Category: Public Transit

Alright, if the 57 and 27 are both mostly straight shots into North Providence, what is the 56? Wait, what? It doesn’t stop in Centerdale? That blows. Yeah, to get from the terminus of this route to Centerdale, I had to transfer to the 27. Annoying, but not the worst thing.

The route leaves Kennedy Plaza at stop V, and takes a left. It then goes right, passing the mall and eventually Providence Station. Another left and we’re up Smith Street.

Going down Smith Street, we crossed over the interstate then chucked a left down Chalkstone Avenue. While Smith Street was primarily business-oriented in Providence until reaching RIC, Chalkstone is primarily mixed-use. And, soon enough, we …deviated? Yeah, apparently the VA gets its own deviation, while Roger Williams is relegated to a streetside stop.

Eventually we kept going down Chalkstone Avenue, which was largely a straight shot. Eventually, though, we reached Manton Avenue, at which point we banged a u-ey heading southbound and then into Stop & Shop, where the route ends. At this point, the driver said, “So, ya still here, aren’t ya?” and I just said “yup.”, as this point everyone else was long gone. I then pulled the stop request cord and got off.

The good: It’s frequent! Every 15 minutes on weekdays, and 30 minutes at worst. It’s also a direct route into Providence. However….

The bad: It doesn’t go to Centerdale like the 57 (or the 27, for that matter). Personally, I’d roll the 27 back to the Stop & Shop, and extend the 56 up to Centerdale, with trips alternating between George Waterman and Woonasquatucket. Just minor nitpicks for me, though.

Nearby points of interest: Chalkstone Avenue! There’s also the Stop & Shop, and connections to the 27, 57, and 92. There’s also the VA and Roger Williams Hospital.

Overall, it’s a good route. Almost a 10/10, save for my minor nitpicks. I don’t have much to add since not much sticks out aside from the hospitals. Now that I think of it, why does the VA get a deviation but Roger Williams doesn’t? If anything, along with axing the 27 back to Stop & Shop, in lieu of the 56 going to Centerdale, I’d also make it so trips alternate between the VA deviation and a RW Hospital deviation.

Rating: 8.5/10

Alrighty, the 57! I’d personally consider this one the “main” North Providence route. Sure, the 27 and 56 are more frequent, and the 58 is a passthrough, but I think this one deserves the honor. Let’s see why.

The best way to describe the route is short, sweet, and to the point. It’s quite literally a straight shot down Smith Street to downtown Providence. Among the sights you’ll see on the route? Primarily residential neighborhoods. There’s also sights like North Providence City Hall and its connection to the Beach Bus. Apparently also in the residential neighborhoods of North Providence is a park & ride lot at Turcone Street. La Salle Academy is also along the route (don’t ask my opinion on La Salle students/alumni). Further down towards the end of Smith Street, it gets denser. Eventually, the route passes Chalkstone Avenue and the interstate. Lastly, it passes by the State House, the train station’s north side, and Providence Place Mall before pulling into Kennedy Plaza.

The good: It’s a straight shot from North Providence’s town center to downtown Providence! For ridership, it’s also among the more-used RIPTA routes, with 877 daily riders as of 2019. Furthermore, the headways make sense, clocking in at every half-hour, and hourly on weekday nights. It also connects to the train station, which is also a nice thing.

The bad: …not much. I guess sometimes the weekend frequency (hourly on Sundays) might be cumbersome? But even then, that’s not a dealbreaker.

Nearby points of interest: Centerdale! Also, the train station and various shops along Smith Street. There’s also the front door to the state house and Providence Place Mall!

Overall, it’s largely a straight shot. Among the most direct routes in all of RIPTA, with little in the way of flaws. And, for that, I’d have to give it a…

Rating: 9/10

Alrighty, another Providence-Pawtucket route! If the 1 bisects the densest parts of the state and continues on to South Attleboro, and the R Line is designed specifically to link Broad St. and Pawtucket, what’s the 72 for? Well, let’s see.

