December 20, 2024
Press Releases
RIPTA to Extend RIde Anywhere Pilot Program
The pilot program provides statewide curb-to-curb access for qualified passengers with disabilities who are currently restricted to traveling within the ADA service area.
Providence, Rhode Island – The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) announced today that the year-long RIde Anywhere Pilot Program will be extended until further notice.
RIPTA currently offers paratransit service through its RIde Paratransit Program, which provides service for people with disabilities who are traveling within ¾-mile of a fixed-bus route and cannot independently take the bus or travel to and from a bus stop. This defined service area complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which assures that people with disabilities, who cannot use the regular fixed-route bus, have access to public transportation. RIPTA charges $4.00 per one-way paratransit trip; this is two times the standard fixed-route fare as authorized by the ADA and helps defray the cost of this paratransit service.
Under the RIde Anywhere Pilot Program, qualified Rhode Island residents can request curb-to-curb service for locations within the state that are outside of the 3/4-mile radius. Participants must complete the standard RIde paratransit application and be accepted before enrolling in the pilot program. Current qualified RIde program passengers do not need to re-apply to participate in the pilot.
“The RIde Anywhere Pilot Program has been instrumental in expanding transportation access for individuals with disabilities, and continuing it allows us to gather more data and further explore how we can better meet the needs of Rhode Islanders who cannot access our fixed-route service,” said Christopher Durand, Chief Executive Officer.
Since launching in January 2024, the pilot program has provided 5,974 trips, including 895 trips taken by new users and 4,899 trips taken by existing RIde customers. This data highlights the ability of both new and existing RIde customers to travel to locations across the state. Through November 30, the total cost to the agency of this service has been $333,035.61.
“This pilot program has provided crucial access for Rhode Islanders with disabilities to get to work, go to school, and engage in their communities,” said Senator Alana M. DiMario. “The pilot has also demonstrated the demand for public transit statewide. I appreciate the commitment of RIPTA to meeting this need by the continuation of this pilot and their ongoing work to integrate statewide paratransit access into their continuum of services permanently. I look forward to working with RIPTA and the advocates involved in this issue to meet that goal in the upcoming legislative session.”
“The extension of the RIde Anywhere Pilot Program is a victory for accessibility across Rhode Island. Ensuring all Rhode Islanders can easily connect with reliable, affordable transit options has so many benefits for our state, and as Senate Finance Chairman, I was proud to help secure funding for this pilot initiative,” said Senator Louis P. DiPalma. I am grateful to the many Senate colleagues who have made this important issue a priority, as well as our colleagues in the House and our partners at RIPTA.”
RIPTA operates its own paratransit vehicles and staffs the RIde division with a team that includes customer service representatives, schedulers, dispatchers, maintenance staff, drivers, and management. Approved taxi companies supplement RIde service as needed.
Senators DiMario, DiPalma, Pearson, Gu, Lawson, Euer, Miller, Lombardo, Mack, and F. Lombardi, along with Representatives McEntee, Cotter, Spears, Craven, Azzinaro, Kennedy, Noret, and Caldwell, introduced S 0921 and H 6259 with the goal of expanding disabled Rhode Islanders’ access to public transportation through a pilot program. At the direction of the FY 2024 Rhode Island State Budget, RIPTA launched the pilot with a self-funded budget of $500,000. By June 1, 2025, RIPTA is required to submit a report to the General Assembly detailing program outcomes and recommendations.
For more information on the RIde Paratransit Program or for questions regarding the RIde Anywhere Pilot Program, please call (401) 461-9760 or email RIde@RIPTA.com.
PHOTO: Board member and RIde passenger Heather Schey disembarks a RIde van with her service dog.