[deleted] t1_j6n5j3j wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:54 PM

I’d use RIPTA a lot more if it was free and had adequate parking lots. And I’d even pay for a bus segment up to Boston, with free intrastate connections. So would lots of other people.

laterbacon t1_j6o2gua wrote on January 31, 2023 at 6:20 PM

It would be nice if the actual RIPTA Park & Rides were served by more than the twice-a-day express routes, but there are some DIY lots that work well.

Twin River is good because there is an ocean of parking and the security is good. The 54 runs every 30 minutes and is express to downtown from there. The 51 runs the same route, except as a local down Charles St. 73 also stops there which goes to Pawtucket.

The parking lot behind the Cranston police station at the start of the Washington Secondary Trail is another good one. The 30 & 31 both stop there and there's a bus every 15 minutes. Parking is allowed for the bike trail there and it's in full view of the security cameras in the police lot, so it's a fairly safe place to park.

listen_youse t1_j6o48mi wrote on January 31, 2023 at 6:31 PM

Would you be willing to pay for park and ride if the bus saved time by by-passing traffic or you could drive to an even faster train?

Suburban park and ride service is longer than most other trips. It is easy to collect fares without delaying the bus. If their destination is not right downtown, people will use park and ride only if the final leg is a short wait for efficient in-town service at no extra fare. Also, I think infrequency and the risk of being stuck in town after the last bus keeps people away from park and ride more than would paying a fare comparable to in-town parking.

[deleted] t1_j6o4k7f wrote on January 31, 2023 at 6:33 PM

Depends on how reliable the bus is, how frequent it is, how early and late it runs, how secure the parking is, and how much the charges are.

In my experience, most US transit fails on several of these fronts. Some systems fail on every single one of them!

A reliable and usable system should be priority number one. I’ll pay to get one.

Making it free helps with uptake but won’t help if we don’t have a system that’s fit for purpose IMO

listen_youse t1_j6oen1a wrote on January 31, 2023 at 7:35 PM

I use the R line a bit more than I would if I had to pay each time. I really notice the time saved when people can just get on. Most importantly, the service is almost pretty damn good.

If there is a choice between great service at affordable cost or crappy free service, most people would rather pay. (edit: getting to work consistently on time can matter even more when you do not have a lot of money)

I think an honor system for payment would lose less $ to fare evaders than it would save in collection related expenses. That crappy app is going to have be patched and updated forever. Better to pay drivers than coders. If the service is good, all but very few people who can truly afford to pay will pony up.