Huh, I thought this’d never open. But, here we are, and it’s open! Must be a summer-only thing. So, here we go.
Not a lot inside. You have an ATM, a bunch of brochures, a waiting area in case it’s raining, and bathrooms. There’s also a desk which I presume is for RIPTA stuff. On the outside, you have a parking garage, a layover area for the buses that stop here, as well as berths for RIPTA and various long-distance and tour bus companies. There’s also destination signs at each berth, and they’re all covered with benches.
The good: It’s Newport’s central transit hub, and for a major tourist destination, it’s kinda important in that regard. It also serves not only RIPTA, but also Greyhound and various local tour bus companies. The berths are also sizable and covered, something Kennedy Plaza could use…
The bad: Why is the indoor area closed during the winter?! If it isn’t summer, this transit hub quickly becomes one of the “screw you” type, especially if you need a bathroom break. Furthermore, the destination signs don’t work half the time, just reading “No Data”. There’s also no machines to reload Wave cards here.
Nearby points of interest: Essentially all of Newport! It’s quite literally, a gateway to Newport by transit.
Transit connections:
RIPTA (14-Newport, 24L, 60, 63, 64, 67, 68, 231 Flex)
Greyhound
Probably some other long-distance bus companies I’m forgetting
Overall, I….don’t like this place. Yeah, it’s okay during the summer, but if it’s the winter, it’s a major “screw you”. And that’s what I’m gonna have to base my rating on.
Rating: 4/10
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