The route begins at the Slater Mill side of the Pawtucket Visitors Center. From here, the route heads up Roosevelt Avenue and Exchange Street, before taking a right down Dexter Street. From here, we crossed the Northeast Corridor and went into the densest square mile in the state: Central Falls.

We took a left at West Hunt Street at a church, then another down Lonsdale Avenue. Whelp, that was short lived, as we were back in Pawtucket. But this time, instead of going all the way down Lonsdale, we took a right down Weeden Street. It was lined with mostly housing, with a railroad crossing. I don’t know if it’s active, but I’m just going to assume it is for safety’s sake. Moving right along, the road became Power Road at Smithfield Ave. The road kept going, and was largely residential. It also intersected with Mineral Spring Avenue, and eventually we met up with Smithfield Ave. again.

At this point, we were in Providence and it was Silver Spring Street. There were many businesses down here, among which were a Walmart, Providence Auto Body, and even the local UFCW chapter’s headquarters. Neat. Soon enough, after passing Branch Avenue and Charles Street, we merged onto Charles Street. From here, it was largely a straight shot, but there was one last deviation: Providence Station. Soon enough, we made it to Kennedy Plaza. The route DOES go on to RI Hospital, but I’m not going that far with the DTC routes.

The good: It serves Central Falls! One of the densest areas in the state, with regular bus service. However…

The bad: I think it might do better with a frequency buff during the morning and evening peaks. Usually in those hours, I oftentimes see the bus packed, even in current times. It also feels like Central Falls is a deviation rather than an integral part of the route. (UPDATE: turns out I overlooked the frequency boost entirely. Turns out I overlooked it, partly due to the coloring being the same as a normal route .-.)

Nearby points of interest: Walmart! Also, Central Falls and Pawtucket! And the UFCW headquarters is conveniently here if anyone wants to attempt unionizing Walmart.

Overall, it’s not a bad route. Definitely among the better, but I feel like Central Falls would be better served by a mostly local Providence-Woonsocket route (via Cumberland) and a Pawtucket-Woonsocket route (also via Cumberland). But it’s still not bad.

Rating: 8/10
Original rating: 7.5/10

Ooh, beverage hills, you say? Is it beer and other 21+ drinks we’re talking, or water? Or, soda? Who knows.

Right from the get-go, we cross the river to South Water Street and immediately go express, only to be dumped off the interstate at Taunton Avenue. It’s a largely straight shot as we went through the bowtie interchange and turned towards Wampanoag Mall. From here, one can transfer to the 32 or 34.

After this deviation, we kept going up Pawtucket Avenue, largely following the 35. However, unlike the 35, we didn’t turn down any side streets. We went up Newport Avenue and, eventually, made a left onto Beverage Hill Avenue. A deviation is also here, but only for inbound trips.

No, there were no beverages on Beverage Hill Avenue. Sadly. But there was lots of residential, and a rail crossing at George Bennett Highway. As we booked it down the road, we turned down Prospect Street, a one-way.

We turned down and went straight, going under I-95. Soon enough, we were in downtown Pawtucket at the end of the line.

The good: It serves a lot! In my experience, there’s also a consistent stream of people riding, which is always good. Plus, it’s expected to get a frequency boost and “key corridor” designation in the winter, with the buses being re-routed to the Pawtucket/Central Falls train station busway. That said….

The bad: I don’t think ridership is high enough to justify a frequency boost. Yes, it’s nice. However, I think the boost should go to the 72 instead, as that route has more than double the ridership (1700 vs. 700). Furthermore, what’s with the odd inbound-only deviation?

Nearby points of interest: East Providence and Pawtucket, largely.

Overall, it’s definitely a decent enough Pawtucket/Providence route via East Providence. Does it warrant a frequency boost? Not really. However, it’s always nice to have the option. I do, however, think that weekends SHOULD see a frequency boost to match weekday frequency.

Rating: 7.5/10

Alright, so the 34 went the long and indirect way to Seekonk, let’s see if the indirect-ness is just as bad with its sister route, the 32.

Leaving Seekonk Square, the route turns….left??? Interesting choice, RIPTA. We then turned down School Street, and eventually the Wampanoag Trail and ooh, we’re express- oh, it’s only until the next exit. That’s sad. Apparently some trips deviate here into the Citizens Bank facility, but this one didn’t. So, moving right along down the Wampanoag Trail.

