Why don't more people use RIPTA?

[webbage]

I had a dream last night that RIPTA had monorail service.

It was sad to wake up.

[JimmyGreaves]

The RIPTA newsletter that I received at the end of May indicated that starting July 1st, a new fare product will be available. Passengers will be able to purchase 7-day passes onboard for $20. Passes are good for unlimited statewide travel within the 7 days on buses and trolleys. The expiration date of the pass will be printed on the back.

[Frankie811]

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority has released its annual summer schedule, which takes effect today.

[citygirl]

http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/bizblo...ses_as_gas.html

light rail light rail light rail

We need vision, persistence, the ability to think beyond short-term political and economic gain, and transparency in decision-making. I can't say we have any of those here! See discussion below on the use of subway and rail in Arlington VA

The phenomenal metamorphosis of Arlington County's Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, among the region's most dramatic real estate transformations, teaches a timely lesson: Successful urban revitalization requires long-range planning and long-range public investment that sparks private investment.

Unfortunately, America seems to have ignored this lesson.

The Washington region offers ample evidence of lapses: years of delays and funding impediments surrounding the Metrorail extension to Dulles International Airport, debate about adding a Metro station to serve Potomac Yard in Alexandria and arguments about the Maryland Transit Administration's proposed Purple Line linking Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

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If Washington's Metro system were proposed today, it would stand little chance of being built.

When Metro was mapped out more than 40 years ago, a very different attitude prevailed. Arlington planners and politicians were bold, optimistic and foresighted. They insisted that the Orange Line to Vienna run underground through Arlington, following Wilson Boulevard and Fairfax Drive, rather than running along the Interstate 66 right of way, which would have been the path of least resistance and at the lowest cost. And they wanted five closely spaced stations from Rosslyn to Ballston.

Arlington leaders were predicting, some would say gambling, that the extra cost of running the line underground and building those five stations would someday yield big returns. They expected that billions of dollars of private real estate investment would be attracted to the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, in turn producing tens of thousands of new jobs, as well as new dwellings, and pulling in new residents, plus many millions of dollars in new tax revenue.

Yet in the 1960s, Arlington's leaders had no crystal ball. They simply had faith that properly located rail transit would catalyze the revitalization of what was then a suburban strip of spotty, low-density commercial properties located minutes from downtown Washington.

They also understood that building rail transit entails more than providing transportation. It is an integral part of land-use planning and sustainable growth policy. It affects the location, character and quality of development.

The Rosslyn-Ballston corridor is a work in progress, although millions of square feet of buildings already have been developed, mostly since the 1980s. Its urban design is not flawless, and much of its architecture is less than exemplary.

But the corridor functions well. It offers pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, on- and off-street bicycle lanes, plazas and mini-parks. It takes less than 10 minutes to walk between any two adjacent Metro nodes on the corridor -- Rosslyn, Court House, Clarendon, Virginia Square and Ballston. People there can get along without cars.

Appropriately high densities and multiple uses -- commercial, residential, civic, cultural and educational -- are concentrated at each node. Intense redevelopment and convenient transportation have made the corridor successful as a place to live, shop and play, as well as to work or commute to work.

You have to wonder: Are there other places in the region where this sort of redevelopment could have occurred, or where it could still happen?

Many Metro stations are too far apart to emulate Arlington. But Arlington's strategy could be replicated if additional Metro stations were built where new growth or redevelopment is desired, or where development is underserved by transit.

For example, Wisconsin Avenue and Rockville Pike constitute a busy transportation corridor stretching for miles from Friendship Heights through Bethesda and Rockville. Metro's Red Line runs along this corridor, yet Bethesda's large, highly urbanized center is served by only one station; it should be served by two or three.

Envision Rockville Pike transformed from an incoherent string of auto-dependent, suburban shopping centers to a dense, attractive urban corridor friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists. It now has three Metro stations; it would need at least twice as many to catalyze and support desired redevelopment.

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Intense redevelopment of the pike, capitalizing on existing infrastructure, would be desirable for compelling reasons: to reduce travel inefficiency and congestion associated with suburban sprawl, to mitigate escalating economic and environmental costs of gasoline consumption, to reap the benefits of resource conservation and diminished carbon emissions and, with more opportunities for walking and bicycling instead of driving, to improve health.

