Too often, when decisions are made about transportation, what's best for automobiles (rather than what's best for Rhode Islanders) is the top priority. All Rhode Islanders -- including motorists -- benefit when we make transportation investments that encourage dynamic and accessible communities where residents can walk, bike or take transit to get where they need to go.
To help illustrate the cultural change now underway in how everyday Rhode Islanders look at transportation choices, CTC is presenting the first in a series of profiles of Rhode Islanders who use alternative transportation. We asked Bruce McCrae (aka Rudy Cheeks) -- Radio Director for In-Sight and newspaper columnist for the Providence Phoenix -- to tell us about his experiences using alternative transportation.
How often do you use alternate transportation?
I'm on a RIPTA bus at least a half-dozen times a week. Don't know if taxi cabs are considered "alternative" but I also use them frequently. I am 60 yr. old and have never driven an automobile nor had a driver's license.
What was your favorite transportation experience?
If you're talking about "in general," taking trains back and forth from New York or Boston. Very relaxing and enjoyable. More locally, eavesdropping on loquacious passengers on certain bus routes (#1 Eddy and #11 Broad Street are particularly good for this) is always fun and frequently good newspaper column fodder.
What would be your priority recommendation to make taking the bus, riding your bike, or using alternative transportation easier or more convenient?
While I haven't used bikes in a number of years, I used to and I believe that we need to look at bike paths and highway bike lanes as DOT planning priorities. And we need more, not less, bus routes and expanded services, particularly evening service. My idea of an initiative (which will never happen) to increase mass transit usage would be to expand taking away people's driver's licenses as a punishment for a wide variety of crimes. You'll only get them to quit the cars by forcing the issue.
You can help CTC make the case for transportation decisions that benefit all Rhode Islanders by sending your alternative transportation story to us at info@rictc.org.
Be sure to let us know if we can share it with the public and state decision-makers.
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About the Coalition for Transportation Choices
The Coalition for Transportation Choices (CTC) calls for a 21st century transportation system that enhances our economy and provides all Rhode Islanders with healthy transportation choices.
Rhode Island's 21st century transportation system must provide all people - employees, tourists, youth, elderly, able and disabled - with safe and dependable access to their community's opportunities for work, education, services, and recreation. The system should be considerably less dependent on cars and fossil fuels as well as efficient, effective and easy to use. It should minimize impacts to land, water and air and improve the health and well-being of all Rhode Islanders. Such a system should be sustained with predictable and consistent funding for operation and future growth.
CTC's work is supported
by the Rhode Island Foundation, The Prospect Hill Foundation and Third
Sector New England's Capacity Building Fund
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Coalition for Transportation Choices
Member Groups
* AARP
* Amalgamated Transit Union
* American Lung Association in RI
* Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living
* Aquidneck Island Planning Commission
* Audubon Society of Rhode Island
* Blueways Alliance
* Blackstone Valley Partnership
* Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
* Blueways Alliance
* Brown emPower
* Childhood Lead Action Project
* City-State, the Urban Design Lab at RISD
* Clean Water Action
* Conservation Law Foundation
* Cornish Associates
* DOT Watch
* East Coast Greenway Alliance
* Ecolect
* Environmental Justice League of RI
* Farm Fresh Rhode Island
* Goodwill Industries
* Grow Smart RI
* Head of the Bay Gateway
* LISC-RI
* Narragansett Bay Estuary Program
* Opportunities Unlimited, Inc.
* Pawtucket Foundation
* Providence Foundation
* Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau
* Recycle-A-Bike
* Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition
* RI Consulting Engineers (RICE)
* Rhode Island Student Climate Coalition
* RI Association of Railroad Passengers
* RI Interfaith Power and Light
* RI Land Trust Council
* RICOSH
* Save The Bay
* SEIU, District 1199
* Sierra Club
* The Providential Gardener
* U.S. Open Cycling
* Working Rhode Island
* Youth in Action
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