We turned up onto Pawtucket Avenue, and instead of continuing down, we took a left down a side street. Weird choice, again. From here, we went up South Broadway and turned left down Warren Ave. Then, we followed the same routing as the 34 up Valley Street and Massasoit Avenue, and across the Henderson Bridge and the East Side. However, since a truck was blocking Thayer Street (rendering the bus in such a way where there wasn’t enough space to turn), we detoured down the hill. Soon enough, we were at Kennedy Plaza.

The good: It’s more direct than the 34, that’s for sure! And there’s fewer deviations! It’s also a little more straightforward!

The bad: …why does it go left instead of right? There’s no stops in Massachusetts either way, save for Seekonk Square, South Attleboro, and the Pettine Transit Center. Furthermore, why does it go down a random street, or go up South Broadway when it could just go down Veterans Memorial Parkway? Certainly some headscratchers here.

Nearby points of interest: Seekonk Square! There’s also East Providence and the East Side.

Overall, I have to give it credit for not being as awkward as the 34. Yeah, there’s some headscratchers for turns, but it’s not as time-consuming as the 34’s deviations. However, unlike the 34, it’s not too ridden with only 300 daily riders as of 2019.

Rating: 6/10

Alright, the 34: Providence and East Providence via Evergreen Apartments to…..Seekonk Square???? Wait, this route goes outside Rhode Island? Huh, interesting. What’s in store?

The route begins heading towards the East Side and through the tunnel. From here, it goes down Waterman Street and expresses down the Henderson Expressway. Now, what IS the Henderson Expressway? Well, it’s a sorta-freeway. Originally it was meant to connect I-195 and East Providence and was meant to be for US-44. However, due to NIMBYs, that didn’t come to be, hence the seemingly out of place bridge in the East Side. From here, the route turns down Massasoit Avenue and Valley Street, eventually ending at Warren Avenue, where exit 1D dumps people off.

Pressing onwards, the route keeps going down Warren Avenue and makes a left turn down Pawtucket Avenue. From here, it started to look like it was raining. But, no worries. Going straight, we eventually deviated into the Wampanoag Mall, which serves as a transfer point between the 33, 34, and 78. In essence, it’s the East Providence “hub”, if you will.

From here, we turned back onto Taunton Avenue and kept going straight. Wait, what’s that? “Approaching: The park & ride at…Taunton Avenue” Huh, that’s an interesting spot for a park and ride, and no expresses serve it. Noone got on or off here, so moving right on.

We took a right down Commercial Way, passing by a bunch of businesses. From here, we took a left onto Waterman Avenue and then another left down Warren Avenue. We then deviated into the route’s namesake into Evergreen Apartments and, oh look, it’s WPRI’s studios! Interesting. We then took another left down Catamore Boulevard and a right onto Highland Avenue. Interestingly, everyone got off right at the state line, like there’s a magic force field.

Moving right on, we went down Highland Avenue into Massachusetts, where traffic was noticably worse, and- oh, we’re already there. Yeah, we pulled into Seekonk Square, and the route just ended with the end in the middle of the parking lot. Not very walkable.

The good: It’s a direct link between a major shopping center (albeit not in RI), an apartment complex, and downtown! Well, kinda. It goes via Massasoit Avenue and the East Side, which isn’t as direct as, say, I-195 straight onto Warren Avenue. But, whatever.

The bad: It’s a little low in terms of straightforwardness. The deviations feel kinda awkward. Wampanoag Plaza and Evergreen Apartments feel a bit out of the way, but they both have to be served somehow. Also, and I know this isn’t RIPTA’s fault, why isn’t there any GATRA connections in Seekonk?! Isn’t this literally their home turf?!

Nearby points of interest: WPRI’s studios! Also, Seekonk! …with no GATRA connections. There’s also East Providence and the East Side.

