Introduction
Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority, or RIPTA, currently operates transit services for the state of Rhode Island. Most RIPTA routes centralize at the Kennedy Plaza in Providence, Rhode Island.
Routes
Many bus routes comprise the RIPTA system. Routes are identified by number and are usually indicated on front and side destination signs. RIPTA’s main hub is Kennedy Plaza in Providence, Rhode Island. RIPTA makes connections with MBTA and Amtrak at Providence Station.
Local Buses
- 1 – Eddy Street/Hope Street/Benefit Street
- 3 – Oakland Beach
- 4 – Warwick Ave
- 6 – Prairie Ave/Roger Williams Park Zoo
- 13 – Coventry/Arctic/CCRI
- 14 – West Bay (2 ways: Newport or Narragansett)
- 16 -Ball Hill Road/New England Institute of Technology/Quonset (New Route!)
- 17 – Dyer/Pocasset
- 18 – Union Ave
- 19 – Plainfield/Westminster Street
- 20 – Elmwood Ave/T.F. Green Airport (Some trips go to New England Tech)
- 21 – Reservoir/Garden City/CCRI Warwick
- 22 – Pontiac Ave/CCRI Warwick
- 23 – Artic Center/Crompton/Centre of New England (New Route!)
- 27 – Broadway/Manton Ave (2 ways: George Waterman or Woonasquatucket)
- 28 – Broadway/Hartford Ave
- 29 – CCRI Warwick/Conimicut
- 30 – Arlington/Oaklawn
- 31 – Cranston St
- 32 – East Providence/Wampanoag/Seekonk Sq.
- 33 – Riverside
- 34 – East Providence/Seekonk Square
- 35 – Rumford/Newport Ave
- 40 – Butler/Elmgrove
- 49 – Camp St/Miriam Hospital (Discontinued)
- 50 – Douglas Ave/Bryant University
- 51 – Charles St/Twin River/CCRI Lincoln
- 54 – Lincoln/Woonsocket
- 55 – Admiral Street/Providence College
- 56 – Chalkstone Ave
- 57 – Smith St
- 58 – Mineral Spring/Smithfield Crossings/North Providence
- 60 – Providence/Newport (2 ways: East Main or West Main)
- 63 – Broadway/Middletown Shops
- 64 – Newport/URI Kingston
- 66 – TF Green/CCRI Warwick/URl Kingston
- 67 – Bellevue/Salve Regina Univ.
- 68 – CCRI Newport/Memorial Boulevard/First beach (New Route!)
- 69 – Narragansett / Galilee
- 71 – Broad St/Pawtucket Ave
- 72 – Weeden/Central Falls
- 73 – Mineral Spring/Twin River/CCRI
- 75 – Dexter/Lincoln Mall
- 76 – Central Ave
- 78 – Beverage Hill Ave/East Providence
- 80 – Armistice Blvd
- 87 – Fairmount/Walnut Hill
- 92 – RI College/Federal Hill/East Side
Express Routes:
- 9x – Pascoag Park-n-Ride10x – North Scituate Park-n-Ride
- 12x – Arctic/117 Express Park-n-Ride
- 59x – N. Smithfield/Lincoln Mall Park-n-Ride
- 61x – Tiverton/East Bay Park-n-Ride
- 65x – Wakefield Park-Ride
- 95x – Westerly Park-n-Ride
- QX – Quonset Express
Special Services:
- R – R Line Broad/North Main (BRT Route)
- 24L – Newport/Fall River/Providence
Flex Service
- 203 – URI/Narragansett/S. Kingstown
- 204 – Westerly Flex
- 231 – South Aquidneck Flex
- 242 – West Warwick/Coventry Flex
- 281 – Woonsocket Flex
- 282 – Pascoag/Slatersville Flex
- 301 – Westerly/Hope Valley Rural Ride
Bus Fleet Roster
The bus fleet compiles mostly of Gillig BRTs in Hybrid and clean diesel varieties. The first two digits of the fleet number represent the last two digits of the year the vehicle was built. For example, 0901 would be built in 2009. Following this, it’s clear that 1301 would be a 2013 model.
