2025 -- S 0632

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LC002228

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR, THE DIRECTOR OF THE RHODE

ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (RIDOT), AND THE RHODE ISLAND

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO EXPLORE INCREASING THE

MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY’S (MBTA) EVENING

SERVICE TO THE WICKFORD JUNCTION/PROVIDENCE/STOUGHTON LINE ON

WEEKDAYS AND INITIATING A WEEKEND SCHEDULE

     Introduced By: Senators Sosnowski, DiMario, Valverde, Euer, Kallman, and Pearson

     Date Introduced: March 07, 2025

     Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) coordinates with

transportation partner agencies such as RIPTA, Amtrak and the MBTA to promote driving

alternatives through public bus and rail service; and

     WHEREAS, Currently, The MBTA Providence/Stoughton Line and RIPTA bus routes

are the main ways to travel between Providence and Wickford Junction, Rhode Island; and

     WHEREAS, The MBTA’s Providence/Stoughton Line connects Providence, T.F. Green

Airport, and Wickford Junction to Boston and is the longest and busiest line on the MBTA

Commuter Rail system; and

     WHEREAS, On weekdays, as of February 2022, the Providence/Stoughton Line runs 20

round trips between Boston and Providence, with approximately half of those trips continuing on

to Wickford Junction; and

     WHEREAS, On weekends, the Providence/Stoughton Line runs nine round trips between

Boston and Providence, but does not serve Wickford Junction; and

     WHEREAS, Taking the commuter rail avoids highway traffic, parking in downtown

Providence or Boston, and means less congestion on the busy Route 4 and I-95 highways and in

downtown Providence, and helps to minimize commuters' environmental footprint; now,

therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby requests the Governor,

the Director of RIDOT, and the General Manager of the MBTA to explore the potential for

increasing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Wickford

Junction/Providence/Stoughton evening line on weekdays, initiating a weekend schedule, and to

report their findings to the Senate on or before June 1, 2025; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized ad directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Governor of Rhode Island, the Director of

RIDOT, and the General Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

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LC002228

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