Projo Biz Blog

PROVIDENCE _ Passengers who rely on the state's bus system could make it to July without major service reductions -- so long as the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority gets some key financial breaks, officials there say.

That would amount to a reversal from the grim situation last fall, when the agency was estimating its deficit at $10 million and considering eliminating up to one fifth of its service. Those cuts could have taken effect as soon as this month.

But if things don't go RIPTA's way, transit officials say, it may fall right back into a financial hole and again be pushed into service cutbacks.

"We're not out of the woods yet, by any means," said John Rupp, chairman of the authority's board of directors. "Nothing's off the table yet."

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