RIPTA will cancel routes and reduce service because of a driver shortage. What to know.

A driver shortage is causing the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority to cancel or reduce bus service on more than a dozen routes starting in April.

The reductions in bus service statewide "are a direct response to [RIPTA's] driver shortage, which is a longstanding issue that RIPTA has been trying to address over the past few years," the agency said in a news release Friday.

"Despite extensive recruitment efforts, drivers continue to retire more quickly than RIPTA can recruit new ones," the RIPTA announcement said. "RIPTA is actively working with Amalgamated Transit Union leadership to find a solution to this issue. ... RIPTA must recalibrate its schedules with the level of service it can consistently run, so that service is accurate and reliable for passengers."

Why are the cuts necessary?

RIPTA will hold a series of public hearings on the changes to collect feedback and comply with federal laws, but it is unclear if the cuts can be avoided, even if agency management wants to.

More: Faced with cash crunch, RIPTA is asked to come up with clear priorities, not grim prospects

In 2022, RIPTA agreed to a new union contract with bus drivers that included a pay raise intended to help attract new drivers and alleviate a shortage. The bus system also invited retired drivers to come back to work.

But the shortage has persisted, and RIPTA is now facing a budget shortfall, making it difficult to spend more on recruitment.

Are additional reductions coming?

In fact, the April cuts could be an appetizer for larger route or frequency cuts later in the year if RIPTA doesn't find more money.

The agency projected an $18-million budget deficit in the year beginning July 1, which grows past $30 million in the years after that.

In response, Gov. Dan McKee proposed a $10-million, one-time infusion of federal funds in his budget for next year and called in RIPTA to find "efficiencies."

Transit agencies across the country are facing similar challenges after the COVID pandemic tanked ridership while costs have increased with inflation. Federal pandemic aid plugged the gap for three years but is now running out.

Pleas not to reduce bus service

Before the spring route cuts were announced at a Thursday RIPTA board meeting, bus riders, transit advocates and union leaders pleaded with state leaders to help maintain bus service.

Patricia Raub, co-chair of RI Transit Riders, said she was "horrified" and "appalled" by McKee's funding for RIPTA.

The planned route cuts and budget crisis comes as the McKee administration explores moving RIPTA's central bus hub out of Kennedy Plaza to a public-private development on vacant land near Interstate 95.

The RIPTA Board has scheduled a special meeting for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. On the agenda is a vote on "awarding a preliminary services agreement for the joint business development project."

What changes to bus service are coming April 6?

The route changes, effective April 6, would eliminate 11 routes, shorten three, reduce frequency on eight and eliminate some weekend service on a dozen.

Paratransit service for disabled riders through the RIde Program would also be reduced wherever a route is cut, because it is provided within three-quarters of a mile of a regular route.

Thirty-three lines in total will have some service change, and cuts were focused on low-ridership lines so that resources could be reallocated to high-performing lines.

Four popular lines will see an increase in bus frequency.

“Our goal is to ensure we can meet 100% of our scheduled service 100% of the time. In order to do that, as painful as it is, we must make prudent changes, particularly given our workforce challenges," RIPTA CEO Scott Avedisian said in a news release. "In the meantime, we are actively working with our union to create a new starting wage for drivers that should address our recruiting challenges and help RIPTA better execute its mission."

Public hearings on the changes are: Feb. 12 at Barrington Public Library; Feb. 13 at Pawtucket City Hall Council Chambers; Feb. 14 at the Providence Foundation in Kennedy Plaza in Providence; and Feb.15 at the CCRI Newport auditorium.

A list of all the route changes can be found at ripta.com/publichearings.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RIPTA canceling routes and reducing frequency due to driver shortage