Edwards Pushes For RIPTA Line With Bridge Opening
With the opening of the new Sakonnet River Bridge and the coming tolls, Rep. John J. Edwards requested RIPTA restore services to Tiverton.
Rep. John J. Edwards (D-Dist. 70) is asking the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) to restore bus service to Tiverton now that the new Sakonnet River Bridge is fully operational.
“My constituents need access to public transportation, as any other city or town in Rhode Island,” the representative wrote to the RIPTA chairman and Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian this week. “We have been paying and continue to pay our share of the gas tax through which [RIPTA] is funded. We expect our fair share of access to public transportation as afforded elsewhere.”
Edwards recognizes that Tiverton is one of a handful of towns in Rhode Island without a RIPTA bus line. Restoration of public transportation in town could result in a positive domino effect for residents who are down on their luck and looking for work or access to education, he said in a recent press release.
“That’s all anyone cares about right now – getting back on their feet,” Edwards said of his request to Avedisian. “The sooner people gain momentum in the employment world, the sooner the state’s economy gets back on track. I understand there are financial concerns, but we also need to work in the interest of fairness. I sincerely hope Chairman Avedisian gives this request some serious consideration.”
The new Sakonnet River Bridge, which connects Tiverton to Portsmouth, eliminates the 18-ton weight limit that formerly barred RIPTA busses from crossing on Route 24. It became fully operational on Friday, Sept. 28, after three years of construction. DOT officials estimate it will wrap up additional construction associated with the bridge in 2013.
Jim L
8:40 am on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Putting tolls on this bridge will not help anyone, if jobs are being lost why will we need bus service to get to jobs that are leaving. This bridge should not be turned over to the bridge folks,Even as the govenor said it an economic lifeline for Newport county, The old bridge was lost due to neglect and mismanagedment, and to turn all this money over to a private firms is just stupid, if they can do such a good job then lets can the DOT and declare ALL our roads Turnpikes and bridges, Maybe then our gas taxes and car registration ,mioney will be used for it';s real purpose instead of doled out by Fox and Paiva Weed to see folks get re elected NO TOLLS< NO TOLLS NO TOLLS
Gerry Jones
9:05 pm on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Jiml, Why do you comment on this article? Is it because you have something against Rep Edwards? He has been working harder than you ( think of that) against the tolls and all you can do is bash him. I don't know you or him personally but, at least I know what he's done. He;s trying to restore bus service to Tiverton. Are you against that, Jiml??? Maybe you and lord nelson want the working folks in Tiverton to continue paying high gas prices to go to work. Oh, yeah, you're retired now so you just don't care about the rest of us!
Jim L
5:18 pm on Thursday, October 11, 2012
maybe because i was standing right next to him on the bridge as he talked about bus service right after he just got done holding up a no tolls sign , seems to me that would have been the time for him to make a comment against the tolls, yes i don't care i spend 30 hours a week and $30.00 bucks in gas because I just don't care He could have stopped this from the start, He called the petition a waste of time and said the tolls were a done deal, sorry if i call someone in office on their actions, but thats enough for me to not vote for him period, oh did you see ripta's broke? another fine state deal the Dems fixed