RIPTA Board OKs Layoffs; Hears From Fired Drivers

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

Protesters upset over the firing of two drivers in a criminal reintegration program rallied outside RIPTA headquarters Monday. (Tim Faulkner/ecoRI News photos)PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority's board of directors took just a few seconds Monday to announce the elimination of 33 jobs to help slash its deficit. That appeared to be to the easy part in the Dec. 19 meeting. The more complicated process was the fallout from the hiring — and subsequent firing — of two drivers with criminal records.

About a dozen protesters from DARE (Direct Action for Rights and Equality) rallied outside RIPTA's main entrance to protest the firing of Kevin Thomas and Larry Robertson. Both were hired through a criminal reintegration program as drivers for the RIde program, a service that transports disabled riders. Thomas and Robertson were let go last month after a TV report showed that both men had extensive criminal records.

Roberston was one of a half-dozen protesters to speak critically of the decision to end his job, especially without complaints over his performance.

"I thought I was on the right track and it was snatched away from me," he said. "It was just wrong."

RIPTA CEO Charles Odimgbe said he suspended RIPTA's involvement in the Open Doors reintegration program until a review can be done in February. But he defended his belief in finding jobs for former convicts. "Being a minority, I take pride in individuals doing these things." he said. "My responsibility is to help these individuals find the right path."

At last month's board meeting, several RIPTA bus drivers were upset with Odimgbe over a lack of due diligence into the drivers' background. At least two drivers called for his resignation. Odigmbe said his participation in the Open Doors program was made known to Paul Harrington, president of the local Amalgamated Transit Union. Harrington, however, said he and union members "were left in the dark" about the program.

Fired driver Larry Robertson, left, told the RIPTA board he was 'on the right track.'Board director Tom Deller supported Odimgbe and said the board agreed with his recommendation to suspend the program until a review is completed.

"This is a good program," Deller said, adding that he favors reactivating a reintegration program. "It's something we need in this city and this state."

He was less verbal about the board's decision — during executive session — to commence with the layoff of 33 employees. The cuts are expected to save $948,613. The layoffs take effect Feb. 1. Officials indicated that most of the positions will likely be administrative, however, the exact cuts will be determined at the board's January meeting.

At the conclusion of the meeting Odimgbe gave the media a stack of memos relating to the budget cuts between himself and Harrington. His final letter was a Dec. 19 notice to the board of directors explaining that a union "PR campaign of misinformation" has led to "an environment of total distrust on the part of all parties." 

The board therefore voted on and approved a measure to make the staff cuts while looking to re-open negotiations with the union at a later date.

Odimgbe also reported that overall ridership was up 7 percent this year, and passengers were spending more time on the bus. But much of this positive news was tempered by a report of an expected reduction in revenues and an increase in expenditures that looks to leave RIPTA with a $10 million budget deficit at the start of its next fiscal year.

"We're going back to the drawing board," Odimgbe said.

For Some Commuters, Winter is Easy Riding

By LIZ F. KAY/ecoRI News contributor

Providence resident and avid cyclist John Powning modeling some of his winter cycling gear. (Liz F. Kay/ecoRI News contributor)PROVIDENCE — For some bike commuters, shorter days and colder temperatures are no reason to hang up their helmets. John Powning has pedaled from his Fox Point home to as far away as Attleboro, Mass., year-round.

“To me there’s a lot of misconceptions about bike commuting,” said Powning, 49, who is board chair of Recycle-A-Bike, a nonprofit that refurbishes bicycles.

Weather in Rhode Island rarely gets severe enough to preclude cycling, he said. “If you rode to work every single day you were physically able to do so … the number of days you would get caught in torrential rain would probably be under five times. Maybe it’s raining, but it might be sprinkling.”

Barrett Hazeltine, a professor emeritus at Brown University, agreed. “It’s not nearly as much of an adventure as people seem to think it is,” said the 80-year-old, who has been biking the eight blocks from his home on the East Side for about three decades. “It is certainly much much easier than a car and much much easier than walking.”

Car Free in PVD blogger James Baumgartner enjoys his 5-mile roundtrip commute from Wayland Square to his downtown office. The 37-year-old said cycling is cheaper, more convenient and helps him stay in shape, in addition to its lower impact on the environment.

“It’s more fun for me in an urban setting than it is driving a car,” Baumgartner said.

Smithfield resident Betty Bourret, another Recycle-A-Bike board member, really looks forward to her 4-mile commutes along country roads to and from Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

“It really relaxes me on the way home,” she said. “No matter what happens at work, I can roll down that hill and it makes it all better.”

