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January 31, 2024
Grow Smart RI has been a leading champion for development of a modern, full service, indoor transit hub in Downtown Providence. We believe that such a facility is important to growing transit ridership over the long term and that patrons deserve the dignity of a climate-controlled shelter with basic amenities similar to those available at rail stations and airports.
However, we cannot support ANY action to advance development of a new transit hub at this time for several reasons. These include:
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The continued and chronic underfunding of RIPTA that's been well-documented for over 20 years and is now responsible for a severe driver shortage
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The lack of urgency in addressing funding despite several fiscal reviews that demonstrate the agency's efficiency with resources
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The severe service cuts that are now planned to take effect in April
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The lack of any commitment to begin implementing the data-driven and publicly vetted Transit Master Plan (TMP) that was adopted by the State in 2020
It's clear that riders place a much higher value on the importance of improving service frequency and hours of operation than they do on a new transit hub facility.
The interest of riders should come first. This is especially so because any comprehensive, successful approach to increasing income levels in Rhode Island will need to increase access to jobs, child care and education for the many lower income Rhode Islanders who rely on transit.
There's no evidence that the RIPTA Board even requested sufficient funding to maintain and grow service levels as called for in the Transit Master Plan.
In March 2023, there was insufficient support for a DRAFT RESOLUTION by the Board to request the attention of the Governor and General Assembly Leadership to fully fund RIPTA.
And now the Governor's FY25 Budget proposal leaves an $8 million deficit - not even enough to maintain existing service levels and no funds to begin implementation of the already delayed Transit Master Plan.
For all these reasons, Grow Smart cannot support proceeding with a new transit hub project now, with pending service cuts threatening calamity and disruption for thousands of transit-reliant residents and employers.
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