| Year | Make/Model | Image | Engine/ Transmission | Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Gillig Low Floor ’40 |  | Engine: Cummins ISL EPA 2007 Transmission: Allison B400R-5 | 0912-0935 | All Units Retired and scrapped |
| 2010 | Gillig/Cable Car Classics Trolley Replica ’35 |  | Engine: Cummins ISB 6.7 Transmission: Allison 40 EP | 1001-1010 | Originally all wearing a red livery. Later on, half were repainted green and some others remained red. Currently all feature green livery. Most if not all units have been Rehabbed. 6 units reside in the Middletown garage, 4 reside at Elmwood. This is always subject to change. |
| 2010 | Gillig BRT HEV ’40 |  | Engine: Cummins ISB 6.7 Transmission: Allison H 40 EP | 1021-1073 | Only 13 buses remain in this series. They have been taken out of service as of 7/24/2024 and are presumably spare buses. Units Retiring |
| 2010 | Gillig BRT ’35 |  | Engine: Cummins ISL Transmission: Allison B400R6 | 1081-1090 | Only 1090 remains active as of July 2024 Replaced by a combination of 2050 – 2058 & 2220-2231 Units Retiring |
| 2013 | Gillig BRT ’40 |  | Engine: Cummins ISL9 Transmission: Allison B400R6 | 1301-1350 | 1301-1314 currently wear “R Line” Livery, however R-Line stickers have been removed and these buses now get used on any route, however they are prioritized for the R-Line. Select units seen in scrapped condition at the Elmwood Garage 1335 retired due to a fire. Some units have or are being currently rehabbed by RIPTA. Certain units retiring. |
| 2016 | Gillig BRT ’40 |  | Engine: Cummins ISL9 Transmission: Allison B400R6 | 1601-1642 | Some have rear destination sign, some others do not. 1619 was the first bus to be fitted with a operator barrier Some units have or are being currently rehabbed by RIPTA. |
| 2018 | Proterra Catalyst 2 BE40 |  | Electric Bus | 1811-1813 | Leased electric buses. Used only on the R-Line. Update: The buses were purchased from the lease right before the lease expired. Current status: Sidelined & Retired from service |
| 2019 | Gillig BRT ’40 |  | Engine: Cummins L9 Transmission: Allison B400R6 | 1901-1933 | Many buses from this series transferred to the Middletown garage upon the retirement of the 09 series. 1901-1913 reside at the Middletown Garage, however, recent fleet changes have caused some units to go back to Elmwood |
| 2020 | Gillig BRT ’40 |  | Engine: Cummins L9 Transmission: Allison B400R6 | 2001-2015 | |
| 2020 | Gillig BRT ‘29 |  | Engine: Cummins L9 Transmission: Allison B400R6 | 2050-2058 | Used on lower frequency routes and on routes that require smaller vehicles. |
| 2022 | New Flyer XE40 “Xcelsior” |  | Siemens ELFA2 320KWH configuration. | 2201-2214 | FIRST UNIT SPOTTED (2201) in Rhode Island on I-95 heading to the Elmwood Garage. To be used in the R-Line. All Units Delivered Late 2022 – early 2023 but did not get active until January 2024. CT Transit Spec |
| 2022 | Gillig BRT ’35 | TBA | Engine: Cummins L9 Transmission: Allison B400R6 | 2220-2231 | 2220 & 2221 were the first to be put in service on Jan 18, 2023. 2220-2226 reside at the Middletown Garage Features the new “Wave” livery |
| 2022 | Gillig BRT ’40 | TBA | Engine: Cummins L9 Transmission: Allison B400R6 | 2240-2268 | 2240-2250 Reside at the Middletown Garage Order is for 28 40ft diesel buses to help replace the aging 2009 fleet and the retired BRT Hybrids Features the new “Wave” livery |
| 2024 | Gillig BRT ’40 | TBA | Engine: Cummins L9 Transmission: Allison B400R6 | 2401-2430 | Spotted at the Elmwood Garage overflow lot. To replace the remaining Gillig Hybrids and part of the 2013 fleet. Features the new “Wave” livery with a minor revision |
| TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | 2 standing RFPs for FY 24 and 25. 2024: 29 Fixed Route buses (most likely diesel powered). According to a capital budget plans, 3 more electric buses may be purchased which will most likely be part of this order. 2025: 25 Fixed Route buses (To be Hybrid-Electric powered) as funding was secured to convert these buses into Hybrid or Electric power. It is most likely this will be a hybrid bus order. |
| Year | Make/Model | Image | Engine/Transmission | Numbers | Notes |