But the cyclists agreed that preparation definitely makes the ride a lot smoother. Here are some of their tips to get rolling:

Take a test ride. Pull out your bike and test your proposed route on a weekend or off day, when you’re not under pressure to punch in or look presentable. Also get some experience in inclement weather.

“If you want to try riding in the snow, go to a park somewhere where it’s safe to do it,” Powning said.

Baumgartner suggested that newbies could practice riding short segments of their commutes, gradually working up to the full distance.

Modify your route or timing. If hills or heavy traffic would make your bike commute unpleasant, switch it up. Baumgartner adds more than a mile to his one-way trip to avoid scaling College Hill, and he also has recalibrated his routes in the past to avoid steep declines, where a potential fall might occur at a higher speed.

He also said some might choose to stick to streets with less traffic to minimize the chance of falling near a car.

Hazeltine times his commute to avoid crowds around the Wheeler School on Hope Street, which he passes in the morning. On her way home, Bourret takes a detour through the Bryant University campus. It makes the trip longer, but she said it’s more pleasant.

Bundle up. Cyclists should never leave home without a helmet, but the need is particularly pressing on potentially slippery winter roads, Powning said.

Powning wears either a headband or, on colder days, a balaclava to keep warm. He adds a facemask in the coldest or windiest weather.

Baumgartner recommends layers, just as you would wear for other outdoor winter activities. “The risk of overheating is worse than being too cold,” he said.

The blogger slides waterproof pants over his regular pants and wears waterproof shoes on rainy days. He wears a very thin liner under his helmet when temperatures fall to the teens.

Powning and Baumgartner also rely on lobster gloves — three-fingered gloves that provide some of the warmth of mittens without sacrificing the dexterity needed to shift gears.

Bourret keeps her hands warm using bar mitts — covers that fit on her handlebars over the brakes and shifters. “They have saved my hands and have actually allowed me to commute on colder days,” she said.

For commutes less than 5 miles, street clothes would probably be fine, Powning said. But with his longer trips, he would wear full spandex cycling clothes. Powning also recommended keeping changes of clothes at one’s job.

Bourret also adds a waterproof jacket, warm socks and shoes. She packs a different shirt and socks to change into once she reaches the office. Baumgartner leaves his dress shoes at the office and changes into them once he gets there.

Baumgartner said he tries to keep track of the weather forecast, but he also leaves an emergency backup rain jacket at his office in case he needs it for his return trip home.

If you need to transport a laptop or other items, cyclists use panniers. Powning recommends wrapping items in several plastic bags — especially thick, plastic trash compactor bags — to create a waterproof barrier.

Gear up your bike. Install fenders to prevent the “skunk stripe” stain running down your back when riding on wet roads, Baumgartner said. “The fenders keep the water from coming up from the road and splashing up on me,” he said.

He added that he used studded tires to add stability when he was commuting in Edmonton, Alberta, but hasn’t needed them for Rhode Island winters.

Baumgartner relies on an older, more upright Ralley three-speed that he has designated as his “rain bike” for messier winter commutes. “If I were to slip, it’s easier to put a foot down. It’s more stable,” he said.

Powning also recommended a mountain bike, which would have a lower center of gravity and fatter tires with tread that can provide traction in snowy conditions as well as negotiate the potholes of city streets.

Light up the night. Inevitably, you will be leaving for or from work in the dark, so make sure you are visible to drivers and others from all directions.

Powning recommended that cyclists take special care to be seen from the side, with lights that attach to the spokes or screw onto a valve stem. Bright colors are also important. Powning usually selects “something obnoxious … almost painful to look at” for his outer layers.

Bourret uses reflective bands on her legs and feet, which help drivers identify her as a cyclist in the dark.

Be flexible. Even some of the most avid bike commuters avoid riding on a few days.

Bourret said it makes sense to avoid cars when it’s snowy or when road crews have sprayed sand, which makes it difficult to stop.

For Baumgartner, those days are few and far between — only six total last winter, he said. “For the beginning commuter, don’t feel like you have to do it every day,” he said. Riding the bus or driving on the toughest days is fine. However, “the more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll feel doing it in inclement weather,” he added.

Enjoy it. Most of the cyclists said they keep riding through the winter because it’s a pleasure, not a chore.

“Make it part of your day that makes you enjoy your day,” Bourret said. “Don’t make it something that makes you more nervous.”

Bourret, 64, said she loves the feeling of freedom, of being in control that cycling provides. She also enjoys it when coworkers ask, “You biked today?”

