Public Transit, Shrinking—RIPTA’s Cuts Hit Hard

In Rhode Island, saving money has taken the wheels off a major chunk of transit. The RIPTA board, pressed by a $10 million budget gap, voted 7–1 to approve service reductions on 46 of 67 bus lines—leaving little untouched across weekends and off-peak hours, though sparing drivers from layoffs. The new plan may look softer than the one before it—58 routes in play—but it’s still one of the most severe service rollbacks in RIPTA’s 59-year operation. From boardrooms to bus stops, the reaction has been the same: this is no cause for applause. Advocates warn of a rapid slide into transit irrelevance—a “death spiral” where reduced service breeds lower ridership, which in turn justifies more cuts. Communities that rely on the bus for work, care, errands, and school will be stranded—not by choice, but by design. In theory, Rhode Island’s government has tried to soften the blow. Gov. McKee offered $3 million in federal funds (that must be repaid), while eliminating 13 vacant administrative positions was part of the cost-saving package. But those numbers obscure the real cost. Transit is a lifeline. Every full bus keeps dozens of cars off the road and keeps fragile arteries of accessibility alive. Disabling those lines will hollow public services. This is the kind of planning failure we have to watch out for: short-term budgets triumphing over long-term mobility, safety, and equity. If public transit is going to survive—let alone thrive—it needs a floor, not periodic trims. Systems must be reinforced, funded, and treated like the essential infrastructure they are.