Oh boy, this one took more time than it had any right to. As such, it also had some headscratchers. But hey, we’re in the East Bay again! Let’s take a glance at the 33.
So, getting on at bus stop H and a driver handoff later, we’re off to the races. Normally it’d be a straight shot into the East Side tunnel to Thayer Street, but we had to get around Waterfire preparations. After the detour, involving going around via South Water and a U-turn, we made it to the East Side. We then crossed the Henderson Bridge via Waterman Street, and another detour! UGH! This one instead involved going down Waterfront Drive, up Valley and North Brow Streets, and FINALLY coming out at Massasoit and Waterman Avenues.
Going down Waterman Avenue, we took a left and went through the bowtie of East Providence. Then, we went towards Wampanoag Plaza and deviated into it. From here, it was a straight shot down Pawtucket Avenue all the way down. It was mostly residential, but we also passed Bradley Hospital, which is essentially Butler’s pediatric counterpart. Soon enough, the road became Bullocks Point Avenue, and we were in Riverside. Nice!
We eventually turned down Crescent View Avenue. After passing a small cove, we reached Willett Avenue and the end of the route, at a Shaw’s.
The good: It’s a direct link to Riverside! However, that’s where the good ends.
The bad: Why does the bus run every hour – with an almost 30 minute layover, when the route itself takes around 30 minutes from start to end?! Like, if it was a long-distance route like the 14 or 66, I’d understand. But, like, it isn’t! We’re only going a few miles outside of Providence! Maybe it’s a weekend-only thing, let’s see.
So, I was wrong. 40 minutes on Saturdays, 30 minutes on weekday days, and 60 minutes on weekday nights and Sundays. But, like, the layover time was almost 30 minutes on my weekend trip, which was on a Saturday. And, apparently, the layovers on weekdays are LONGER than the amount of time between buses! Alright, this route has a layover issue.
Nearby points of interest: Riverside and Crescent Park, of course. There’s also the rest of East Providence and the East Side, most of which is shared.
Overall, what’s with the layover time?! Like, why is the route just over 30 minutes with almost 40 minute layovers?! Definitely a headscratcher. Surprisingly, at least pre-COVID, it was a high ridership route. In fact, the highest of the three East Providence routes (that is, that didn’t serve as a link to another transit hub, with 1300 daily riders. Apparently it’d have even more, when it was interlined with the 3 (which, would explain a lot with the layover time).
Rating: 5.5/10
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