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1/31/2024
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Rep. Morales and transit advocates urge RIPTA and Next Wave Partners to engage with bus riders on Transit Hub Project
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 STATE HOUSE – Rep. David Morales joined with transit advocates to call for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority and Next Wave Partners to earnestly and seriously engage with bus riders in response to RIPTA’s announcement that it is moving forward on the design and construction of a new transit center.
“Any change made to our public transit system, especially one as serious as a new transit hub, must be made with the extensive input of the people who rely on RIPTA daily, our bus riders,” said Representative Morales (D-Dist. 7, Pawtucket). “Let’s be clear, people who ride the bus are the most important stakeholders in this project as they are the ones who will be most impacted by any decisions made.”
Transit advocate groups, including RI Transit Riders, Kennedy Plaza Coalition, Grow Smart RI, Providence Streets Coalition and the Rhode Island Organizing Project, represent a wealth of collective knowledge from the people who use public transit in Rhode Island that can help guide future projects to ensure they serve current and future riders.
“Investing in public transit is a cornerstone of Rhode Island’s growing economy,” said Rochelle Lee, transit advocate and working group member of RI Transit Riders. “My message to RIPTA and Next Wave is to invest in transit now, and to make sure any future projects serve the needs of riders statewide. When you provide good transit, people take it.”
Advocates also point to any planning around a new transit hub be informed by the Transit Master Plan, which was adopted by the State Planning Council in December 2020.
“All you have to do is listen. The work has been done. The Transit Master Plan is done,” said Lee. “The people who rely on RIPTA can tell you what RIPTA needs.”
For more information, contact:
Tristan Grau, Publicist
State House Room B20
Providence, RI 02903
401.222.4935
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