RIPTA ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN FY 2007
In FY 2007, RIPTA provided our 41st year of statewide public transit service and increased total ridership by 5.8% over the previous year. Our annual ridership grew to a record level of 25,943,883 passengers in FY 2007, an increase of over 1.4 million passengers over FY 2006.
Other notable achievements include:
■ Vehicle Replacement
In an ongoing effort to improve service reliability, RIPTA introduced 35 new paratransit vehicles and four new Flex vehicles.
■ Vehicle Rehabilitation and Enhancement
RIPTA refurbished all interior and exterior paint, as well as wood enhancements on nine (9) CNG trolleys. Four (4) older buses were completely rehabilitated with the installation of new drive trains, undercarriages and fully rehabbed interiors. Six (6) buses were repainted and thirteen (13) underwent a complete engine rebuild.
■ New Fare Collection System
Design and engineering for a new automated fare collection system were completed in FY 2007. New fare equipment will allow for stored value tickets, improving customer convenience, and will automatically validate fare media, improving the efficiency of RIPTA’s revenue collections. New equipment was tested on RIPTA Trolleys in FY 2007 and will be installed on buses in FY 2008.
■ New Park n’ Ride Service
RIPTA worked with RIDOT to provide bus access to the Routes 2 and 4 Park n’ Ride lot in North Kingstown. RIPTA now provides Park n’ RIde service to 27 commuter lots throughout the state.
■ Trolley ITS Pilot Project
RIPTA installed Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) equipment on 20 Trolley vehicles in FY 2007 in order to better evaluate the costs, benefits and technical implications for potential implementation on the entire fleet. ITS equipment installed included Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVL) devices and real-time customer information devices, both with computerized displays.
■ Paratransit Safety Demonstration Project
In response to state legislation passed in FY 2007, RIPTA performed a 90-day demonstration project to evaluate safety enhancements on paratransit vehicles. One on-board security camera was installed in FY 2007. This effort will continue into FY 2008, with the installation and evaluation of alternative monitoring technologies.
■ Enhanced Driver Safety Training
All new vehicle operators hired by RIPTA must attend a compulsory driver safety training course. In FY 2007, RIPTA implemented an updated training course program for Paratransit/Flex drivers.
■ Parking Cash-Out Program
RIPTA worked with companies throughout RI to support compliance with a new state law (RIGL 37-5-7.1) which requires major employers to offer a RIPTA transit pass in lieu of parking benefits.
■ Providence 2020 Transit Commission Study
RIPTA coordinated with the City of Providence’s Transit 2020 Working Group to help the City evaluate and plan for future transit needs within the surrounding metropolitan region. Based on the efforts of this group, and a final report was published in FY 2007.
Other notable achievements include:
■ Vehicle Replacement
In an ongoing effort to improve service reliability, RIPTA introduced 35 new paratransit vehicles and four new Flex vehicles.
■ Vehicle Rehabilitation and Enhancement
RIPTA refurbished all interior and exterior paint, as well as wood enhancements on nine (9) CNG trolleys. Four (4) older buses were completely rehabilitated with the installation of new drive trains, undercarriages and fully rehabbed interiors. Six (6) buses were repainted and thirteen (13) underwent a complete engine rebuild.
■ New Fare Collection System
Design and engineering for a new automated fare collection system were completed in FY 2007. New fare equipment will allow for stored value tickets, improving customer convenience, and will automatically validate fare media, improving the efficiency of RIPTA’s revenue collections. New equipment was tested on RIPTA Trolleys in FY 2007 and will be installed on buses in FY 2008.
■ New Park n’ Ride Service
RIPTA worked with RIDOT to provide bus access to the Routes 2 and 4 Park n’ Ride lot in North Kingstown. RIPTA now provides Park n’ RIde service to 27 commuter lots throughout the state.
■ Trolley ITS Pilot Project
RIPTA installed Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) equipment on 20 Trolley vehicles in FY 2007 in order to better evaluate the costs, benefits and technical implications for potential implementation on the entire fleet. ITS equipment installed included Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVL) devices and real-time customer information devices, both with computerized displays.
■ Paratransit Safety Demonstration Project
In response to state legislation passed in FY 2007, RIPTA performed a 90-day demonstration project to evaluate safety enhancements on paratransit vehicles. One on-board security camera was installed in FY 2007. This effort will continue into FY 2008, with the installation and evaluation of alternative monitoring technologies.
■ Enhanced Driver Safety Training
All new vehicle operators hired by RIPTA must attend a compulsory driver safety training course. In FY 2007, RIPTA implemented an updated training course program for Paratransit/Flex drivers.
■ Parking Cash-Out Program
RIPTA worked with companies throughout RI to support compliance with a new state law (RIGL 37-5-7.1) which requires major employers to offer a RIPTA transit pass in lieu of parking benefits.
■ Providence 2020 Transit Commission Study
RIPTA coordinated with the City of Providence’s Transit 2020 Working Group to help the City evaluate and plan for future transit needs within the surrounding metropolitan region. Based on the efforts of this group, and a final report was published in FY 2007.