The year-long RIde Anywhere Pilot Program will be extended until further notice, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) announced.       

RIPTA currently offers paratransit service through its RIde Paratransit Program, which provides service for people with disabilities who are traveling within a three-quarter-mile of a fixed-bus route and cannot independently take the bus or travel to and from a bus stop. 

The defined service area complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which assures that people with disabilities, who cannot use the regular fixed-route bus, have access to public transportation. 

RIPTA charges $4 per one-way paratransit trip; this is two times the standard fixed-route fare as authorized by the ADA and helps defray the cost of this paratransit service.   

RIde Anywhere

Under the RIde Anywhere Pilot Program, qualified Rhode Island residents can request curb-to-curb service for locations within the state that are outside of the three-quarter-mile radius. 

Participants must complete the standard RIde paratransit application and be accepted before enrolling in the pilot program. Current qualified RIde program passengers do not need to re-apply to participate in the pilot.    

“The RIde Anywhere Pilot Program has been instrumental in expanding transportation access for individuals with disabilities, and continuing it allows us to gather more data and further explore how we can better meet the needs of Rhode Islanders who cannot access our fixed-route service,” said Christopher Durand, CEO.    

Building on Success

Since launching in January 2024, the pilot program has provided 5,974 trips, including 895 trips taken by new users and 4,899 trips taken by existing RIde customers. 

The agency’s data highlights the ability of both new and existing RIde customers to travel to locations across the state previously inaccessible via public transit. To date, Through November 30, the total cost to the agency of this service has been $333,035.61.      

"This pilot program has provided crucial access for Rhode Islanders with disabilities to get to work, go to school, and engage in their communities,” said Sen. Alana M. DiMario. “The pilot has also demonstrated the demand for public transit statewide. I appreciate the commitment of RIPTA to meeting this need by the continuation of this pilot and their ongoing work to integrate statewide paratransit access into their continuum of services permanently."  

RIPTA operates its own paratransit vehicles and staffs the RIde division with a team that includes customer service representatives, schedulers, dispatchers, maintenance staff, drivers, and management. Approved taxi companies supplement RIde service as needed.