RIPTA To Hold Public Meeting On Restoration Of Bus Services To Tiverton
RIPTA will hold a public meeting on March 18 at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall to hear feedback on restoring services to Tiverton.
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The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) is considering reinstating transit services to Tiverton and is asking the public to weigh in on how to effectively serve the community.
A public meeting will be held on Monday, March 18 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at the Tiverton Town Hall, 343 Highland Road to discuss transit options for Tiverton and Little Compton.
RIPTA suspended services to the Tiverton-Little Compton area in 2008 just before weight restrictions were imposed on the Sakonnet River Bridge and since the opening of the new bridge, no services have yet been restored.
Prior to the imposition of the weight limit, RIPTA provided service to Providence via the Fish Road park and ride. It also operated a Flex zone that covered portions of Tiverton, Bristol and Portsmouth, but this service route was suspended due to budget challenges and very low ridership.
Earlier this year, Rep. John G. Edwards (D – Dist. 70) wrote a letter to RIPTA requesting the restoration of bus service to the Tiverton area now that the Sakonnet River Bridge is fully operational.
“My constituents need access to public transportation, as any other city or town in Rhode Island,” the representative wrote to the RIPTA chairman and Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian this week. “We have been paying and continue to pay our share of the gas tax through which [RIPTA] is funded. We expect our fair share of access to public transportation as afforded elsewhere.”
How would you plot RIPTA services to most benefit Tiverton-Little Compton residents?
Mark
1:34 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Can't park in the park and ride cause Viti has their employees taking all the parking spots and all the ones near the bus shelter. They have plenty of land there to use for parking instead of building more buildings. Why should we pay for their parking
DanielleR
4:16 am on Thursday, March 7, 2013
Really???? I would consider your comment to be a gross overstatement. I happen to be at the Park and Ride twice daily - to drop off and pick up my children from the school bus (I.e. morning and afternoon) - and NEVER have an issue finding parking near the bus shelter. Viti does have a parking lot for employees at the back of their property, adjacent to Souza Road. That lot usually has a lot of cars in it (employee vehicles), but their drivers -who work long after Viti has closed and locked the gates- need somewhere to park so they can retrieve their vehicles and go home. Perhaps those drivers may be Tiverton residents?!?! I'm also guessing that Viti pays a significant amount of taxes (both real estate and tangible property) to the Town - that too will increase with the completion of their new building - so I guess they too (according to your comment) are paying "for their parking" if a few employees need to park in the municipal lot. Quit complaining - there are more important things to be concerned with in this town...........
Diane Daigle
5:48 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
In addition to RIPTA Tiverton residence also get limited to no access to the RIDE program this needs to also be addressed. When my mother had cancer she received a "ride" during radiation but for periodic check ups afterwards had to find her own way to Providence this caused her to eventually stop going to follow up appointments
osama bin patch
5:48 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Erin youre beautiful...A wonderful bit of sunshine on an otherwise drab patch
Jim L
1:58 pm on Thursday, March 7, 2013
I hope that they don't go back to the days when I would see the bus going to Little Compton in the evening with 1 person on it
Francisco Silva
2:36 pm on Saturday, March 9, 2013
Francisco ..I dont know if Ripta or Ride are allowed to transport out of state due to insurance or whatever ; but there is as much if not more need for Tiverton and Little Compton residents to travel to Fall River for medical and shopping needs as there is for travel to Providence. The elderly have the greatest need for transportation not only for day to day needs both in town and to nearby cities and towns because many of them are hesitant to drive after dark or to areas of heavy trafic. The transportation needs of Tiverton and Little compton residents who cannot drive for whatever reason can only be solved by the towns providing this service rather than the state. We in the east bay towns simply dont have the population or votes to attract much attention at the state level and I would not hold my breath waiting for any help from the state which is in effect broke and unable to get out of debt as it is .