Successful Start to R-Line Fare-Free Pilot Program

Ridership on the R-Line increases 40%

 

Providence, Rhode Island, March 27, 2023 -- The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) announced results from the first six months of the R-Line Fare-Free Pilot Program today. From September 2022 through February 2023, ridership on the R-Line was 40% higher than a year ago.

“As RIPTA continues to explore innovative strategies to increase ridership lost during the pandemic, the R-Line pilot program will provide us with important data and feedback from our riders and drivers,” said Scott Avedisian, CEO of RIPTA. “The first half of the program has shown that when we invest in our transit system, positive results follow. The popular R-Line service, free-fare pilot and other elements of our Transit Master Plan will contribute to building a world-class transit system that serves all Rhode Islanders.”

The R-Line is RIPTA’s most frequent and highest ridership route. In August 2022, the R-Line carried an average of about 5,400 passenger trips each weekday, or 16% of RIPTA’s statewide bus ridership. The Fare-Free Pilot Program was introduced by the General Assembly which allocated $2.5 million for the one-year pilot that began on September 1, 2022. The funds will replace lost R-Line fare revenue and will be used to study the overall costs and benefits of fare-free service to inform future decision-making around fares.

RIPTA has also engaged with riders and employees as part of the study to better understand their experience and insights. Riders in the focus group had the following to say:

“I shop along the R-Line more than I used to, and I don’t worry about making a trip to pick up one or two things, because it’s free.”

“By the end of the week it adds up to a lot of savings – over $20. With that, I was able to buy some winter clothes.”

RIPTA drivers reported that driving is easier and boarding passengers is faster without having to collect fares. However, there have been reports of increased boarding times, as some people now see the R-Line as a “hop-on, hop-off” service and try to board buses in-between stops. This type of activity, along with more people riding, may offset time saved by removing fare payment.

In addition, RIPTA has seen revenue impacts. If R-Line riders had been paying the $2 bus fare during the pilot, RIPTA would have earned about $400,000 each month, or the annual equivalent of almost 5% of the entire RIPTA fixed-route bus operating budget. Also contributing to these impacts is an increase in paratransit ridership* in the R-Line zone at a rate two times greater than the systemwide rate, or by about 240 more trips per month.

The R-Line Fare-Free Pilot Program will continue through August 2023. During this period, the study team will continue to collect data and will prepare for a second survey on rider travel behavior changes. Surveys will be administered on-board and online over several days this spring, and RIPTA will seek input from community organizations and businesses along the R-Line. Riders will also have the opportunity to provide feedback at pop-up tables at stops along the R-Line. These results, along with an evaluation of fare-free programs by other agencies in the region and nationwide, will continue to paint a picture of the Fare-Free Pilot Program and inform RIPTA’s decision-making.

For the full Q1 and Q2 reports, visit: RIPTA.com/RLinePilot.

*The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) assures that people with disabilities, who cannot use the regular fixed-route bus, have access to public transportation. RIPTA’s RIde paratransit program is designed to meet these requirements by providing service within a ¾-mile corridor along each fixed-route.

 

 

The House has began a debate session ahead of tonight's vote on the debt ceiling deal. The bill negotiated between the White House and Republicans would suspend the nation's debt ceiling for two years. Voting is scheduled to begin this hour.       Former President Trump's White House aides are being subpoenaed over the firing of a top election security official. Trump fired his cybersecurity chief Christopher Krebs in November 2020 after the presidential election. It came days after Krebs went against Trump's false election fraud claims in a statement describing the election as one of the most secure in American history.       Actor Danny Masterson is guilty of raping two women. On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury also said it was deadlocked on the charge related to a third accuser. The jury deliberated for seven days before deciding the actor raped the two victims at his Hollywood Hills home two decades ago.        The GOP field for the 2024 presidential nomination is about to get another candidate. Axios reports that former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will announce his candidacy at a town hall in New Hampshire next week. A once ally of former President Trump, Christie has turned into one of his critics within the Republican party.       Only 18 percent of Americans are satisfied with the state of the nation. That's about half of the historical 35-percent average. A new Gallup poll shows that the number of Americans saying they're satisfied with the trajectory of the country has been below 20-percent since March.       Bruce Springsteen is said to be ok after falling on stage while performing in Amsterdam over the weekend. The singer took a spill while going up a set of stairs, but was quickly helped up by members of his E Street Band. One concertgoer tweeted that the 73-year-old was able to finish the concert.