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laterbacon t1_itv4mtw wrote

Reply to comment by brick1972 in Remember when RI spent millions on an MBTA station with no transit-oriented development or ridership base? by ToadScoper

My dream is to have a frequent EMU service from Pawtucket to Westerly, stopping in Providence, Olneyville, Auburn (Cranston), TF Green, Apponaug, East Greenwich, Wickford, and Kingston. If this state gave a shit about anyone not in a car, it might be more than a dream but I don't have a lot of hope especially when the R-Line was supposed to be a pilot program to roll out similar service on other lines. Still waiting for that, and for the features that would make the existing R-Line actual rapid transit instead of a dressed up bus with poorly maintained stops.

If RIPTA actually tried and wasn't headed by a republican former suburban mayor it might actually improve, but we need a huge shakeup in transit leadership.

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brick1972 t1_itv76sc wrote

The fact that RIPTA gets stuck in the same traffic as cars really limits its attractiveness.

I live and work on the 1 (essentially) so I can take the bus with no transfer. Even ignoring the walking time to the stops and assuming I time it perfectly the bus takes 1.5-2 times as long as just driving (largely because driving I can avoid downtown where of course the 1 is obligated to go through college hill and downtown). Since there is some walking time and because of the bus being late that is more like 3 times as long in practice.

Which is to say I'm with you on having real BRT (not that the 1 would be a good candidate necessarily just saying)

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laterbacon t1_itv8ffi wrote

I got rid of my car a while back and I mostly ride my bike everywhere, but I rely on the R line quite a bit to get me down into Providence. I like not having to worry about parking or paying attention to traffic but they could vastly improve the service without a whole lot of effort. The thing about transit is that if it's fast and reliable and affordable people will actually use it. It's somewhat encouraging the ridership on the R line has increased a lot since it's been free. I think free buses are the key to a good transit system since transit funding is largely tied to ridership. It's a virtuous cycle of making important bus lines free, increasing ridership, and getting more funding to improve service. It all requires buy in from the community though and too many people see transit as something that only "undesirables" use.

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