 | A Message from RIPTA CEO Scott Avedisian Dear Passengers, The past three weeks have been some of the most challenging in recent memory, not just for RIPTA, but also for the State of Rhode Island and the United States of America. With the country swept up in the concerns of COVID-19, we are challenged with illness and financial unpredictability. In spite of the darkness of these difficult times, individual bright spots give me hope. Perhaps the brightest spot has been watching RIPTA employees rise to this challenge. When confronted with COVID-19, RIPTA employees have continued to be a source of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal time. Some of the key ways in which I have been inspired by the RIPTA team includes: ▪ Every day our operators continue to provide full service to our passengers. We continue to provide access to healthcare, food, and jobs so that Rhode Islanders are not left stranded. Even though ridership has declined, we are still providing about 100,000 passenger trips per week. Many of these trips are vital, and each of us is helping to keep people connected to their medical appointments and grocery stores.
▪ Our Utility crew has increased the cleaning frequency of our vehicles to keep our passengers, operators, and mechanics safe.
▪ When Honeywell begins fabricating N95 masks to address the nationwide shortage, RIPTA operators, both fixed route and RIde, will be there to help get employees to work.
▪ Administrative staff have been quick to adapt, and are working tirelessly to ensure that RIPTA has the resources to continue operations uninterrupted.
▪ While this challenge has disrupted business-as-usual for most Rhode Islanders, I am proud to be a part of a team that has risen to the occasion and provided consistent, reliable transportation for the State. Thank you, and keep up the good work.
| ▪ | Every day our operators continue to provide full service to our passengers. We continue to provide access to healthcare, food, and jobs so that Rhode Islanders are not left stranded. Even though ridership has declined, we are still providing about 100,000 passenger trips per week. Many of these trips are vital, and each of us is helping to keep people connected to their medical appointments and grocery stores. | | ▪ | Our Utility crew has increased the cleaning frequency of our vehicles to keep our passengers, operators, and mechanics safe. | | ▪ | When Honeywell begins fabricating N95 masks to address the nationwide shortage, RIPTA operators, both fixed route and RIde, will be there to help get employees to work. | | ▪ | Administrative staff have been quick to adapt, and are working tirelessly to ensure that RIPTA has the resources to continue operations uninterrupted. | | ▪ | While this challenge has disrupted business-as-usual for most Rhode Islanders, I am proud to be a part of a team that has risen to the occasion and provided consistent, reliable transportation for the State. Thank you, and keep up the good work. | Sincerely, Scott Avedisian
Chief Executive Officer | Reed Delivers $104.6 Million to Help Keep RIPTA Running Federal funds will help ensure public transportation doesn’t become a casualty of COVID-19 as leaders remind everyone to continue doing their part to minimize exposure As transit agencies nationwide are hit hard by steep reductions in ridership and revenue caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), led efforts to include a major infusion of federal funding to help. Senator Reed, who was part of the bipartisan working group that negotiated key provisions of the legislation, led efforts to include $25 billion for public transportation in the recent $2.2 trillion Emergency Coronavirus Economic Rescue package. The $25 billion will be provided to public transit operators nationwide to protect public health and safety while ensuring transportation access to jobs, medical treatment, food, and other essential services remain available during the COVID-19 response. Senator Reed announced that of the national relief total for transit, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) will receive an estimated $104,000,000 -- which is about 2.5 times as much as it receives annually from the federal government. “This isn’t a windfall, it is needed funding to help keep buses and trains running and ensure they are safe, clean, and will continue to be there for Rhode Islanders who rely on public transportation,” Reed said. “I fought to include these funds because I know how essential reliable public transit is to people, our communities, and our economy.” “The importance of this funding and Senator Reed’s action cannot be overstated,” said Scott Avedisian, RIPTA’s Chief Executive Officer. “Every day during this public health crisis we see how vital our service is to getting people to jobs at critical places such as our hospitals and nursing homes. At the same time our revenues are declining, we are also incurring more costs as our utility workers are working long hours every day and night to perform intensified cleaning and sanitation of our vehicles and facilities.” | Final Days for Feedback RIPTA wants to know how satisfied their customers are with their bus service. You’re invited to take the American Bus Benchmarking Group Customer Satisfaction Survey, available online now through Sunday, April 19. Each participant will be automatically entered to win a RIPTA prize pack if he/she chooses to provide their contact information. Click here to take the survey. | We Need Pilot Testers for Wave Wave is RIPTA’s new smart fare collection system, which will be available as a smart card and mobile app. RIPTA is currently looking for pilot testers who can download, use the mobile app and provide feedback during the pilot testing phase. Pilot testers will be required to load value onto the mobile app using a credit/debit card online. The feedback RIPTA receives during this pilot testing phase is critical to a successful launch. The Wave mobile app can be reloaded with additional value and reused indefinitely. Using Wave is fast and easy. You’ll simply scan the Wave mobile app on board any RIPTA bus to pay your fare. Are you ready to ride the Wave? Email marketing@ripta.com today with the following information: Name:
Which routes do you ride?
How do you currently pay for your bus fare (Cash, Flash Pass app, etc.)?
What type of cell phone do you have? | RIPTA's Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) RIPTA is aware how essential our service is right now as we continue to transport people to key jobs at our hospitals and nursing homes. We also know that people rely on RIPTA to get to grocery stores and pharmacies. We are working to balance the importance of social distancing with the importance of connecting people to key jobs and services. To that end we are taking the following steps: ▪ Intensified cleaning and sanitation of all vehicles and facilities
▪ Instructing drivers to monitor their routes to make sure there is enough room for proper social distancing
▪ If a bus is too full, it will not stop and passengers will have to wait for the next one
▪ Currently, there is more space on our buses in general with daily ridership down from about 58,000 passenger trips per day to roughly 17,000 passenger trips daily
| ▪ | Intensified cleaning and sanitation of all vehicles and facilities | | ▪ | Instructing drivers to monitor their routes to make sure there is enough room for proper social distancing | | ▪ | If a bus is too full, it will not stop and passengers will have to wait for the next one | | ▪ | Currently, there is more space on our buses in general with daily ridership down from about 58,000 passenger trips per day to roughly 17,000 passenger trips daily | We continue to ask riders to use common sense and follow all common sense guidelines put forth by state health officials: ▪ Do not go out in public or use public transportation if you are sick
▪ Wash your hands frequently
▪ Only go out when absolutely necessary
| ▪ | Do not go out in public or use public transportation if you are sick | | ▪ | Wash your hands frequently | | ▪ | Only go out when absolutely necessary | We are in constant communication with the Governor’s office, the RI Department of Health and other state agencies. We are also in contact with peer transit agencies and constantly reviewing and assessing best industry practices during this time. We thank the public for their patience. For updates, please visit ripta.com/covid-19. | | |
