Commuters want Kennedy Plaza bus hub to stay as RIPTA considers changes

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — RIPTA hosted a public input session Monday to hear from commuters on a proposed new transit hub.

Currently, Kennedy Plaza is the main hub, and many commuters told ABC 6 News they would like it to stay that way.

“We could never do an indoor transit center at Kennedy Plaza, where you’re waiting out in the elements,” RIPTA’s Interim CEO Christopher Durand said. “So there’s a lot of opportunity here to do something different.”

During Monday’s open house-style event, residents could vote on several proposed locations for the new transit hub, but Kennedy Plaza was not an option.

“I’d love to vote for Kennedy Plaza,” commuter Matty Pena said. “I think it’s ideal for commute times to other places, within a five, 10, 15-minute, walk it gets you to every single neighborhood. I think we should invest more money in Kennedy Plaza instead of divesting from Kennedy Plaza.”

According to RIPTA, there would still be a presence at Kennedy Plaza, but this new location would be the main hub.

Commuters who take the bus everyday said they want Kennedy Plaza to stay how it currently is.

“To move it or relocate it someplace else is very difficult,” Deborah Ray, another commuter said. “Especially if there’s a lot of walking to get to the site, that’s number one, that’s the priority.”

Meanwhile, Durand said moving the hub would create a more attractive system for people to use but there’s still a lot to figure out.

“We still have to figure out how all these pieces fit together,” Durand said. “So there’s no predetermined outcome here. We have to figure all that out, where people are coming from, where they’re going, and how do we best kind of accommodate that.”