Month: June 2022

28 (Broadway/Hartford Ave.)

If the 27 brought us down Manton Ave. to Centerdale, surely the 28 would do something similar, right? …right???

Nope. The 28 instead terminates at a Stop & Shop in Johnston, via Hartford Ave. and a Market Basket deviation. Let’s dig into it, shall we?

The route begins at bus stop W, on the far side of Kennedy Plaza. From here, we pull out and head towards the Dunk. Passing over I-95 and US-6/RI-10, we go down Broadway through Federal Hill and, eventually, Olneyville. It’s in Olneyville that the 27 splits off and heads down Manton Avenue. Meanwhile, the 28 turns down Hartford Avenue towards Johnston.

Federal Hill!
The construction at the 6/10 split
Olneyville!

From here, it was largely suburban to the very end. We passed by a number of houses and shops on the way down Hartford Ave., as well as other facilities like a charter school. It’d also be here that we passed a very old-looking Dollar Tree, as we passed Killingly Street. Soon enough, we’d pass Route 6 again for the last time on this route.

Some housing lining Hartford Ave.
A gas station!
Look, a Dollar Tree!
Route 6…..again.

Eventually, we deviated! And, into the wonderful land of Market Basket, at that! From here, the route then continues down Hartford Ave. It then turns left down Atwood Ave. and deviates into the Stop & Shop nearby, marking the end of the route.

Holy stroad Batman…

The good: It’s direct! It’s a way for people downtown to get to Johnston, as well as Stop & Shop and Market Basket, in a direct manner. And, on the inverse, it’s a direct way for people in Johnston to get to downtown. It also deviates into Market Basket, which is a plus. Quite a few people also use it, with it having an average of 1365 daily riders as of 2019.

The bad: Hmm, I guess the fact that it can become delay-ridden when school begins and ends due to the endless stream of school buses is probably the worst thing about this.

Nearby points of interest: The Dunk! Also, Olneyville! It also has Market Basket (and, as of 6/1/22, is the only RIPTA route that directly serves the front door of one, though this will change when the summer service changes go into effect on the 18th). Lastly, Stop & Shop! However…..there isn’t much else.

Overall, it’s what a key bus route should be: straightforward and direct. It’s not as busy as some of the others (like the 1), but not all decent key bus routes have to be packed 24/7. Besides, sometimes it’s nice to take a bus ride out to Market Basket and back.

Rating: 8/10

Kennedy Plaza (RIPTA)

This one was inevitable. You know it. And today, we’re going to be looking at Kennedy Plaza.

Kennedy Plaza!

So, what does this spot have to offer? Well, for one, it’s RIPTA’s central hub. There’s also some things around it as well. On the north side, you have the old Union Station and Providence Station, along with Burnside Park. This is also where bus stops X, Y, and Z are, all long-distance routes. If you’re trying to catch the bus and you’re in the plaza itself, good luck. Getting here consists crossing the street twice and a park. Burnside Park is also over here, along with the ice rink. During the summer, it’s a roller skating rink. No speed skating! Then, there’s the plaza itself. East Approach, while technically still part of Burnside Park, has bus stops V and W, where Broadway-bound routes board, along with North Providence-bound routes. On the north side of Kennedy Plaza, you have bus stops G, H, I, and J. It’s here that many of the East Side routes board, along with the northbound DTC routes. The R Line’s northbound stop can also be found here. On the southern side, you have bus stops B, C, and D. Southbound DTC routes board here, along with the CCRI-bound routes. Above each of the stops are countdown signs, but half the time they don’t even work.

Oh no.

Inside the building itself, you can find a couple of countdown signs for a few bus routes, but they don’t show all of them. Bathrooms can also be found here, however I wouldn’t recommend using them. Normally, there would be a ticket and photo ID office here, but they’re closed for now.

It’s well-lit, at least!

The least they could do with this building, is to have a Wave vending machine where you can load Wave cards. Kinda like how the MBTA has CharlieCard machines at the various subway stations.

The good: It’s centrally-located in Providence! It’s also largely walkable and big. However…..

The bad: The size can be detrimental, especially if you have to run from bus stops B/C/D to stop X. Also, why isn’t stop Z consolidated with stop X? Hell, why does the 49 board over here?! Thank god they’re axing that route. Also, this might not be the best place to hang, given that sometimes interesting figures will hang around. If you know, you know.

Nearby points of interest: There’s a 7/11 nearby! Also, Burnside Park! Providence Station is a quarter-mile away, as is Providence Place Mall.

Rating: 7.5/10

EDIT: It’s come to my attention that as of 6/20/22 (a Monday), the ticket office (and hopefully also the photo ID office) at Kennedy Plaza will be reopening, with Wave sales happening here. With this in mind, I can up the rating to a 7.5.
ORIGINAL RATING: 6/10