R-Line (RIPTA)

The R-Line is a rapid bus service in Rhode Island, United States, running from Pawtucket to Cranston via downtown Providence.

Operated by the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), it is the agency's first rapid bus route, and the second such system to open in New England (after the MBTA Silver Line).

The agency inherited a system of Providence-based local routes with rapidly falling ridership; over the next half-century RIPTA expanded service to cover more of the state.

In 2013, RIPTA released plans for major service changes, including the removal of some bus stops and a focusing of resources on higher-demand routes, designed to modernize their system under a constant budget.

[7] Transit signal priority construction began in February 2013 and was largely complete by the end of the year, with minor adjustments lasting until April 2014.

A southbound R-Line bus at Providence Station in October 2014
R-Line buses run in mixed traffic and have branding distinct from the rest of the RIPTA system.