June 18, 2019
In an effort to better serve some businesses and manufacturers in the Warren/Bristol area, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) announced today that it is launching two additional trips on Route 61X in mid-June. After meeting with town officials and some area business leaders, RIPTA is adding a morning trip from Providence to the East Bay area as well as a new trip in the afternoon which will run from East Bay back to Providence. The two new trips will go into effect on June 24, 2019.
Route 61X runs from downtown Providence to the Park N’ Ride Lot in Tiverton with stops in Warren, Bristol and Portsmouth along the way. Until now, service has focused on getting commuters into Providence in the morning and transporting them back to the suburbs in the afternoon. The new service adjustment is designed to help employees from the greater Providence area who need morning transportation to jobs in the Warren/Bristol area and a return trip in the afternoon. The two additional trips will also travel along a 3.5 mile stretch of Rte. 136 (from Rte. I-195 at Exit #2 in Swansea to Franklin Street in Warren) that is not currently serviced by Route 61X, enhancing the public transportation options along that road.
“RIPTA prioritizes their partnerships with local communities and makes a concerted effort to listen to their riders—these two new trips to Bristol/Warren are a direct result of that important work,” said Governor Gina M. Raimondo. “Engaging with the community to improve public transportation is critical, and I’m excited to see this get off the ground.”
“We’re excited to put this change into place to try to better accommodate businesses such as TPI Composites and WaterRower,” said Scott Avedisian, RIPTA’s Chief Executive Officer. “We’re glad that the town and the businesses reached out to us to tell us their needs. These kinds of conversations help us find ways to be creative and improve public transit connections to key job sites in different communities.”
RIPTA will be working with the communities to determine where additional bus stops might be needed on the new morning and afternoon trips. “The Town of Warren is thankful to RIPTA for their collaborative and thoughtful approach to meeting the public transportation needs of our employers and their employees,” said Warren Town Manager Kate Michaud. “By working directly with our business leaders, RIPTA and the Town have identified demand and are working towards providing the services that will allow for continued economic growth and employee development while reducing congestion and improving efficiency.”
Unlike other Route 61X trips which depart Providence from the Rhode Island Convention Center, the new trips will use Stop X at Kennedy Plaza. The morning trip will leave the Plaza at 6:32 am and is scheduled to stop at TPI Composites at 6:50 am. The route will continue south along Rte. 136 in Warren and Bristol, and then will follow the usual route through Portsmouth to Tiverton, traveling Rtes. 114 and 24. In the afternoon, the Inbound route to Providence will leave the Fish Road Park N’ Ride Lot in Tiverton at 3:12 pm, and arrive at Stop X in Kennedy Plaza at 3:59 pm, stopping in Bristol and Warren along the way. The remainder of Route 61X trips will remain on the current schedule.