‘We must right-size RIPTA’: McKee urges agency to adopt new financial proposal

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee sent a letter to the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority Board of Directors Thursday suggesting the body adopt a new financial strategy.

McKee urged RIPTA’s board to establish a proposal that “balances new revenue strategies with targeted reductions to low-performing routes.”

McKee stated that the current proposal features an excess of route reductions and that a new version should emphasize amending or eliminating the lowest-performing routes, reducing administrative and management expenses and “maximizing federal funding.”

Fare increases in line with inflation and zone-based pricing were also suggested by McKee to shore up the agency’s finances.

McKee referenced an additional $15 million in General Assembly-appropriated funding that he recommended for the agency.

Also cited by McKee was $15 million in one-time federal pandemic funds provided to RIPTA in 2024.

This additional funding brought RIPTA’s state-funded aid total to $65 million, which accounts for a 30 percent increase, according to the governor.

“I made these investments because I believe in the value of public transit and the critical role it plays on our most important routes, helping Rhode Islanders get to and from work, school and medical appointments every day,” said McKee.

Ridership is down 25 percent in the last 10 years, and fares have remained unaltered in the last 15 years, according to Governor McKee.

He pointed to a third-party efficiency study to “identify high-cost, low-ridership routes, recommend best practices for fare adjustments, and highlight opportunities to improve operations and maximize federal funding.”

Some RIPTA services were highlighted as unsustainable by this study, according to the governor.

Several local groups have also weighed in RIPTA budget uncertainty, holding a rally at Kennedy Plaza in Providence Wednesday.

“As Governor, I have a responsibility to riders and to hear their concerns—but I also have a duty to every taxpayer footing the bill,” said McKee.

“Before asking Rhode Islanders to contribute more than the $65 million they already provide each year, we must right-size RIPTA, rebuild its financial foundation, and protect the core services that so many rely on.”