DOT takes over at Wickford Junction, expects $3.4M in savings

THE R.I. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION took over operations of the Wickford Junction commuter rail station Monday, looking to use the savings from the contract to manage the facility to expand bus service to and from the station. / PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY
THE R.I. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION took over operations of the Wickford Junction commuter rail station Monday, looking to use the savings from the contract to manage the facility to expand bus service to and from the station. / PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

NORTH KINGSTOWN – The R.I. Department of Transportation assumed the operation and maintenance of the Wickford Junction commuter rail station Monday, opting to save money by not renewing a private contract for the services.

The change will result in a savings of $376,784 a year, or $3.4 million over 10 years, according to a statement from RIDOT Director Peter Alviti Jr. The savings is less about $372,500 the state anticipates spending on equipment and other capital expenses. No new personnel will be hired.

The initial, three-year contract with WJ Management LLC to operate the station was expiring. The decision to not renew was not a reflection of the company’s services, but rather an effort to streamline operations and save money, according to a DOT spokesman.

The station, which opened in 2012, serves as the train and bus transportation center for South County and has fee-free parking for commuters. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority runs 10 round trip trains each weekday, connecting commuters to Boston via rail.

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The savings from the state’s operation of the station will allow RIDOT to work with the R.I. Public Transit Authority to expand bus service to both T.F. Green Airport and downtown Providence, according to a news release.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. First, there are no savings. The state pays the MBTA alot of money because our ridership does not come close to meeting the break-even.
    Second, we never should have built a parking garage and upgraded wickford station. WE should have put the money to moving the tracks over to URI. There are 17,000 potential users on that campus. Do you see the irony that they are taking money from the train and diverting it to the bus that would take URI students to providence????

  2. I don’t know what the other person commenting meant by “out of favor”. Maybe they think I have something to do with URI. I don’t.
    If you would like to know my motivation, I have four educated professional children all of which live out of state. There are a number of reasons for that. One of the reasons is that it is too expensive to have a car in RI but the public transportation is terrible.
    When I travel (DC,NYC,Phili,boston) I use public transportation. Even though the MBTA is inefficient, I can still get around the city. Compare those cities to our city/state. Our offerings are quite poor by comparison.
    So, now that I think about it, I think I am out of favor. I am a business owner looking for the state to be one in which our children will want to stay. That seems to be a tall order to ask.
    The logical follow on question is this. If the children can’t stay, will the parents be far behind them?