My letter to my local state Senators and Representatives to support RIPTA.
I am hoping you can help RIPTA get the funding it needs to avoid the draconian cuts to service that are being proposed.
I am lucky in that I can work from home and only commute to my employer's Providence office a few times per month. Nevertheless, I still incur the costs of operating a car here in RI. The golocalprov.com 2022 article reports that it cost over $3000 a year to operate a car here. With average repair costs in the $150 to $250 range (which, given my recent experience, is higher now).
When I first started working for my current employer I took the 65x RIPTA bus each day. The ticket cost was very low, $2, and the bus was always full over the course of its route from Salt Pond to Kennedy Plaza. If I drove I would have had not only the car operating expenses, but also the $15 a day parking fee. Parking alone would be over $3000 per normal working year.
I can't image what it would feel like to face a $6,000 per year cost of living increase. An increase solely due the state of RI reneging on its commitment to fund public transport for all Rhode Islands. I hope you can help convince our legislators and governor of the importance of adequately supporting RIPTA.
Reneged is the right word because the Transit Forward RI program is less that 5 years old!