Overall, it’s definitely the lesser of the two Seekonk routes. Probably, because the deviations feel “out of the way” more than anything else. Plus, I just found it weird how the entire bus just emptied at the state line. And, c’mon GATRA, no service at Seekonk Square?! It’s certainly used though, with 539 daily passengers as of 2019.

Rating: 5.5/10

Oh boy. This one’s a biggie. So much so that RIPTA themselves had to label it by cardinal direction instead of inbound/outbound like usual. Now, how big is the 1? Well, it goes all the way from T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, serving it along with the MBTA train platform (via the skybridge), all the way up to another MBTA station, South Attleboro (which is currently closed as of me writing this). However….you can’t ride it from T.F. Green to South Attleboro. You see, the schedule is actually divided up into two runs, each taking about an hour. Trips starting at T.F. Green end in Pawtucket, while trips ending at South Attleboro begin at Shaw’s Plaza, on Warwick Ave, at the front door of – you guessed it, Shaw’s. So, sit down and buckle in, we’re in for a long one.

Starting off in South Attleboro, we board the bus as a MBTA train flies by at 80 miles an hour and loop around the parking lot. From here, we cross the tracks on Newport Avenue and turn right down Cottage Street, and then Benefit Street.

Continuing down Benefit Street, it’s largely residential with businesses here and there, then the businesses go up in numbers as we reach George Bennett Highway and cross the tracks. I don’t think they’re active, but given the fact they still have barriers and special turn-denying (i.e. they say “NO TURNING” when the train signaling is active) sign, I’d assume it’s still active. But still, I’ve never seen any trains here. It’s here that we also turn down Broadway and stay on it for a bit, eventually passing a park and ride lot and turning down Exchange Street. Soon enough, we’re at the Pawtucket Visitors Center, at the R Line’s northern terminus.

Continuing onwards, we loop around High and Summer Streets, turning down Goff Ave and Park Place. From here, it becomes George Street as we cross the interstate and turn down East Avenue. Passing by a lot of houses and a high school, as well as a few businesses, the street becomes Hope Street as we enter Providence, passing by Blackstone Boulevard. Down here is where Butler Hospital and the 40 is.

More and more businesses begin lining the streets, including things like a Cumberland Farms. A couple of churches also appear, and eventually there’s a short-ish line of buses at Hope High School. Some trips of the 1 start and end here as school trips. Across is Moses Brown School, a private school for the rich kids. Talk about a class divide. >:(

Eventually, we keep straight down Thayer Street, where the shops it’s famous for start appearing along with all the Brown students. It’s around here, that we go right into the underworld. Nah, just kidding. It’s the East Side tunnel. We come out, and after a couple of turns we’re at Kennedy Plaza. It’s here that I get off, have some water, and relax for a bit. Remember, my trip from South Attleboro would’ve only gotten me to Shaw’s in Warwick.

Eventually, the bus arrives and I board it. And, after everyone got on, we were off to the races heading southbound, by turning left onto Dorrance Street. It was your usual downtown affair with big buildings and whatnot, and we went down the DTC’s southern section at Dyer Street and, eventually, Eddy Street.

However, unlike the DTC routes (especially the 3 and 4), we deviated into the hospital. Usually, there’s a high turnover of people here, but that was in the before times. We kept on going, getting out of the tight roads of the hospital, and went down Eddy Street some more. It was still largely urban going down here with some businesses. Soon enough, we crossed the interstate, and reached a church marking the beginning of the R Line. However, we didn’t “meet” with the R Line per-se, as this was its terminus. So, we just pressed on down Broad Street. It was still much of the same, with some side streets granting access to Roger Williams Park. No deviation for that, sadly.

Soon enough, we turned down Warwick Avenue, and it was the home stretch. Going down here, we passed Park Ave., a Stop & Shop, and the South Attleboro terminus of Shaw’s. However, unlike those trips, we didn’t deviate. Instead, we kept going straight and turned right onto Post Road. Oh, how nice it was to be in my old neighborhood again. Moving right along, we passed a ball field, a lot of housing, a Walmart, an old jr high school, and eventually Elmwood Ave. Further on, we went under RI-37 at its terminus, passed a Neon Marketplace, Airport Road with its shopping plaza, and soon enough we were at the airport. It was here that I made my way up to the skybridge to transfer to the 14.

