Three possible streetcar routes were discussed Monday night at the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority's meeting with the College Hill Neighborhood Association. Each route provides a slightly different link between major city hubs including Brown, Rhode Island Hospital, Kennedy Plaza and the train station.
The meeting focused on RIPTA's Core Connector Study, which is investigating the feasibility of installing a streetcar system to strengthen Providence's current system of public transportation.
One proposed route — the East option — would offer the most direct path from Brown to Rhode Island Hospital, the state's two largest employers, said Amy Pettine, RIPTA special projects manager.
Another route — the West option — would link the two hubs less directly but provide better access to Upper South Providence, she said.
The third option would service the Downcity area, located southwest of the Financial District and adjacent to the Jewelry District. This route provides the most downtown access.
All three proposed routes would travel up the Thayer Street tunnel, though engineers working with the project have expressed concern that a streetcar would not be able to pass through it, Pettine said.
RIPTA has not yet decided to implement a streetcar system. Other options include systems of enhanced buses with better amenities or traditional buses with more frequent service.
RIPTA officials will present the routes at a public forum Dec. 9, and a route will be finalized in January, Pettine said. But that decision, as well as the drafting of a financial plan to fund the new system, will be made this spring.