A map of the 63. It's bad. (This is actually the Saturday service.)
When you’ve been like me, and have been looking at terrible transit planning for over 6 months, you eventually run into something utterly worse than terrible. That utterly worse thing is RIPTA’s 63. I’ve seen things equally as worse as well, as well as things that are a curse on society.
Thanks to my friend Cedric (If you’re reading this, you’ve definitely heard about him by now), who told me about this route on *checks notes* August 19, 2021. This thing got lost in my mind somewhere to the point where it’s February and now I’m writing about it. Cedric also wanted to see this one (see his comment on the RIPTA 6 post). When Cedric first told me about it, he compared it to the MBTA’s 112. I have got to take a look at that one as well. My reaction in August was “OH GOD WHAT THE”. That’s how bad this one is.
The 63 runs between the Newport Gateway Center and the Stop and Shop in Middletown. Some trips continue north to the Oxbow Apartments. With a lot of turns along the way. That’s the easiest way that I can put it.
First thing to note, the 63 has a different route on Saturdays than it does the rest of the week. On Saturdays, the route deviates 5 times outbound only to West House, which is an apartment complex. It’s fine if you’re going outbound from here, but it gets complicated when coming back inbound.
Also, this route takes a bunch of different turns in Newport, around the Walmart and CCRI. Who the hell added that deviation up Girard Ave, Maple Ave, and Hillside Ave? What were you thinking?
At the Stop and Shop, the 63 has a similar setup to the one that the 1 has. The trips that continue to the Oxbow Apartments stop on West Main Rd outside the plaza, while the trips that originate and terminate at the Stop and Shop use the stop right in front of the store.
For ridership, the route sees an average of 720 riders on any weekday, with an estimated 389 passengers on Saturdays and 194 riders on Sundays.
A map of the 63. It's bad. (This is actually the Saturday service.)
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