07-R282
2007 -- S 1055
Enacted 05/29/07
S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N
RESPECTFULLY
REQUESTING THE Rhode Island PUBLIC TRANSIT AUTHORITY TO REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR
AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGARDING OVER CAPACITY TRANSIT ROUTES
Introduced By: Senators
Miller, and Connors
Date Introduced: May 29,
2007
WHEREAS,
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) provides vital transit
services
to meet the mobility needs of the people of the state such as access to
employment and
community
services; and
WHEREAS,
The unstable and ever increasing price of gasoline has lead to an increase in
ridership
on RIPTA transit routes; and
WHEREAS,
The use of public transit facilitates energy conservation and efficient energy
use
mitigates traffic congestion and enhances air quality; and
WHEREAS,
Total RIPTA riders increased from 19.4 million in 2003 to 24.5 million in
2006,
representing a 26.3% increase; and
WHEREAS,
The number of service hours have decreased from 469,182 hours in 2003 to
466,223
hours in 2006; and
WHEREAS,
There were 249 trips between September 2005 and October 2006 that had
the
maximum load of fifty passengers, and had to pass additional riders at transit
stops; and
WHEREAS,
The increase in ridership coupled with a decrease in service hours may be
the
cause of increasing over capacity trips on many transit routes; and
WHEREAS,
Choice riders that pay full fare are finding it difficult to use the transit
system
due to over capacity issues, and 62% of all riders receive state funding to
support rides or
are
not required to pay a fare at all; and
WHEREAS,
RIPTA has made many service adjustments at little or no expense to those
routes
experiencing the greatest ridership increases and over capacity reports; now,
therefore be it
RESOLVED,
That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
hereby
respectfully requests the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority to report to
the Governor,
the
Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate, and the Chairs of the House
and Senate
Finance
committees on or before October 31, 2007. Said report shall include: 1) the
definition of
an
over capacity route; 2) the number of trips running at capacity and the routes
that are over
capacity;
3) the no-cost adjustments that have been made to alleviate the over capacity
routes; 4)
recommendations
for increasing service to meet ridership demands and the costs associated with
such
service increases; 5) the long-term plans of the authority to enhance its
successful programs
that
market to full fare riders such as the UPASS; and 6) the expected fare box
revenue recovery
when
the new fare box system is operational; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That this Senate hereby respectfully requests the Rhode Island Public
Transit
Authority to report to the Governor, the Speaker of the House, the President of
the Senate,
and
the Chairs of the House and Senate Finance committees on or before August 1,
2007
regarding
the over capacity routes that will be included in said report; and be it
further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to
transmit
a duly certified copy of this resolution to the General Manager of the Rhode
Island
Public
Transit Authority.
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LC03195
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