Town of Smithfield Transportation Options

• Yes, there is transportation available for Smithfield Residents 55+ or with disabilities for the following services. Please call 401-949-4590 to schedule any of the following:

  • Transportation to and from all programs, lunches at the Senior Center, and doctor appointments.
  • Grocery Shopping: Stop & Shop, Dave’s Market, Market Basket. Four paper-inside-of grocery-bags only.
  • Pharmacies: CVS & Stop & Shop for prescription pickup.
  • Town Hall and both Smithfield Public Libraries
  • Town Council Meeting
  • Weekly scheduled trips and shopping rides for residents 55+ or with a disability 

  
  

  If you have any questions regarding the transportation schedule or if you would like to schedule a ride, please leave a message at the Senior Center, 949-4590.

RIde Paratransit Program

The RIde Paratransit Program is a complementary ADA paratransit service that provides transportation for people with disabilities who are traveling within ¾-mile of a fixed bus route and cannot independently take the bus or travel to and from a bus stop.

RIPTA charges $4.00 per one-way paratransit trip; this is two times the standard fixed-route fare as authorized by the ADA and helps defray the cost of this paratransit service.

The RIde Paratransit Program provides door to door service and requires advance reservations. Under federal regulations, ADA Paratransit Service must operate within a 3/4-mile corridor on either side of a fixed route. ADA service operates during the same hours that the fixed route bus runs. All ADA trips must start and end in the corridor.

Click here to learn more about RIde paratransit service and to fill out an application.

RIde Anywhere

The RIde Anywhere program provides door-to-door access anywhere in Rhode Island for qualified passengers with disabilities. First launched as a pilot in January 2024, RIde Anywhere was made permanent by the General Assembly in 2025. This premium program expands RIPTA’s RIde ADA paratransit program—a shared, reservation only, door-to-door service designed to accommodate people who have disabilities that prevent their independent use of fixed-route bus service. 

Paratransit Fare

RIde paratransit service requires a $4.00 fare for each one-way trip. Passengers have the option of paying their fare with cash (exact change only), paper RIde passes or with Wave – RIPTA’s smart fare collection system.

RIde passes are available for purchase online here or at Stop & Shop.

Paying with Wave

To start using Wave, RIde passengers can purchase a Wave card at a participating retail location (a $5 activation fee applies) or download the Wave mobile app at no cost. After obtaining a Wave card or downloading the app, passengers should call RIde at 401-461-9760 to connect their Wave account number with their RIde account. Once linked, passengers can easily add funds and manage their Wave account from their phone or computer. When requesting a trip, RIde passengers should inform the RIde Customer Service Agent that they will be paying with Wave.

For more information on Wave, passengers can visit RIPTA.com/Wave.

The Earn As You Go feature does not apply to RIde. Please note that Reduced Fare Photo ID Wave cards cannot be used for RIde service.

If you are traveling with a Personal Care Assistant (PCA), the PCA will not be charged a fare.  Please have the exact fare amount ready to present to the driver.  Drivers cannot make change for larger bills.

The Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority (RIPTA), 265 Melrose Street, Providence, RI 02907, offers low-income persons with a disability, or age 65 and older, the opportunity to ride free of charge on a RIPTA bus with a RIPTA No Fare Bus Pass. All other persons age 65 and older, or persons with a disability, pay full fare from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. and from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, and pay half-price at all other times, with the presentation of a RIPTA Senior Disabled Pass, or a Medicare ID card.

Schedule Information
401-784-9500 x604
www.ripta.com

Reservations:

RIPTA’s RIde program provides transportation services to those 60 and older, and adults with disabilities under 60 who meet certain criteria. Transportation is generally available weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for doctors’ appointments, therapy, medical tests, adult day care, kidney dialysis, cancer treatments, and senior center/community meal site lunches.

Fees per ride may apply.Adult day service clients and persons on Medical Assistance may not be charged transportation fees.

Reservations should be made at least seven (7) business days in advance for any appointment. RIde transportation reservations can be made Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

RIde Paratransit Reservations
401-461-9760
1-800-479-6902
www.ripta.com