PROVIDENCE — Bishop Thomas J. Tobin and more than 60 pastors of Catholic churches in the Diocese of Providence released a letter Monday voicing their support for the continuation of the Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority no-fare pass program that currently allows low-income elderly and disabled residents to ride public transit free of charge.
The no-fare pass program has existed for decades to help alleviate transportation costs for the state’s elderly and disabled poor. Recent budget cuts have led to an increase in fares for all RIPTA riders and the scheduled elimination of the no-fare pass program in 2017.
“We write as Catholic pastors concerned with an issue currently before you, your board and other state officials. We are aware that beginning January 1, 2017, fare increases will go into effect for many low-income senior citizens and people with disabilities,” said the letter.
“We ask that the RIPTA board, the governor’s office and House and Senate leadership review this policy once again to avoid harming some of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable citizens. Although we are not accountants or legislators, we are pastors who encounter many of those people who will suffer from this increase. Their needs and concerns are valid and we believe call for further review.”
Bishop Tobin and Rhode Island’s Catholic priests add their voices to a growing number of concerned citizens who have been speaking out in defense of the program since state legislation protecting no-fare passes was eliminated last year. In December 2015, RIPTA announced that fares for low-income elderly and disabled residents would increase to 50 cents per ride beginning July 1, a change that was later postponed to January 1, 2017, following protests and a greater allocation of funds in the state budget.
On Monday, RIPTA officials announced that the increase would again be delayed until February 1. The postponement was announced at a board meeting held Monday afternoon, after the release of Bishop Tobin’s letter.
“That change, though good and certainly very welcome, raises the obvious question of what happens on February 1. This is really over 13,000 very low-income seniors and disabled who rely on this bus pass for transportation,” said Emily Jones, interfaith coordinator at the Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty, which has taken a vocal stance in support of the no-fare pass program.
According to data compiled on the coalition’s website, the proposed fare increase will drastically reduce the number of trips these low-income residents are expected to take per month, preventing access to essential food, shelter and health resources as well as community activities and religious services. Eligible residents may obtain reimbursement for transport to medical appointments through a federal program; however, according to RIPTA data collection, only three to nine percent of surveyed riders use RIPTA for travel to medical appointments, leaving riders traveling to other essential services without support.
“We believe that because this population is extremely low-income, the proposed fare increase is really more than they can afford,” said Jones. “That is really concerning because people won’t be able to access basic things that they need like food and shelter. Isolation itself is a problem. It’s important for seniors and people with disabilities to be out and participating in the community.”
Several impacted residents testified in support of the no-fare bus program at a House Finance Committee meeting last May, including Blossom Segaloff, an elderly Providence resident whose arthritis makes it difficult for her to leave her home.
“I might walk to the grocery store. And every few days I have to go back because something else runs out. But on the way back, I’ve got these heavy groceries in my rolling tote and I really need to take a bus. I’ve got arthritis, as you can see, and I need to take a bus to get back home,” said Segaloff, in testimony recorded by the General Assembly’s Capitol TV, adding that she sometimes takes the bus simply to travel to a neighborhood where she can be around people, as staying alone in her home for too long can have a negative impact on her psychological wellbeing.
“It would devastate me if I had to add another 30 or 40 bucks to my budget,” she said. “As it is, I can’t do the slightest extra little thing and not go over budget.”
Though the postponement of the fare increase offers temporary respite for residents like Segaloff, the upcoming deadline continues to weigh heavily on Rhode Island’s elderly and disabled poor as well as the social services providers who assist them. The Diocese of Providence and the Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty will continue to support the reinstatement of the program as a permanent resource for all low-income elderly and disabled residents.
“We really hope that we’re able to come to a resolution that protects the no-fare bus pass for low-income seniors and people with disabilities,” said Jones. “It’s been a staple that a lot of folks have relied on to be able to access the services they need.”
