Rhode Island School of Design - Transportation

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Oftentimes, students will take the RIPTA Trolley up the hill or from one end of Benefit Street to the other, which provides a convenient and quick way to get where they’re going. Past that, things get a little hazy. The buses are slightly confusing, and schedules are not well posted. In order to get to the fabric store, a student must take around five transfers. There had been some discussion about giving RISD students a deal where if they show their IDs, they can ride for free, but the fact of the matter is there are not a lot of kids willing to get on a bus bound for an unknown destination—free or not.

Providence is so small that the parts most people want to get to are easily within walking or biking distance. Most people only take the buses if they want to go to Newport or somewhere else outside the city. For Boston or New York, the train is the most efficient. The hardest places for students to reach are usually Home Depot or Jo-Ann Fabrics to get supplies for projects. Also, in relation to the school, the nearest real grocery store is walkable, but not pleasantly walkable, especially when carrying tons of food. Except for these few places that students have access to with the RISD shopping shuttles, there’s not a lot that’s worth going to outside the walkable Providence radius.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Providence transportation is... Providence transportation is confusing, but RISD Ride’s easy enough. 12345 Transportation Report

Anonymous says:

Buses have weird schedules here... Buses have weird schedules here and are kind of difficult to figure out. The trolley is easy to catch but only runs through historic Providence. Both stop running pretty early. 12345 Transportation Report

Anonymous says:

It’s a small city, so most people... It’s a small city, so most people walk or bike around. If you need to take the bus or trolley, they’re around. 12345 Transportation Report

Anonymous says:

I haven’t used them much, but the... I haven’t used them much, but the trolleys and buses seem pretty easily available. 12345 Transportation Report

Anonymous says:

It takes a while for me to wait... It takes a while for me to wait for buses and trolleys. I think a car is necessary for living off campus and if you need to go grocery shopping or buying materials for classes. But, unfortunately, there’s not a lot of parking space on RISD campus. 12345 Transportation Report

Most Recent Contributing Author

Name: Helen Koh
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Major: Graphic Design/Painting

Helen is very good at sandwich making.

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