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Boston Globe
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘A complete gutting:' RIPTA riders, advocates slam cuts proposed to bridge $10m budget gap
The bus ferries them to a Stop & Shop store, including one woman who Picillo said depends on the bus because she was unable to replace her car when it broke down. 'She has no way to go to the grocery store, and that route is getting canceled all together,' Picillo said. 'We can't walk to it.' Related : Advertisement The Flex 301 bus is one of 16 routes RIPTA is now considering eliminating, as it weighs Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Ahead of a RIPTA board vote on the proposed rollbacks set for Thursday, riders and transit advocates are pleading for last-minute solutions they hope can stave off cuts to services they said Rhode Islanders depend on to get to school, work, and medical appointments, and to navigate everyday life. Bus service between Newport's northern end and First Beach, between the University of Rhode Island's Kingston campus and the Block Island Ferry, and three routes that serve the Community College of Rhode Island's campuses in Newport, Warwick, and Lincoln are among those up for elimination. Five Park and Ride Routes, connecting far corners of the state — including Pascoag, North Smithfield, Westerly, and Narragansett — with Providence, also may be nixed. Advertisement Other changes include reductions in trip frequency or numbers of trips on 30 routes, elimination of all weekend service on nine routes, elimination of some weekend service on eight routes, and the cancellation of some entire segments on six routes, RIPTA said. 'It's wild,' said Liza Burkin, board president of the Providence Streets Coalition. 'It's supposed to be the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority. It's going to be the Providence County and Greater Newport Transit Authority … It's a complete gutting of the system, and the worst part is that it will trigger a downward spiral.' In Pawtucket, the cuts and reductions would affect about 44 percent of the city's bus services, according to state Senator Meghan E. Kallman, a Democrat representing Pawtucket and Providence. 'Without that bus service, people are not going to be able to get to work, people are not going to be able to get to school,' Kallman said in an interview. 'But specifically, if you can't get to work, you can't pay your rent, and if you can't pay your rent or your mortgage, then you need to move, right? This is the kind of stuff that sucks the life blood out of working class communities. This is insane.' At a public hearing on the proposal in Providence on Monday, Jessica Null, senior director of philanthropy and external affairs for Thundermist Health Center, said it already takes patients and staff who rely on public transit more than an hour along several routes to make it to appointments and to work at its locations in Providence, Woonsocket, West Warwick, and South County, Null said. Advertisement 'One employee shared, 'I currently spend two to three hours a day on the bus. This will not only add time to my daily commute, but by cutting weekend service, I will have no way to get to work on weekend shifts, which are required,'' Null added. Angelina Stabile, legislative director and affiliate treasurer for the National Federation of the Blind of Rhode Island, said the proposed cuts 'are devastating.' 'They are crippling, and they will destroy the freedom and independence of blind people, disabled people, and all peoples who take public transportation,' Stabile said. At 'We are literally encouraging folks…to use public transportation to get to and from the beach,' Kennedy said. 'Likewise, the YMCA of Newport County is interested in expanding its footprint and its services — not condensing them.' Meanwhile, students and staff at the University of Rhode Island told RIPTA officials at Advertisement Scott Schnur, a Wakefield resident and a URI employee, said one of his students told him she is now looking for a new lease less than a month before the start of the school year as a result of the anticipated bus changes. 'We recognize the concerns of members of our community and will be engaging directly with RIPTA leadership to discuss these concerns,' Dawn Bergantino, a URI spokesperson, wrote in an email on Tuesday. 'Reliable transit is critical for our students, faculty, and staff, as they pursue their academic, professional, and personal goals.' Asked about possible route cuts impacting CCRI, Amy Kempe, CCRI's chief of staff, wrote in an email that 'access to reliable public transportation is critical to our students' success' and that CCRI is 'working with RIPTA to minimize disruptions to our community.' Late last week, RIPTA formally released its long-awaited 'Closing the RIPTA deficit responsibly means identifying both efficiencies and new RIPTA-generated revenue streams,' Olivia DaRocha, a spokesperson for McKee, wrote in an email on Tuesday. 'That means addressing the high-cost, low-performing routes identified in the study, while preserving service on higher-performing routes.' DaRocha wrote that drawing additional federal funding 'for eligible expenses' and 'modernizing the fare policy, with options that include fare increases, zone-based fares, and monthly passes,' could be options to enhance revenue, among others. 'Long-term stability will only come when RIPTA right-sizes operations and grows its revenue,' DaRocha added. Advertisement Still, many riders and advocates blame McKee and lawmakers for the potential cuts. McKee left the agency with a Hannah Galan, who opened Pothos Plant Shop with her husband, Homer Johnsen, in Providence's Fox Point last year, said Monday she has frequently called McKee's office about the RIPTA proposal, which would cut weekend service to the bus stop near her store on its busiest days. The potential loss of business is 'immeasurable,' Galan said. 'There's no way to measure it,' Galan said. 'And I mean, it's not even just impacting us, it's going to impact every small business on the street.' Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Who will be the next president of CCRI?
