2025 -- S 0632
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LC002228
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
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 GOVER NOR, THE DIRECTOR OF THE RHODE
ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (RIDOT), AND THE RHODE ISLAND
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSP ORTATION TO EXPLORE INCREASING THE
MASSACHUSETTS BAY TR ANSPORTATION AUTHORI TY’S (MBTA) EVENING
SERVICE TO THE WICKFORD JUNCTION/PROVIDENCE/STOUGHTON LINE ON
WEEKDAYS AND INITIATING A WEEKEND SCHEDU LE
Introduced By: Senators Sosnowski, DiMario, Valverde, Euer, Kallman, and Pearson
Date Introduced: March 07, 2025
Referred To: Senate Commerce
WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) coordinates with 1
transportation partner agencies such as RIPTA, Amtrak and the MBTA to promote driving 2
alternatives through public bus and rail service; and 3
WHEREAS, Currently, The MBTA Providence/Stoughton Line and RIPTA bus routes 4
are the main ways to travel between Providence and Wickford Junction, Rhode Island; and 5
WHEREAS, The MBTA’s Providence/Stoughton Line connects Providence, T.F. Green 6
Airport, and Wickford Junction to Boston and is the longest and busiest line on the MBTA 7
Commuter Rail system; and 8
WHEREAS, On weekdays, as of February 2022, the Providence/Stoughton Line runs 20 9
round trips between Boston and Providence, with approximately half of those trips continuing on 10
to Wickford Junction; and 11
WHEREAS, On weekends, the Providence/Stoughton Line runs nine round trips between 12
Boston and Providence, but does not serve Wickford Junction; and 13
WHEREAS, Taking the commuter rail avoids highway traffic, parking in downtown 14
Providence or Boston, and means less congestion on the busy Route 4 and I-95 highways and in 15
downtown Providence, and helps to minimize commuters' environmental footprint; now, 16
therefore be it 17
LC002228 - Page 2 of 2
RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby requests the Governor, 1
the Director of RIDOT, and the General Manager of the MBTA to explore the potential for 2
increasing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Wickford 3
Junction/Providence/Stoughton evening line on weekdays, initiating a weekend schedule, and to 4
report their findings to the Senate on or before June 1, 2025; and be it further 5
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized ad directed to 6
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Governor of Rhode Island, the Director of 7
RIDOT, and the General Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 8
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LC002228
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