June 30, 2021

Press Releases

The New Unified Flex Zone Will Bring Weekend Service to Narragansett

Effective Saturday, July 3, 2021, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) is improving service in Narragansett and South Kingstown by combining Flex Zones in those areas.  The two zones are being combined into one, resulting in new weekend service for the Narragansett area and longer service hours in South Kingstown.  The new zone, which will be regularly served by two vehicles, will be called Route 203, Narragansett/South Kingstown Flex.

Flex is a community-based service RIPTA offers in areas that have little or no regular, fixed-route bus service.  The name Flex is short for “flexible service” because passengers have the option of boarding the Flex van at scheduled stop or by calling ahead to choose their own pick-up or drop-off point within the designated zone.

“Combining these two zones allows us to use our resources more efficiently and provide better service to residents in both Narragansett and South Kingstown,” said Greg Nordin, RIPTA’s Chief of Strategic Advancement.  “These are busy zones, and we are always looking for ways to serve our riders better.” 

Service in the new unified zone will be available from 5:45 am to 6:30 pm, marking increased service hours for South Kingstown.  The new zone maintains the boundaries of the current zones so all stops and locations served will be maintained.   Points of interest covered by the service include Narragansett Beach, South County Hospital, South County Commons, South Kingstown High School, the South Kingstown Housing Authority, the Kingston Library, the University of Rhode Island Library, and the Ryan Center on the URI campus. Like all RIPTA Flex Zones, there are connections to the transit authority’s statewide public transportation network.

To use Flex Service, passengers can either make a reservation 24 hours in advance by calling 401-784-9500 ext. 1220 or boarding the Flex vehicle at any of the scheduled timepoints within the zone. The fare is the same as RIPTA’s fixed-route service at $2 per boarding.  There are five other Flex Zones in the state:  Westerly, Woonsocket, South Aquidneck, West Warwick/Coventry, and Pascoag/Slatersville.

For more information, visit RIPTA.com/Flex or call 781-94000