Ever wanted to see how tourist destinations shape a bus schedule? Look no further than the 6. Yup, this schedule is based on the hours of the Roger Williams Zoo.
The zoo is open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm daily. The 6 runs between the zoo and Kennedy Plaza via Colony House (an apartment complex), CCRI, and Prairie Ave. However, the route runs for longer than the zoo is open.
Trips going northbound start running every hour from Colony House at 6:16 am. At 9:45, the first trip departing the zoo leaves, and further trips leave every 30 minutes. Also at this point, Colony House stops getting service until the 2:10 pm trip from the zoo, which does stop at Colony House at 2:16. The last trip from the zoo is at 4:07 pm, stopping at Colony House 6 minutes later.
It then goes hourly from Colony House until the last trip at 7:00 pm, when trips start from CCRI every 40 - 60 minutes until 9:30 pm.
Similar schedule going southbound, with trips starting at 6:37 am from Kennedy Plaza, hourly to Colony House until 9:37 am, the first trip to the zoo. Colony House stops seeing service until the one trip at 2:55 pm, and then hourly from 3:58 pm.
What's odd here is that one can arrive at the zoo after they close by taking the 3:37 pm trip from Kennedy Plaza, arriving at the zoo at 4:02 pm. I think that's the bus that leaves the zoo at 4:07. Makes sense.
After 7:00, it goes hourly to CCRI until 8:40 pm, which is the last trip from Kennedy Plaza.
Saturdays are much more straight forward. The route runs every hour starting at 8:25 am with the one morning trip to Colony House, and then the 9:25 am trip goes to the zoo. The last two trips (4:25 pm and 5:25 pm) go to Colony House.
Colony House does not get service on Sundays, with all hourly trips going to the zoo during the hours that the zoo is open. (9:25 am - 3:25 pm from Kennedy Plaza)
This thing should get a lot of ridership considering that it goes to the zoo, right? Nope, only 334 people ride this on the average weekday, with an estimated 180 on Saturdays and 90 on Sundays. Yikes, that's not much.
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Heli on August 19, 2021 at 6:20 pm: I think that this bus barely gets anyone cuz prairie isn't a big avenue, CCRI is small, and most tourists are coming from places other then providence... It will be interesting to see some of your opinions on the crazy routes, like the 49 or 63, lol