2016 -- H 8271

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LC006090

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

THANKING THE HONORABLE SCOTT AVEDISIAN FOR HIS YEARS OF DEDICATED

AND EXEMPLARY SERVICE AS A MEMBER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE RHODE

ISLAND PUBLIC TRANSIT AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

     Introduced By: Representatives Naughton, Solomon, Morgan, Serpa, and McNamara

     Date Introduced: May 31, 2016

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, The Honorable Scott Avedisian was appointed to the Rhode Island Public

Transit Authority (RIPTA) Board of Directors in 2011, and shortly thereafter was appointed to

serve as RIPTA's Chairman in 2012. In his capacity as Chairman, he inherited an agency that was

plagued by large deficits and security breach issues; and

     WHEREAS, Under the supervision, guidance and leadership provided by Chairman

Avedisian, the RIPTA Board of Directors and staff worked tirelessly to address each of these

issues. The security breaches were resolved and RIPTA, an agency with a long record of having

annual deficits, began on a path that has led the Authority to finishing the current fiscal year in

the black; and

     WHEREAS, Thanks to the inventive ideas promulgated and implemented by Chairman

Avedisian, RIPTA has attained numerous other achievements during his tenure as Chairman

including launching the R-Line, a fast bus route that runs every ten minutes from the Cranston-

Providence line to downtown Pawtucket. Other key achievements include the adoption of Transit

Signal Priority (TSP) technology to allow buses to communicate wirelessly with traffic signals

on their routes in order to improve their time performances, and placing security cameras on all

buses and RIPTA properties; and

     WHEREAS, Thanks to Chairman Avedisian's steady direction and innovative policies, in

2014 RIPTA was ranked as the seventh fastest growing transit authority in the nation amongst

similar sized agencies by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA); now,

therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby congratulates the Honorable Scott Avedisian for his years of

meritorious and exemplary service as a member, and as Chairman, of the Rhode Island Public

Transit Authority Board of Directors; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Honorable Scott Avedisian, Mayor of

Warwick, Rhode Island.

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LC006090

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