Free ferry service from Bristol to Providence to end Friday due to low ridership
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Friday marks the final day of ferry service between Bristol and Providence, and a lack of interest is to blame.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation said the free services would be cut short due to low ridership.
“We implemented the ferries as part of a multi-modal solution to the Washington Bridge event. At the time of the closure, we needed to swiftly pursue all solutions to alleviate traffic and we did just that. Now that the bypass lanes are open and conditions have improved, it is appropriate to phase out the ferry service,” said RIDOT Director Peter Alviti.
“It is clear from the data that only a very small percentage of commuters utilized this service and people are overwhelmingly choosing to utilize the bypass lanes. A service that is costing about $50,000 per day and attracting only 300 to 400 passengers per day is not economically sustainable,” he said.
The Bristol-Providence ferry was created to relieve commuters from heavy delays and traffic woes after the sudden Washington Bridge closure in December.
RIDOT contracted SeaStreak, Rhode Island Fast Ferry, and the Block Island Ferry for the daily services. The plan was to run a ferry every 30 minutes until March 29.
The free passenger service lasted just shy of one month.
ABC 6 News saw only a dozen or so people getting off the ferry several times.
