With the Rhode Island community fixated on the George Washington Bridge fiasco, there has been very little talk about what will happen in just a few short weeks: harsh cuts to an already underfunded public transit system. Even while some city council members have advocated for continued funding despite pandemic money drying up, those with the power to change course, such as the governor, transportation director, and legislators, have completely neglected to even mention it.
At the very least, any related notions have been directed to the weird obsession with yet another relocation of the primary bus terminal. Those privy to past events know why and how this works: relocate this hub to a more inconvenient location to dissuade the homeless population and, in turn, inconvenience and disincentivize bus use. It’s also another way for politicians to appear positively: “Look at us; we built this new thing! We’re making progress,” all the while, RIPTA crumbles from the inside.
These rumblings and cracks have been felt by the people, and there have been numerous hearings held by the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) to address them. However, there is only so much that can be done by complaining to the board who is trying to bail out a sinking ship caused by the apparent rescuers themselves. RIPTA, through lack of funding and the appointment of a car-obsessed maniac as the head honcho, was purposely constructed to fail, and now that it is, no one in charge wants to save it.
Many articles have been written, testimonies given, campaigns emblazoned, and not to mention, the plethora of evidence surrounding the overwhelming benefits of public transit over car-centricity has been made known. At this point, it’s clear the relevant authorities have heard it all, yet they’re willfully choosing to turn a deaf ear. Rhode Islanders have charted every avenue they could, and despite that, the ship looks to completely capsize.
There is one option, though: the 2024 elections. Given the cards, it’s high tide we plot a course to elect those who will listen to the evidence, hear the outcry of their constituents, march (or bus) us to a more progressive future, and be brave enough to remove incompetent heads from their posts. Ultimately, many of these events are continually spurred by the people and could be avoided if we voted more diligently. Otherwise, if we continue to vote for these same individuals who enable these situations, who are we to gripe?
There is a great moment in a PBS interview where a member of the Economic Progress Institute beautifully calls out these events. See here.