Winter weather caused RIPTA ridership drop in January

THE R.I. Public Transit Authority said ridership dropped 19 percent in January compared with January 2014.
THE R.I. Public Transit Authority said ridership dropped 19 percent in January compared with January 2014.

PROVIDENCE – Harsh winter weather affected R.I. Public Transit Authority ridership in January, causing a 19 percent drop.

There were 1,247,234 rides in January, compared with 1,544,816 in January 2014, a difference of nearly 300,000 rides.

RIPTA shut down all service on Jan. 27, the day of the blizzard, and numerous detours were in place on Jan. 28 and 29 as buses could not fit on streets narrowed by snow, according to Barbara Polichetti, director of public affairs for RIPTA.

The snowy winter created other problems for the transit authority, which in addition to the numerous route detours it prompted, caused the authority to repeatedly remind riders to be careful at bus stops due to decreased visibility and slippery conditions.

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The authority, as recently as today, also was telling riders they may expect delays on all routes due to weather conditions, and should use caution at bus stops as a result of the conditions.

RIPTA, in its March newsletter, addressed why detours remain in place days after storms.

“Initially when there is a snowstorm, our first concern is the condition of the roads and whether it’s safe for our buses to travel. After the roads have been cleared, we face other challenges that can keep our buses on detour for weeks.

“Mounds of snow from plows make some roads so narrow (particularly in densely-developed areas such as the East Side of Providence), that it’s simply not possible for our buses to maneuver safely. The problem is compounded when parking bans are lifted and cars line these narrow streets. Most people who drive have experienced the unsettling New England experience of navigating a road that is supposed to be two ways and then finding yourself in an unintentional game of chicken with an oncoming vehicle,” the newsletter states.

Meanwhile, RIPTA has been notifying city and town officials that bus stops and shelters are on public sidewalks and that clearing them falls under their ordinances regarding snow removal, she said.

There are approximately 4,000 bus stops across the state, and the authority does not have the manpower to clear them all, Polichetti said.

However, she said RIPTA does clear its transit hubs, including all stops and shelters at Kennedy Plaza. She said the authority also has a contract to have snow cleared from approximately 50 stops on its recently launched rapid-service line from the Cranston-Providence border into downtown Pawtucket.

She said RIPTA has amended contract language with Lamar Advertising, which owns the shelters, to include requisite clearing of about 23 of its high-use shelters.

“We are constantly looking for creative solutions to this industry-wide challenge and are currently working with at least one labor union that might have apprentices available to help us clear some high-volume stops in Providence over the weekend,” Polichetti wrote in an email.
This past weekend, Local 3 of the International Bricklayers and Allied Craftsworkers Union worked with the Rhode Island AFL-CIO to clear approximately 40 snow-clogged bus stops along Chalkstone Avenue and Smith Street.
Maureen Martin, a member of RIPTA’s board of directors and secretary treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, said the idea came about after a few union leaders talked about how the winter storms were affecting RIPTA bus drivers and passengers.
She said that they looked at the volunteer shoveling work that members of Serve Rhode Island have been doing for residents and wanted to see if the union could do something similar to help RIPTA riders.
Said Martin, “Snow removal has been a huge challenge for most people this winter and particularly for RIPTA with thousands of stops and shelters across the state. Our main concern is always keeping our passengers, our employees and the public safe.”

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