Skip to main content
Uncategorized

CC: “Innovation District Transit Center”

01 / ON THE BOARDS

Innovation District Bus Transit Center

A number of downtown Providence stakeholders are proposing a new Innovation District Bus Transit Center be constructed to help alleviate crowding in the Kennedy Plaza area, bring more transit service into the Innovation District and introduce housing and commercial uses on two underutilized parcels.
As envisioned, the facility would be located on a two-block site across from Garrahy Courthouse and bounded by Dorrance, Friendship, Peck and Clifford Streets. The two parcels are currently used for surface parking.

Transit activity would be located on the ground floor of a larger development which would include:

” This would be a win for RIPTA riders, a win for a more vibrant Kennedy Plaza, and a win for the City of Providence. It solves so many problems .”

-Donald Powers

The potential exists to incorporate a small segment of Friendship Street creating a pedestrian plaza connecting with the existing small park at the intersection of Dorrance and Dyer Streets. This would provide an attractive gateway to downtown from the southern end of Dorrance Street.

The Innovation District Transit Center would be a complement with the transit hub at Providence Station and would allow RIPTA to shift downtown bus layover and much passenger activity to this new indoor facility. This, in turn, would alleviate crowds in Kennedy Plaza and allow the City to advance planned improvements to make the area surrounding the Plaza into a more vibrant and welcoming public space.

The new facility would also provide needed downtown bus berthing space which would be required to accommodate any future growth in Rhode Island’s transit system.

The existing Kennedy Plaza station would be reduced to 2 opposing bus stops on a newly configured Washington St ‘woonerf’ adjacent to the existing passenger facility and the ice skating rink. The existing building would remain open while being remodeled for more active, complementary public uses.