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The search for the next president of the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is down to two finalists. There were 44 applicants for the top job, and now it's between interim CCRI President Rosemary Costigan and Christopher Reber, the president of Hudson County Community College in New Jersey. In the video above, Boston Globe columnist Dan McGowan joined Kait Walsh on 12 News This Morning to break down the story. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
CCRI event to offer free dental treatments for kids
LINCOLN, R.I. (WPRI) — Children between the ages of 6 and 17 can get free dental sealants and fluoride treatments at Community College of Rhode Island's Lincoln campus on Friday, April 25. The college said it is offering the free treatments from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. for the school's Sealant and Fluoride Community Day. CCRI dental hygiene students will be providing the preventative care under professional supervision. According to the college, sealants are a safe and effective way to protect teeth from cavities while fluoride treatments strengthen enamel. 'Our dental hygiene students are excited to apply their skills while making a real impact in the community,' CCRI's Dental Health programs Chair Janice Schmitz said in a press release. 'This event is a wonderful opportunity for families to receive free preventative care and for our students to gain practical experience in patient care.' Appointments are required for the event. Families can schedule their child's visit by calling (401) 333-7250. You can learn more about the event and CCRI's Dental Hygiene Clinic here. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
After arrest on CCRI campus, Woonsocket man held without bail
WARWICK − A 48-year-old Woonsocket man, who is accused of threatening to shoot people prior to his arrest at the Community College of Rhode Island, faced a slate of charges at his appearance in District Court, Warwick, Friday morning. Junior Sage is charged with illegal possession of a firearm after being convicted of a crime of violence, carrying a pistol without a license, four counts of felony assault, disorderly conduct and obstruction of a police officer. Sage, who carried knives and an Airsoft-style pistol, was at the center of a disturbance on a college-bound transit bus on Thursday before he stepped off the transport at CCRI, police say. Two witnesses told Lincoln police detectives that Sage had threatened to "blow their heads off," Lincoln police Detective Lt. Bradley Stewart told Judge Brian A. Goldman. Sage was carrying an Airsoft-type pistol and a knife with a blade longer than 3½ inches, Stewart said. Airsoft pistols are designed to fire plastic projectiles for sport or different types of firearm training. The guns can shoot metal, Stewart told Goldman. The judge set Sage's bail at $75,000 with surety. A defendant must pay 10 percent of that amount in cash or the full amount in property to win release. Goldman referred Sage to the public defender's office, ordered mental health counseling and imposed a no trespass order. Later, however, Sage appeared before Judge Kevin F. McHugh, who determined that he had violated his probation in a different case. McHugh ordered Sage held without bail. The 2023 case involved reckless driving and prohibited possession of a weapon other than a firearm. A report to police dispatchers triggered a response to the campus at about 12:30 p.m. About 400 faculty, staff and students are on the campus at that time of day, according to CCRI spokeswoman, Amy Kempe. The detectives arrested Sage near the bus stop. The emergency forced college security to issue a "Shelter In Place" order on the CCRI campus and administrators at other nearby schools took the same approach as a precaution. In a letter to the college community on Friday, CCRI's interim president, Rosemary A. Costigan, acknowledged that what happened Thursday was "deeply unsettling" for many. Costigan said she had asked state police to review the case, assess public safety measures and provide recommendations, if needed, to strengthening security protocols on all four campuses. "We are committed to learning from this incident and strengthening our emergency preparedness," Costigan said. State Rep. William W. O'Brien, a Democrat who represents North Providence, in the General Assembly, renewed his call for the enactment of a law that would arm campus security on the CCRI campuses as well as the campus at Rhode Island College. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Junior Sage, who triggered CCRI's 'shelter in place' held without bail
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
CCRI Lincoln lifts lockdown after police declare campus safe
Students wait on the Knight campus of the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick on Thursday, March 6, 2025. Police said the Lincoln campus was on lockdown. (Photo by Amie Wambach for Rhode Island Current) A passenger carrying a knife who got off a Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) bus at the entrance of the Lincoln campus of the Community College of Rhode Island early Thursday afternoon prompted the 40-minute campus lockdown, according to a message from the school's president. Alerts to the campus community cited a report of a possible person with a gun. But CCRI President Rosemary Costigan sent an email at 2:47 p.m. informing students, faculty and staff what happened. Costigan said that Lincoln Police, Rhode Island State Police, and CCRI Campus Police responded immediately when RIPTA reported the passenger whom witnesses said fled and possibly entered the campus. At 1:16 p.m. CCRI sent an alert saying that a suspect was in custody. 'Based on information provided by law enforcement agencies, the suspect is not a CCRI student,' Costigan wrote. 'Thanks to the swift and coordinated response of law enforcement, the suspect was apprehended, and the situation was resolved without harm to our community,' Costigan said. 'The Lincoln Police Department is leading the investigation, which remains ongoing.' The school's Facebook page posted an all clear announcement at 1:32 p.m. The post ended with an unfinished sentence leaving faculty, students and staff waiting for the news about when classes will resume. 'Law enforcement has determined that the campus is safe,' it read. 'Campus is now open for faculty and staff. Classes will resume at' The Lincoln campus community received a text alert at 12:48, two minutes after a lockdown alert was sent to students, staff and faculty at the Warwick campus. The earlier text was also unfinished:'Based on location, decide to run, hide or fight. Seek shelter, turn off lights and silence your cell phone. Wait fo' 'It is my understanding that the matter is under control,' Lt. Col. Robert Creamer, Rhode Island State Police said. He said the Lincoln Police Department is the lead agency on the incident. A Lincoln police spokesperson was not immediately available for comment, nor was Warwick Police Chief Bradford Connor. Costigan acknowledged there was confusion regarding the school's Warwick campus, which was also went into lockdown as initial reports mistakenly identified it as the location of the incident. 'We understand the concern and anxiety this caused for those who teach, learn, and work in Warwick. The college will conduct a full review of the process in order to avoid future confusion. I also want to thank the Warwick and State Police for their swift response to the Warwick Campus,' Costigan wrote. Updated with information shared with students, faculty and staff by CCRI President Rosemary Costigan. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
