Transportation 2035 - State of Rhode Island: Division of Planning

December 2012FEDERAL TRANSIT PROGRAM FUNDINGBUS AND BUS RELATED TRANSITRIPTA currently receives funding from formula and discretionary grant programs. RIPTA’s formula funding has been steady from year to year, and the stateanticipates a similar level of funding under MAP-21. Discretionary funding, which used to include large portions of operating assistance, and then became akey source of capital funding, is now highly unpredictable. Without discretionary funds, buses will be funded at the expense of other important projects, suchas facilities improvements and IT investments, which are key to system performance.Because a portion of FTA funds are available to offset the cost of operations, steady or decreasing funding for transit services may require service reductions.RIPTA’s operating costs are affected by inflation, which means that even a steady stream of funding could mean reductions in transit service. Transit servicecuts affect all riders who use the service to get to work, medical appointments, and daily errands like grocery shopping. These cuts have the greatest impacton people who do not have other transportation options.FIXED GUIDEWAY (STREETCAR)RIPTA recently completed an Alternatives Analysis and Environmental Assessment (EA), the purpose of which was to study the feasibility, cost and benefits ofconstructing an urban circulator in Providence to help our state and capital city to connect, grow and thrive. The study concluded with the selection of a locallypreferred alternative, a streetcar route between College Hill, the Jewelry District, and Upper South Providence thereby connecting major activity centers inProvidence’s downtown core, spur significant new development, and create an estimated 6,000 jobs over the next 20 years. The next phase is projectdevelopment, which includes preliminary engineering and final design. The total estimated cost for this phase is $7 million. RIPTA has set aside a portion ofthese costs with the expectation that as the project develops, additional outside resources will be identified. The total cost to construct the project is $126million, however a shorter “starter segment” is being evaluated to lower overall project costs and create a more competitive project for federal discretionaryfunds.Transportation 2035 (2012 Update)State Guide Plan Element 611Rhode Island Statewide Planning ProgramPage 3-5