RIPTA Adds Express Service To Bristol-Warren From Providence

BRISTOL-WARREN, RI —In an effort to appeal to commuters, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority has added two new express trips from the East Bay to Providence. Route 61X, which runs from downtown Providence to the park and ride in Tiverton, will have two additional express trips to the Bristol and Warren areas starting later this month.

The route was initially designed for commuters heading into Providence for work, while the new additions are intended for those who live in the Providence area and work in the East Bay, adding a trip to Bristol-Warren in the morning and a second heading back to Providence in the evening.

"RIPTA prioritizes their partnerships with local communities and makes a concerted effort to listen to their riders—these two new trips to Bristol/Warren are a direct result of that important work," Governor Gina Raimondo said. "Engaging with the community to improve public transportation is critical, and I’m excited to see this get off the ground."

The adjusted route includes new stops on Route 136, where there was no previous service. Once the new service begins, RIPTA officials will work with community members to determine where additional stops should be added.

"The Town of Warren is thankful to RIPTA for their collaborative and thoughtful approach to meeting the public transportation needs of our employers and their employees," said Warren Town Manager Kate Michaud. "By working directly with our business leaders, RIPTA and the Town have identified demand and are working towards providing the services that will allow for continued economic growth and employee development while reducing congestion and improving efficiency."

Most Route 61X trips start at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The new service will instead use Stop X at Kennedy Plaza, leaving Providence at 6:32 a.m. and arriving at TPI Composites at 6:50 a.m. before continuing to stops along Route 136. Later in the day, the bus will leave from the Fish Road park and ride in Tiverton at 3:12 p.m. and make stop in Bristol and Warren, arriving at Kennedy Plaza just before 4 p.m.

"We’re excited to put this change into place to try to better accommodate businesses such as TPI Composites and WaterRower," said Scott Avedisian, RIPTA's CEO. "We’re glad that the town and the businesses reached out to us to tell us their needs. These kinds of conversations help us find ways to be creative and improve public transit connections to key job sites in different communities."

Full schedule information for all RIPTA routes is available here.