is a limited-stop "Rapid Bus" route between Cranston and Pawtucket via Providence. It has some bus rapid transit (BRT) characteristics, including frequent service and transit signal priority, but runs in mixed traffic without dedicated lanes. Nine routes combine to provide five-minute-or-better headways in the Downtown Transit Connector between Providence station and the Hospital District. This corridor has BRT elements including limited stops, bus shelters with real-time information, bus/bike lanes, and signal priority.{{cite web |url=https://www.ripta.com/downtown-transit-connector-new/ |title=Downtown Transit Connector |publisher=Rhode Island Public Transit Authority |access-date=September 26, 2023}}

In addition to fixed-route services, RIPTA also provides Flex Service service, primarily settled around less populated areas in the state. These demand-responsive routes have fixed schedules for certain stops, but allow passengers to reserve trips within certain geographic areas.{{cite web |url=https://www.ripta.com/flex/ |title=Flex |publisher=Rhode Island Public Transit Authority |access-date=September 26, 2023}} RIPTA operates special services to connect with the seasonal Providence–Newport ferry, to provide seasonal access to South County beaches, and to serve Providence Public School District high schools.

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RIPTA was created in 1964 by the Rhode Island General Assembly to supervise what had been a system of privately run bus and trolley systems. RIPTA began operating buses on July 1, 1966, inheriting services provided previously by the United Transit Company (formerly the Rhode Island Company.[https://www.ripta.com/history/ RIPTA History] Woonsocket local service was expanded in 2011 to allow residents, many of whom do not own cars, to reach shopping areas outside town.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/food-stamps-put-rhode-island-town-on-monthly-boom-and-bust-cycle/2013/03/16/08ace07c-8ce1-11e2-b63f-f53fb9f2fcb4_story.html |title=Food stamps put Rhode Island town on monthly boom-and-bust cycle |newspaper=The Washington Post |author=Saslow, Eli |date=16 March 2013 |access-date=12 September 2014}} R-Line service began on June 21, 2014.

The 1 Eddy/Hope/Benefit and 35 Rumford lines were the first two RIPTA routes with stops outside of Rhode Island's borders, as both routes end in a northern terminus at the South Attleboro MBTA station in Massachusetts.{{cite web |last1=LANDIS |first1=BRUCE |title=RIPTA prepares to reorganize routes to improve service |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/business/content/20130521-ripta-prepares-to-reorganize-routes-to-improve-service.ece |website=The Providence Journal |access-date=4 May 2019 |language=en}} RIPTA was required to seek federal permission before the extending the routes across state lines to South Attleboro in 2013. Soon, the 32 and 34 were extended over the Massachusetts border to Seekonk Square. In August 2019, RIPTA added a third line running to Massachusetts, the 24L, an express line which includes stops in Fall River and Somerset that connect to Southeastern Regional Transit Authority lines.{{cite web |author=Daily News staff |title=RIPTA adds new express service connecting Newport to Providence, Fall River |url=https://www.newportri.com/news/20190826/ripta-adds-new-express-service-connecting-newport-to-providence-fall-river |website=The Newport Daily News |access-date=27 August 2019 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=24x Newport/Fall River/Providence |url=https://www.ripta.com/24 |publisher=Rhode Island Public Transit Authority |access-date=14 September 2019}} As part of the Summer 2025 service changes, RIPTA is proposing to extend Route 54 by less than a mile—from its current terminus in Woonsocket to the Stop & Shop in Bellingham, MA. This extension would improve access for workers and shoppers while also offering a convenient layover location with restroom facilities for operators.{{Cite web |title=RIPTA Public Hearings - April 2025 |url=https://www.ripta.com/publichearings/}}

In November 2019, RIPTA received $8 million in federal funding to add additional hubs at the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick and the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.{{cite news |url=https://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/westerly/ripta-to-build-new-mobility-hubs-at-uri-ccri/article_162d250c-0c89-11ea-90b5-437e245d159d.html |title=RIPTA to build new mobility hubs at URI, CCRI |newspaper=The Westerly Sun |location=Westerly, Rhode Island |date=November 25, 2019}}

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• [http://www.ripta.com RIPTA home page]

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Category:1964 establishments in Rhode Island

Category:Bus transportation in Rhode Island

Category:Government agencies established in 1964

Category:Intermodal transportation authorities in Rhode Island

Category:Public transportation in Rhode Island

Category:Transit agencies in the United States