RIDOT celebrates successful inaugural season for Providence-Newport ferry

By: News Staff

news@abc6.com

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) released its final ridership statistics for its seasonal ferry service Friday morning.

RIDOT reports that the service proved extremely successful with a total of 33,221 passenger trips between Providence and Newport throughout its pilot season.

Regardless of recent ferry cancellations due to Tropical Storm Hermine, ridership numbers increased by 17 percent than what was originally projected.

“Our seasonal ferry service was created to offer residents and visitors alike the opportunity to travel between Providence and Newport via the jewel of Narragansett Bay” said RIDOT Director Peter Alviti Jr. “Thanks to this service, we were also able to help ease traffic and parking woes in Newport, and lessen congestion on the roads between these two cities.”

The operating costs were 100 percent federally funded; using $500,000 of transit funds that can be used only on these types of projects.

The Providence to Newport ferry vessel carries a maximum of 149 passengers, provided three round-trip excursions weekdays, and four scheduled trips each Friday through Sunday. 

The statistics show that 64 percent of passengers traveled on full fare tickets. 36 percent of riders took advantage of the discount tickets offered to children, seniors, and those with disabilities.

The service had 83 sell out trips throughout the course of the season. This outcome represents 19 percent of all 444 total trips.

An early analysis of ticket sales showed that 70 percent of those who took the ferry were from Rhode Island, while about 30 percent were from out of state.

The ferry service received national attention, with stories on it appearing in many national publications including in a Weather Channel “Weekend Recharge” segment on Providence.

©WLNE-TV / ABC6 2016