Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) provides public transportation, primarily buses, in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The main hub of the RIPTA system is Kennedy Plaza, a large bus terminal in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Average daily ridership as of the fourth quarter of 2023 is 41,800. The agency operates 59 fixed-route bus routes and 7 demand-responsive routes, together serving 37 out of 39 Rhode Island municipalities.
A route 51 bus at Kennedy Plaza in 2008
An R-Line bus in downtown Providence
Kennedy Plaza, formerly Exchange Place, Exchange Terrace, or City Hall Park, is a rectangular public square that occupies a central portion of Downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Since the mid 19th century, the plaza has served as a civic and transportation hub.
Kennedy Plaza
An engraving depicting Exchange Place in 1886
Exchange Place, ca. 1890. City Hall at center; to its right is the First Union Station, where Burnside park currently exists.
Exchange Place c. 1910, facing the then-new Federal Building