The good: It serves a lot! Quite literally, at that. It serves two MBTA stations, almost a third (with Amtrak!), and two major RIPTA hubs. It also serves as a direct link between all the neighborhoods. It’s also nice how it deviates into the hospital. I do find it weird, though, that T.F. Green trips don’t deviate into Shaw’s, but that’s just a minor nitpick for me.

The bad: …there isn’t much. The fact it’s technically two routes, I guess? I mean, Eddy Street can become traffic-clogged at times, but RIPTA can’t do much about that.

Nearby points of interest: A lot! There’s T.F. Green with the airport and MBTA platform, Shaw’s, the hospital, Kennedy Plaza, the East Side, Pawtucket, and South Attleboro’s Market Basket (with GATRA connection!), to name some.

Overall, it serves a lot. And, it’s one of the most important routes, and the ridership shows! Before COVID, it was the 2^nd most ridden route, with just under 4000 daily passengers (half the R Line!). And, with how much it serves, making any changes would likely only hurt the…..

Rating: 9.5/10

Alright, last of the CCRI-Providence triplets! If the 30 is slightly express and the 21 is half-express, how express-bound is the 22? Well….

The route, just like the 21 and 30, begins at CCRI and heads down. And, just like the 30, turns down East Ave. towards the interstate and Greenwich Ave, skipping the Rhode Island Mall. It also goes down Greenwich Ave. and deviates into the Warwick Mall, blah blah blah. It turns down Mayfield Ave. with the 21 as well, but unlike the 21, it does NOT turn into the prison! Surprising!

From here, it goes straight down Pontiac Ave., the route’s namesake, as it passes the various prison buildings on one side and a Pepsi plant on the other. It then goes under RI-37 and past some businesses, then it turns very suburban.

Now, the route keeps going down Pontiac Avenue past the elementary school and a Dave’s. Soon enough, it becomes Rolfe Square, at the other end is where a Beach Bus connection can be made on weekends. However, we’re not interested in that. Moving right along!

Crossing over the freeway, we enter Providence and Reservoir Ave. And, to answer the question about “how express is the 22?”, the answer is “not very”. We pressed on down Reservoir Ave until….oh no….not a detour.

Normally, the route would just be a straight shot across the train tracks and a bridge, but um….the bridge doesn’t exist currently. So, it turns down the side street, makes a pair of turns at the next overpass, and presses on down Elmwood Ave. One can also find RIPTA facilities here.

Things got very urban very quick, as we passed by all sorts of businesses. These ranged from your average Subway, to a discount store that wasn’t Dollar Tree or Family Dollar. There was also a big church around here. We then crossed the interstate after meeting with the R Line and went straight into the heart of downtown via Weybosset Street, turning into Kennedy Plaza after the Turk’s Head Building.

The good: It’s about as local as a CCRI-Providence route can be. The only more “local” one can get, is if the 1 were to be extended from T.F. Green to CCRI via Main Ave. But, please no thanks on that one. It also serves a lot of people inherently due to being routed along Elmwood and Reservoir Avenues. Ridership is slightly higher than the 21’s, with about 1300 average daily riders. However, this was from when the 22 ended at the Warwick Mall, so it’s likely more now.

The bad: It can become delayed to hell due to Elmwood Ave., and in particular the detoured area, becoming a major choke point during the evening commute. Would running express help this? Probably, albeit at the expense of not serving Elmwood Avenue. I also can’t help but think that timing should be coordinated with the 21 and 30 for trips to the Warwick Mall and CCRI every 10 minutes on the shared portions of all three.

Nearby points of interest: Warwick Mall, I guess. Rolfe Square as well. Apparently you can gamble your soul away at the lottery headquarters, too.

Overall, it’s an alright route. It’s the most direct into Providence and the most local-running one as well, out of the three CCRI-Providence routes. I do, however, wonder if ridership today would warrant any frequency increases, or a bump to “key corridor” status. Probably not, but at the same time it serves a lot of people to where it shouldn’t be considered down the road.

Rating: 6.5/10