Editor’s Note: The following article was originally published by Rhode Island Current on November 11, 2025. Reprinted with permission.
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) has launched a pilot program offering landlords free monthly transit passes to share with their tenants this holiday season.
Announced Monday, RIPTA’s Residential Transit Pilot Program lets landlords who own or manage at least 10 units near a bus route apply online for December and January passes. The initiative is intended to “promote sustainable travel choices and reduce reliance on personal vehicles,” according to the agency.
“By partnering directly with multifamily property owners and managers, we’re helping residents experience the convenience and value of public transportation in communities that are already transit-accessible,” CEO Christopher Durand said in a statement.
Covering the cost of the pass purchases is the remainder of a $145,000 allocation from the state’s Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council in October 2024 toward “growing transit ridership.”
Similar free passes have been earmarked for travelers who fly into Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport in the council’s fiscal 2026 plan approved in mid-September.
The council’s fiscal 2025 plan aims to boost ridership by lowering the cost of RIPTA transit passes purchased by employers, property owners, and social service agencies for their employees, tenants, and clients.
RIPTA is already coordinating with area employers to boost revenue. In January, the agency extended its 10x and 28 routes to align with shift schedules at the new Amazon Fulfillment Center off Route 6 in Johnston. In return, Amazon agreed to pay $90,000 annually over the next decade to cover employee fares.
In May, RIPTA announced that the Omni Providence Hotel had agreed to partially subsidize fares for 216 employees who work at the hotel.
Increasing ridership has been an elusive goal for state leaders in recent years, as levels still remain below pre-pandemic levels.
In fiscal year 2024, the most recent agency data available, fixed-route buses served more than 12.6 million passengers, across more than 58 statewide routes. In fiscal year 2019, RIPTA buses provided around 16.4 million passenger trips.
Tenants who receive a monthly pass from their landlords will find fewer buses running this holiday season, as the agency in September enacted sweeping service reductions — cutting schedule spans, reducing frequency, and eliminating segments on 46 of its 67 routes.
The cuts were part of a cost-cutting measure meant to avert bus driver layoffs due to an initial $32.6 million dollar budget shortfall mostly filled by the General Assembly and last-minute “budget framework” from Gov. Dan McKee.
RIPTA’s financial outlook doesn’t appear any better next year. Last year’s spending request projects a $39.8 million deficit for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2026. RIPTA’s board of directors is likely to review the agency’s spending request for the upcoming fiscal year when it meets on Dec. 4, 2025.
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