East Bay Bike Path Closure Stymies Bikers

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

EAST PROVIDENCE — Each weekday morning at 7 tractor trailers and dump trucks back down a mile or so stretch of the East Bay Bike Path. The noise is certainly not welcome to neighbors, and the 2-mile detour from one of the most scenic stretches of the bikeway is irksome to walkers, runners and bicyclists.

But as is the case with many projects with environmental benefits, the inconvenience is presented as a small tradeoff for the promise of a cleaner and healthier habitat for humans and wildlife.

In this instance, the $50 million upgrade to the East Providence municipal sewer system will prevent partially treated sewage from the city, as well as Barrington, from pouring into Narragansett Bay.

"The sooner this project is done, the sooner the environmental benefits will be realized," said Jeanne Boyle, the city's planning director.

Once the sewer project is completed in April, the bike path should be ready for warmer weather while the shoreline along the upper Narragansett Bay is expected to get cleaner.

Until then, bikers must share the road for about two miles along Veteran Memorial Parkway, much of which moves through steep hills.

"I don't like to be out with the traffic," said Lou Medeiros, a retired toolmaker and local resident who cycles 8 miles about three times a week.

Rather than endure the fumes in traffic, Medeiros who lives closer to the shortened northern end of the bike path, cuts his trip short and heads home.

Brown University student Ed Backlund used the GPS on his i-Phone to navigate the detour on his first visit to the bike path. "It's an inconvenience but not an incredible nuisance," the Binghamton, N.Y., native said.

Mark Dieterich of the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition said the diversion along the parkway is "too dangerous." The lack of a safer detour prevents new bikers and bike commuters from giving up their cars. "You're just not going to see them anymore," he said.

Had it been colder or even snow on the ground, the inconvenience might be less of an issue. But on a sunny afternoon nearing 60 degrees, bikers Warren McGlodrick and Doug Nagle enjoyed a 20-mile roundtrip "bonus day" trek from Riverside Village to Bristol for lunch.

They avoided the closed section and still had plenty of riding room on the southern portion of the bike path. McGoldrick called the construction, "No big deal." Adding, "I assume they are putting in something worthwhile."

The sewer project is one of several green initiatives slated for East Providence. That list includes:

A connector linking the Ten Mile River Greenway and the East Bay bike paths.

An application has been submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for an analysis of installing a hydroelectric dam on the Ten Mile River.

A 5-megawatt solar array on the old landfill. The project aims to be one of the first to qualify under the new distributed generation projects.

Latest Electric Car Visits Statehouse

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

State officials and politicians inspected the Nissan Leaf on Wednesday outside the Statehouse (Tim Faulkner/ecoRI News)PROVIDENCE — The latest mass-produced all-electric vehicle did some lobbying at the Statehouse on Nov. 30.

The Nissan Leaf officially goes on sale in Rhode Island on Dec. 1. And to make its case as a viable, greener transportation choice for consumers, it was put on display for a few politicians to inspect.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee, DEM director Janet Coit and other elected officials gave it a spin around the block.

The Leaf costs about $28,000 after a federal tax credit and runs about 100 miles per charge.

"Most people, most days would be content with that," Rep. Art Handy, D-Cranston, said, after sitting shotgun on a ride in the Leaf. As prominent environmentalist, Handy said he would like to see the state take an active, long-term role in promoting the benefits of EVs and perhaps install public charging stations in convenient areas. "At least give people choices."

Other states, such as California, have received substantial federal subsidies to make EVs more viable for long-distance drives.

In Rhode Island, the battery range shouldn't be a problem for most commuters. "I think people are definitely ready for theses cars," said Tina Frechette of Anchor Nissan, the dealership sponsoring the Leaf's visit to the Statehouse. 

Orders for Leafs are only taken online and take between two and three months to deliver. The cars will be more available in 2012 as Nissan and several other auto manufacturers rollout new lines of EVs. 

For a list of new EVs and tax benefits check, click here.

Rapid RIPTA Bus Service Coming in 2012

By ecoRI News staff

Despite all the doom and gloom about the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority’s chronic funding challenges — largely because of its heavy reliance on a declining source of gas tax revenue, according to the Coalition for Transportation Choices — there is good news for passengers and businesses served along its two busiest routes, Nos. 11 and 99.

Planned RIPTA improvements will get people where they need to go more quickly, comfortably and reliably and with greater predictability, according to the Coalition for Transportation Choices.

As part of its five-year strategic plan, RIPTA is implementing Rapid Bus Service, a mix of design, operations and traffic improvements that will improve the transit experience for passengers, beginning on Routes 11 and 99. These two routes serve about 10,000 riders daily and connect Pawtucket, Providence and Cranston along an 8-mile corridor.

