With eye towards efficiency, RIPTA looks to cutting 20 percent of its bus stops

PROVIDENCE - In pursuit of faster trips, planners at the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority are considering the elimination of as many as one out of five of the stops in its bus system.

That would reduce the number of stops from roughly 5,000 to about 4,000, according to Mark Therrien, RIPTA's assistant general manager for development and planning.

It doesn't take long to pick up and drop off passengers, but when the stops add up, they take a significant amount of time. Stops, the study says, are a major reason why bus trips take longer than automobile trips.

RIPTA is publishing information about bus stop changes along with other material about the study, a spokeswoman said. It is also holding community meetings on plans.