Since being appointed as chief executive officer of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority in January of 2025, Christopher Durand has focused his attention on making the agency more financially viable. A sizable budget deficit prompted Durand to initiate a series of service cuts – the largest in the agency’s history – that have angered public transit advocates across the state.
Moving forward, Durand says adequate state funding is critical to helping RIPTA maintain its current level of service, and could eventually lead to expanded bus routes. He offered his thoughts on the agency’s future in a recent conversation with Ocean State Media political reporter Ian Donnis.
Interview highlights
On the challenge of providing reliable public transit in Rhode Island
Christopher Durand: I think as a smaller state (with) generally less traffic, it's had a hard time, I think, gaining traction, but I think we do have a strong system that runs through the urban core. I think what is unique about Rhode Island is that we're one of a few statewide systems. So there's an expectation across the entire state, across the entire General Assembly and all the elected officials that their tax money's coming back to their community and getting transit service. I think there's always been a lot of different opinions around what should happen or shouldn't happen. But I think we are making progress around raising the awareness of the value of public transit.
On his vision for RIPTA’s future
Durand: We've gone through a lot in the past few years. I think we're in a stable place. I think a lot of the fiscal issues, not that they're behind us, but certainly the fiscal cliff was a real challenge for us. I think the state support that we've received, which is over $30 million of new permanent funding to support operations, is a lifeline for us that really allows us to start to not think about where we're cutting and what might happen to the agency, but actually start thinking, how do we proactively move the agency forward? How do we think more long term? Then how do we implement those things while also making sure that the public feels that they're being listened to, and also that there's accountability towards the agency? With that state funding comes expectations around transparency.
On whether the state is committed to long-term financial support of RIPTA
Durand: I think that question is still a little bit to be determined. I feel positive that we're moving in that direction. No transit agency can survive without subsidies, both federal and local… I think we're also trying to really make sure, whatever comes into the agency in terms of support, that we really go out there and show that we can make the value that we can bring to the communities that we serve. I think we're building on that progress to get to a place where we can start expanding service.
On the impact of RIPTA service cuts
Durand: We need to be responsive to our riders, whatever that looks like. I think we've gone through a lot of challenges to get from a place where we had a $32 million deficit to now a balanced one. We did cut service last fall. I think we're hearing loud and clear from a lot of different communities and certainly a lot of different riders of where they're feeling that pain the most. And overall we need to be responsive. We need to make sure that we're looking at where the demand is, where the ridership is and support those lines and expand that.
Right now the funding we have is pretty level. We weren't out of the woods yet even after those service cuts. So I think that's something we'll be working towards with a new governor – from the looks of it – and the general assembly of this coming session to really start thinking again forward. What does the future look like? What does the funding have to be, not just to stay stable, but to actually start doing the things we want to be doing, which is being responsive to the riders and making sure that the services out there that we know that they deserve?
On the need for continued state investment in RIPTA
Durand: The number one reason someone gets on a bus is to go to work. I think investing in RIPTA is not a social service; it's getting people to work. It's giving people opportunity. The top three reasons of riding RIPTA (are) getting to work, going to school or going to a doctor's appointment. We've been really trying to highlight those types of connections that people are making.
We're working with employers, trying to be a little bit more proactive around (telling them), “We could be part of your solutions. If you're struggling to hire for your warehouse or whatever roles that you're trying to fill in your business, we can be a part of that solution. We can help you access employees and we can help people get to these really good jobs.” We've been doing that across the state…
All these businesses are… trying to find employees. They're trying to recruit employees. So how do we bridge those connections (to make sure) that our services are aligned with those different types of connections that people need to really show that yes, this is an agency that helps drive economic value. If we want people to get good jobs and raise their incomes, RIPTA's a part of that.