Why does visionary planning seem to be a thing of the past? Can America no longer afford to undertake farsighted initiatives such as creating the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s or Metro in the 1960s?

We can afford such investments but are no longer willing to make them.

If current attitudes concerning taxation and spending policies persist, we will never make essential public investments. What America needs is an attitude transplant, which may happen only when gasoline costs $10 per gallon and the planet's polar ice disappears. Perhaps then we will remember and embrace the decades-old lesson that Arlington teaches.

Roger K. Lewis is a practicing architect and a professor emeritus of architecture at the University of Maryland.

[JimmyGreaves]

This is cool! RIPTA has launched a program called the RIPTA Rider Receipt Rewards Program where riders can get discounts at various places. The below link describes the program in more detail.

RIPTA Rider Receipt Rewards Program

[Frankie811]

In the final Assembly hours, college-student bus passes are the hot topic

In the two-day, all-out sprint to the finish of the General Assembly session, the most heavily debated legislation had nothing to do with the state

[Cotuit]

I may be wrong, but I believe the state colleges are the only colleges not participating in UPASS in some manner. Some schools like Brown and RISD give a full free ride to everyone, students, faculty, staff; others have weird tiered systems, like I think RWU is free for freshmen and half price for upper classmen.

[runawayjim]

I may be wrong, but I believe the state colleges are the only colleges not participating in UPASS in some manner. Some schools like Brown and RISD give a full free ride to everyone, students, faculty, staff; others have weird tiered systems, like I think RWU is free for freshmen and half price for upper classmen.

PC is another one with full free rides to all with a PC ID card.

[Recchia]

So I was runnin down South Angell this morning and I noticed someone had put up "NO BUSES ON OUR BLOCK" signs on every pole and TREE on the street, claiming the bus will cause loitering, littering, vibrations and decrease property values. I called RIPTA today, apparently they're re-routing the Blackstone bus down S Angell and the snotty ass residents are all up in arms. How ridiculous. I tore all the signs down and tomorrow am posting some flyers on the benefits of public transportation. I am now on a mission.

[runawayjim]

So I was runnin down South Angell this morning and I noticed someone had put up "NO BUSES ON OUR BLOCK" signs on every pole and TREE on the street, claiming the bus will cause loitering, littering, vibrations and decrease property values. I called RIPTA today, apparently they're re-routing the Blackstone bus down S Angell and the snotty ass residents are all up in arms. How ridiculous. I tore all the signs down and tomorrow am posting some flyers on the benefits of public transportation. I am now on a mission.

that's just crazy. how do buses cause littering or vibrations? i think living on a bus route will actually increase property value in a city and with gas prices being what they are. the loitering thing, i can understand to a point, but that means more people in the neighborhood, more eyes on the road, more customers for shops and restaurants.

[JimmyGreaves]

So I was runnin down South Angell this morning and I noticed someone had put up "NO BUSES ON OUR BLOCK" signs on every pole and TREE on the street, claiming the bus will cause loitering, littering, vibrations and decrease property values. I called RIPTA today, apparently they're re-routing the Blackstone bus down S Angell and the snotty ass residents are all up in arms. How ridiculous. I tore all the signs down and tomorrow am posting some flyers on the benefits of public transportation. I am now on a mission.

I'm confused. The Blackstone bus has always travelled down South Angell Street, at least since I moved here in 2001. Plus, the #35 and #78 buses have also travelled down this street for the last couple of years. Why all of a sudden this ruckus?

[Recchia]

I'm confused. The Blackstone bus has always travelled down South Angell Street, at least since I moved here in 2001. Plus, the #35 and #78 buses have also travelled down this street for the last couple of years. Why all of a sudden this ruckus?

I'm sorry, I think it's actually Angell St. I'm talking about the little one way eastbound section from Wayland Square to Butler Ave (the section that Twist is on).

[mr2448]

I'm sorry, I think it's actually Angell St. I'm talking about the little one way eastbound section from Wayland Square to Butler Ave (the section that Twist is on).

When Angel Street was one way west bound into Wayland Square, the #40 Butler Tunnel Bus(not combined with the #41 Elmgrove Ave bus) was routed that way. The streetcars even used that route past the Wayland Manor. I have heard that the residents on President Ave are not happy with the new routing of the bus on that street.

