With high gas prices and the increasing threat of climate change, have you noticed the reduced traffic on our roads?
Me neither.
Still, gas prices are high and climate change is no joke. So it’s likely that folks are curious about getting around this summer without driving.
I’m happy to report that, in Providence, it can be done – and in a variety of ways.
The Providence/Newport ferry. You may have seen RIDOT announcements this month that the Providence-Newport ferry has restarted. Fares are still $12 one-way, and half off for seniors, disabled folks, and children. Bikes are free. The trip takes about an hour and ten minutes.
There are four trips per day each way. On weekdays, the ferries leave Providence at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:20 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. Weekend schedules are a bit different as two of the trips each way stop in Bristol. Joint Amtrak-ferry ticketing is also back, as is the free RIPTA shuttle between the train station, Kennedy Plaza, and the PVD ferry terminal on India Street. See ridethebayri.com for more details.
It’s worth noting that the ferry is not just a way to get people to Newport. It can also get Newport-area folks to Providence. Be sure to tell any Newport friends about it!
MBTA. The MBTA is offering a number of commuter rail summer promotions. Not only do they still have their $10 weekend pass (valid on all commuter-rail trips, in all zones, for both Saturday and Sunday; they can be bought on the trains), there are also Free Summer Fridays every week through August, where fares are waived altogether. (This is not valid for World Cup trips to Foxboro.)
The MBTA commuter rail is far more than a commute-to-work service. It can take you to Boston for fun! Consider Ruggles Station, a short walk to the Museum of Fine Arts; or Back Bay Station, near Copley Square and the great Boston Public Library’s central branch; or South Station near Boston Common and a short walk to Faneuil Hall. All the weekend trains, and all trains except trains at rush hour on weekdays, take bikes for free, so riding on the Charles River bike paths is another possibility.
Besides Boston, the MBTA commuter rail can take you to many interesting places. Right on the Providence line near Sharon Station, travelers can walk to Mass Audubon’s wonderful Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary which has both a boardwalk through a swamp and a short climb to a lookout for a magnificent view. MBTA rail can also take you to historic Concord, or Lowell with its National Historic Park, or north shore towns such as Salem and Rockport. You can even go to Worcester to check out Polar Park, where the Pawsox – technically the “WooSox” now – play! See mbta.com/schedules for more info.
RIPTA. Of course, RIPTA can take you to the Providence train station, via lines R, 3, 4, 6, 50, 55, 56, and 57. All the lines in Providence will also take you to Waterfire and other downtown events without the hassle of parking.
Also: the weekend express beach bus is back starting July 4. It leaves Providence at 9:30 and 9:35 am, with direct service to Scarborough, Wheeler, and Salty Brine beaches. RIPTA’s beach service page also includes info on getting to Newport and Warwick beaches, as well as Olney Pond in Lincoln Woods State Park. Other interesting RIPTA-accessible destinations include Slater Mill, Roger Williams Park, the Museum of Work and Culture, all the colleges and universities, and, yes, shopping centers, most of which have RIPTA service, even over the state line, in Seekonk, on the #34 line. Go to see RIPTA.com/schedules for all information.
Bike paths. If you have a bike but aren’t near one of the state’s bike paths, you don’t have to drive. The bike racks on all of RIPTA’s full-size buses can help! Routes 34, 35 and 60 all go by the East Bay path. Providence-based folks should consider taking the #60 all the way to Bristol and pedaling back to Providence to make a one-way bike trip.
Meanwhile, the West Bay path is accessible by Routes 30 and 31; the Blackstone Valley Path can be reached by Routes 71 and 75; Route 27 goes by the Woonasquatucket Greenway; and the South County path can be reached by Route 66.
Airports. If you are going far and want to fly, RIPTA has frequent service to TF Green – specifically, 64 trips per day on weekdays and about 42 trips on weekends via lines 1, 20, 14. The MBTA has eight trains per day to the airport on weekdays, though none on weekends. All this can be cheaper than paying for parking.
For Logan airport, Peter Pan buses still provide about six trips per day there from Providence. See peterpanbus.com. The MBTA commuter rail, with 20 trips per day on weekdays, can also be used though it requires changing for the Silver Line to Logan at South Station.
Amtrak. While its fares are higher, Amtrak can provide a quicker trip to Boston than the MBTA. It also can take you to historic Westerly, Mystic, and New London, as well as further down the corridor to New Haven, New York and beyond. See amtrak.com.
Barry Schiller is a retired Rhode Island College Math Professor and a lifelong transit user and advocate. He served on the RIPTA Board of Directors from 1995 to 1999, as well as the state’s Transportation Advisory Committee. He lives in North Providence, with wife and cat. He uses RIPTA’s #57 line.
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