STUFF A BUS FOOD-A-THON DRIVE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17 & SATURDAY, NOVEMBER, 18, 2017

In the spirit of holiday giving, help RIPTA, Job Lot and i Heart Radio “Stuff a Bus!” during the 33-Hour Food-A-Thon. Our goal is to stuff RIPTA buses chock full of non-perishable food and canned good items that will be donated the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

Give back this holiday season!

We are asking ALL public schools, PTO’s, private organizations, etc. to conduct food drives on their own, and then bring the items down to the closest participating Ocean State Job Lot Store (Coventry, Pawtucket or North Kingstown). Don’t have time to run a food drive? Visit participating Food-A-Thon locations to drop off your donation.

At last year’s Stuff a Bus Food Drive, RIPTA collected 11,888 pounds of food (nearly 6 tons!) thank you to everyone who helped!

Let’s beat that number this year!

STUFF A BUS FOOD-A-THON LOCATIONS

Stop by any of these Job Lot locations beginning at 6AM Friday, November 17 through Saturday, November 18 at 3PM:

1173 Tiogue Avenue, Coventry, RI 02816
5957 Post Road, North Kingstown, RI 02852
50 Ann Mary Street, Pawtucket, RI

RIPTA HONORS ROSA PARKS

Friday, December 1st - the date Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat to a white male passenger - is Rosa Parks Human Rights Day.

RIPTA salutes her by showcasing beautiful art e-signage commemorating her courage on buses as a reminder of who she was and what she represents.

RIPTA CELEBRATES OFFICIAL REOPENING OF NEWPORT TRANSPORTATION CENTER

U.S. Senator Jack Reed joined officials from RIPTA and the City of Newport recently to celebrate the official reopening of the Newport Transportation and Visitors Center.

Battered by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the Center now features refurbished and redesigned exterior passenger and pedestrian areas. Located on America’s Cup Avenue in Newport’s busy waterfront busy district, the Center is home to Discover Newport and also serves as a major transit hub used by RIPTA, tour buses, and taxis.

Federal funds covered 90-percent of the $6.6 million project with a 10-percent local match provided by the City of Newport, as well as an additional $20,000 from Discover Newport. The project made the site more resilient to future storms and also environmentally friendly with “rain gardens” planted to help with drainage and keep stormwater on site.

PUBLIC MEETING – PROPOSED REVISIONS TO RIDE PROGRAM’S ADA APPLICATION

As part of the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), paratransit service is provided by all public transportation systems. This special type of public transportation service is limited to persons who are unable to independently use regular public transit, some or all of the time, due to a disability or health related condition. In order to use RIPTA’S RIde Paratransit Program, you must fill out an ADA Application.

The ADA application will be revised in order to provide an application consistent with present-day ADA eligibility practices currently implemented in mid-sized transit systems.

Some of the proposed revisions to the application include:
• Requiring applicants to answer questions about their ability or inability to use the regular RIPTA fixed route bus
• Requiring applicants to have their disability verified by a licensed Rhode Island medical professional in one of 8 stated fields.
• Requiring applicants to provide a photo to expedite the creation of a photo ID.

RIPTA will hold a public meeting on the proposed revisions to the RIde ADA application. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 14, 2017 from 4pm to 6pm at RIPTA Headquarters, Conference Room, 705 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI.

Click here to view the proposed application.

Copies of the proposed ADA application may be obtained at RIPTA Headquarters, 705 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI 02907, or by calling (401) 784-9500, x1443 weekdays from 8:30 AM to 4 PM, or by writing to:

Christopher McKenna, Quality Assurance Manager, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, 705 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI 02907.

Comments can be sent to RIde@RIPTA.com.

The meeting room is accessible to persons with disabilities. RIPTA will provide interpreter services for the deaf and hearing impaired, provided such a request is made at least 72 hours prior to the meeting date. A request for this service can be made in writing or by calling (401) 784-9500, x1242.

SERVICE ALERTS

RIPTA CELEBRATES VETERANS DAY

RIPTA will operate all regular fixed-route buses and trolleys on a Sunday/Holiday schedule on Saturday, November 11, 2017 in observance of Veterans Day, an official state holiday. RIPTA offices, including the Ticket Sales Office in Kennedy Plaza, will not be staffed on the holiday.

In addition, the Flex Service reservation line (1-877-906-FLEX) and the RIde reservation line (461-9760) will not be staffed on Saturday.

RIPTA CELEBRATES THANKSGIVING DAY

RIPTA will operate all fixed-route services on a Sunday/Holiday schedule on Thursday, November 23, 2017 in observance of Thanksgiving Day, an official state holiday.

Click here for details.

TURKEY TROT – THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23

RIPTA will detour Routes 1, 71, 72, 75, 78, and R-Line from 9am to 12pm. Roosevelt Avenue will be closed during this time.

Details here.