[markOne]

This technology grant (PBN article) is great news for RIPTA.

Does anyone know what, specifically, RIPTA's plan for this money is, or how to find out?

I would LOVE having a mobile phone enabled website showing bus locations. "Real-time information at our transit centers" only helps a small fraction of customers who actually go to the transit centers. A publicly available site could be used by folks at the transit centers, people in their offices/homes wanting to know when they should leave to catch the bus, and people with mobile web access everywhere. The uncertainty of when a bus will be at your stop is one of the big reasons many folks I know find the RIPTA experience so frustrating.

Almost everyone is carrying a cell phone these days, and more and more of them have access to the web. The RI area has LOTS of folks who are skilled in the application of this technology so finding people with the skills should not be a problem. They might even be able to do the work in trade, make the site in exchange for free rides, you never know...

I would really like to know how the $4.34M (total over past 3 years) RIPTA has been given will help RIPTA improve its services while being as efficient as possible.

Please, please, please RIPTA don't use this money to implement old "21st century" technology. The phrase "ITS equipment installed included Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVL) devices and real-time customer information devices, both with computerized displays." found in the "Trolley ITS Pilot Project" section of this webpage makes me nervous.

[Frankie811]

I may be wrong, but I believe the state colleges are the only colleges not participating in UPASS in some manner. Some schools like Brown and RISD give a full free ride to everyone, students, faculty, staff; others have weird tiered systems, like I think RWU is free for freshmen and half price for upper classmen.

Carcieri vetoes bills assisting mass transit

Governor Carcieri has vetoed two pieces of legislation that would have encouraged mass transit by making state colleges provide subsidized bus service for students.

[runawayjim]

Carcieri vetoes bills assisting mass transit

Governor Carcieri has vetoed two pieces of legislation that would have encouraged mass transit by making state colleges provide subsidized bus service for students.

it is unbelievable just how out of touch he is with the people of this state. i don't know how he got re-elected (though it was pretty close if i remember correctly). hopefully there are enough votes to override his vetoes.

[Frankie811]

Two RIPTA routes will be detoured starting Saturday

Starting Saturday, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority buses won't cross the Pontiac Avenue and Reservoir Avenue bridges because of new weight limits on the spans.

RIPTA said in a statement today it will detour the route 13 bus -- Arctic/Washington -- and the route 22 bus -- Reservoir/Pontiac -- starting Saturday and continuing indefinitely.

RIPTA is also introducing routes 21 and 23.

http://www.ripta.com/content1815.html

[Frankie811]

Projo Editorial: RIPTA

[webbage]

Both buses I was on today had engine trouble - interestingly they were both logo buses - AT&T and FiOS.

[Cotuit]

Projo Editorial: RIPTA

[frymasterspeck]

i don't know how he got re-elected (though it was pretty close if i remember correctly).

Dems put up a weak-a$$ candidate, that's how. They had all their mojo behind getting Shelly into the US Senate.

[Frankie811]

RIPTA budget already $12 million behind

The state transit authority board yesterday adopted a budget for the next year that includes a gaping $12-million deficit.

[Frankie811]

Weight limits on bridges affect RIPTA routes, emergency vehicles. Those limits are interfering with the response of some emergency vehicles, and they have forced the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority to reduce service and to abandon some sections of its bus system, including service to two whole towns.

[Frankie811]

Some employers encourage carpools. A number of Rhode Island companies and institutions are encouraging their employees to carpool or ride the bus to work.

Given the cost of fuel, greenhouse gases, problems with sprawl and the need for good jobs, massive investments in a good transit system make a great deal of sense.

The Rev. THOMAS O

[webbage]

Hearing slated Thursday on plan to eliminate Burrillville bus route. Two state senators from northern Rhode Island will conduct a public hearing Thursday on a proposal by the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority to shorten a bus route that takes riders from Kennedy Plaza in Providence to Zambarano State Hospital in burrillville.

I'm on that bus. Everyone's getting pretty hardcore about it. People are selling t-shirts that say save bus #9, and a count is taken every day of everyone who gets on the bus before Smithfield. I definitely understand why RIPTA would want to shorten this long-distance route, but I hope a compromise can be made. Maybe it could be cut further up the line? Also, most of the regular riders have said they wouldn't have a problem with a zone-style type of fare and pay a bit extra if that means keeping the bus.