Technology will enable RIPTA buses to keep a green light green so they can move more quickly through traffic, while passengers can expect added amenities such as expanded and improved bus shelters with digital signs indicating when the next bus is due to arrive.

Here is a look at the particulars of Rapid Bus Service, with estimated completion times:

Route and bus stop branding to distinguish and differentiate these two routes, late spring 2012.

Traffic signal improvements, including transit signal priority, for improved travel times and schedule reliability, late summer 2012.

Additional new “limited-stop” service to reduce travel times by only serving high-priority stops during peak travel hours — in addition to regular fixed route service, winter 2012.

The estimated infrastructure cost of the Rapid Bus Service route is about $2 million, including traffic signal and roadway improvements, branding and passenger infrastructure. Funding has been secured by RIPTA from federal sources.

In addition, RIPTA, in partnership with the city of Providence, has secured another grant of $1 million to expand these types of transit enhancements along the next three highest volume transit corridors in Providence.

Does the Volt Turn You On?

ecoRI News and Renewable Now conducted Chevy Volt test drives during the Nov. 12 farmers' market at Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket. Twelve people test drove the Volt, which gets 35 miles per charge and costs about $40,000. Watch the video to get the test drivers' reaction.

R.I. Transportation Bridging Concepts with Reality

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

URI professor K. Wayne Lee, right, and RIPTA CEO Charles Odimgbe have big plans for the future of transportation in Rhode Island. (Tim Faulkner/ecoRI News staff)KINGSTON — There is a lot of ground to cover between current practices and solutions for greening Rhode Island's transportation sector.

At an Oct. 28 conference, hosted by the University of Rhode Island's transportation engineering program, an array of speakers offered solutions for making the state's highways and byways more durable and healthier for the environment.

Solar-powered asphalt, roundabouts and gas-saving tires highlighted many concepts put forth by dozens of presenters, including students.

Harnessing energy from heat-absorbing roadways received significant attention. Exchange pipes embedded under roads to heat and cool buildings, or photovoltaic cells on unused pavement are all moving beyond the conceptual stage to actual use.

"This is something that can provide energy for us," said Imad L. Al-Qadi, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Illinois.

URI graduate student Varun Kasaraneni proposed adding a thin layer of special organic material to asphalt, to capture contaminants such as motor oil, toxic auto exhaust and pavement coatings that might otherwise runoff into the water table.

To put these high-tech solutions into practice, former director of the state Department of Environmental Management and current URI professor Michael Sullivan suggested that the state's major road construction companies embrace the green movement.

New England is part of the only regional greenhouse gas initiative and as such should address climate change in practical terms, such as retrofitting polluting vehicles and maintaining more green space along highways, accoridng to Sullivan. The agricultural specialist said leave the number crunching over carbon dioxide levels to climate scientists.

"Let engineers be engineers, but higher some plant people," Sullivan said, referring to the need for landscape designers to address pollutants in road planning.

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) CEO Charles Odimgbe unveiled a vision for public transportation that included rapid bus lines, new downtown transit hubs, streetcars and a revamped Kennedy Plaza. Seeking new revenue streams to pay for the upgrades is essential, he said.

K. Wayne Lee, director of URI's transportation research center, said bringing together the students and the business community is the long-term solution to making energy-intensive roadways a resource instead of a polluter. "The working together is the way," he said.

RIPTA Board Meeting Gets Occupied

Randall Rose of RIPTA Riders told the board it needed to change the formula for funding transportation. (Tim Faulkner/ecoRI News staff)

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — Protesters continue to fill the conference room at the monthly meeting of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority board of directors, but a solution to pay a $1.9 million debt has yet to get done. 

Recently, a bus full of protesters, including several from Occupy Providence, spoke out at a meeting demanding that the board distribute more money for programs that service the silent majority, instead of those that serve a smaller, wealthy minority. 

"You always find money for the things you need, not the things we need," said John St. Lawrence, an Occupy Providence protester from Woonsocket, referring specifically to the Providence/Green Airport Interlink train. "We know what you represent and it's not us."

RIPTA CEO Charles Odimgbe said the board was so far unable to reach a spending reduction agreement with the union over a package of job reductions and lengthening time between bus pickups.

Odimgbe said he hoped an agreement could be reached in a few days. Particulars include efforts to cut wasteful practices in staffing that, he said, have caused recent staffing shortages and canceled bus trips.

Paul Harrington, president of the Providence Amalgamated Transit Union, said it's a bigger issue, namely a faulty funding system. "This is not a union problem, this is not an employee problem. This is a problem for people who rely on Rhode Island public transit."

