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Speaker reports RIPTA started dedicated buses for five high schools; council says it had not been briefed
Summary
A member of the public and self-identified transportation advocate told the advisory council that RIPTA has begun a dedicated bus service for five Providence high schools aimed at reducing student flow through Kennedy Plaza.
Providence — A member of the public and self-identified transportation advocate told the Pathways and Gun Violence Advisory Council that RIPTA has started a dedicated bus service for five Providence high schools, a change the speaker said began about a week earlier and that aims to reduce student flow through Kennedy Plaza.
The transportation advocate told the council: “I had a lot of trouble keeping my mouth shut today because a week ago, RIPTA started a new bus service for 5 of our high schools.” The speaker said the change followed complaints prompted by safety concerns at Kennedy Plaza, and that new drivers and routes were deployed under RIPTA’s new CEO, identified in the meeting as Chris Duran.
Council members said they had not been briefed about the service before the meeting and agreed it would be useful to invite RIPTA to explain route changes and the list of schools served. Members discussed the potential operational benefit of routing students directly to neighborhoods rather than through a single central hub and asked staff to seek a RIPTA briefing and route details for the council’s next meeting.
No agency representative from RIPTA spoke at the meeting. Council staff agreed to request a formal presentation to the advisory council so members can better coordinate mentorship and outreach plans with the transit changes.