Last month, Sen. John Tassoni Jr., D-Smithfield, criticized the board for not asking for money from the General Assembly, who he said would have been happy to oblige.

RIPTA board Vice Chairman Jerome Williams noted that there has been a meeting with Statehouse leadership since that time, but gave no specifics.

Bus driver Joseph Cole told the board, "We wouldn't need the funding if you did what you had to do."

RIPTA Routes Spared; Sen. Chides Board Over Deficit

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — Sen. John Tassoni Jr., D-Smithfield, scolded the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority board of directors Tuesday for not asking the legislature to cover its deficit, noting that lawmakers would likely have paid the bill during its last session and averted job cuts at the state bus agency.

"We have enough people that are laid off. We don't need one more," Tassoni said.

Job cuts now seem likely as the board approved, by a vote of 5-2, a spending reduction proposal that aims to preserve all existing bus routes but reduce the RIPTA job force by some 30 employees.

"This is the product of a bad recession and a slow recovery," RIPTA CEO Charles Odimgbe said.

It has yet to be determined if the job reductions are realized through layoffs or early retirement deals, but the plan cuts the existing $4.6 million deficit to $1.9 million — a figure that Tassoni said should be paid from a $60 million state budget surplus. "Go up there and ask (the General Assembly) for the $1.9 million," he said. "You'll probably get it."

The plan came after months of public outcry and contentious public hearings over proposed cuts in bus service and internal struggles over how to make up for a loss in federal funding.

Odimgbe said the annual cuts in RIPTA funding have been traumatic for all of RIPTA and its riders.

"I don't want to do this again," he said. "It's such a painful process for me, for staff and the riders. It's a bad way to do business."

There was concensus among the board that funding for RIPTA, which comes from a gas tax, is flawed. The current payment has the unintended effect of reducing revenue as gas prices climb and bus riders increase.

"There needs to be wholesale change in how we fund transportation," said Michael Lewis, Department of Transportation head and RIPTA board member.

No alternatives were offered, however. 

The board also agreed that it had no intention of eliminating bus routes. But it did approve a tentative plan to reduce the frequency of stops, called service adjustments, to take $1 million from the deficit. Other savings include $300,000 from capping employee sick days and using all of a $1.27 million budget surplus from last year.

Specifics will be hammered out in the coming weeks, and board members plan to get before the Statehouse leadership to ask for more money, RIPTA board Chairman Tom Deller said.

Tassoni also wants the board to push harder for a solution to the annual crisis. "Let's get the correct funding for RIPTA going forward," he said.

Downtown Rally Protests Public Transit Cuts

By ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — Public transportation supporters gathered this morning in Kennedy Plaza and across the country to speak out against proposed cuts of more than one-third to federal funding for public transportation.

Transit supporters designated Sept. 20 as “Don’t X Out Public Transportation Day” as a way to address a proposal in the U.S. House of Representatives to drastically cut public transportation funding.

If enacted, these cuts would impact Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) riders who depend on these systems to get them to and from work, while also penalizing commuters looking for alternatives to congested roads and vulnerable communities such as the elderly, young and disabled. The proposed cuts would result in an estimated 15 percent to 20 percent reduction in service.

“At this critical juncture, what we don’t need in addition to dwindling local operating funds, is a decline in federal support to keep our systems in good repair,” said Charles Odimgbe, CEO of RIPTA. “Any decreases in federal support will be devastating to RIPTA and most other systems to say the least.”

Abel Collins, a member of RIPTA Riders and the program manager of the Rhode Island Chapter of the Sierra Club, noted that “immediate action is needed at both the state and federal level to revive the economy, and one of the best ways to do it is by investing in public transportation. We need more transit, not less.”

Members of RIPTA Riders, a new independent grassroots group that worked with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 618 and RIPTA itself to organize the today’s local rally, said cuts this drastic will mean significant job loss and a diminished quality of life for thousands of Rhode Islanders. It is estimated that 614,000 public transportation jobs across the United States could be lost during the next six years if a funding cut this extreme takes place, they said.

The rally featured many speakers supporting RIPTA, including Paul Harrington, president of ATU 618, John Flaherty, spokesman for the Coalition for Transportation Choices, and Barry Schiller, former RIPTA board member and longtime transit advocate.

“Imposing a cut of up to 35 percent to federal transportation investment would be reckless,” Flaherty said. “With our economic recovery on life support and no signs of a thaw in the unemployment rate, this is the wrong time to be disinvesting in our ailing transportation system.”