New rail station may create transportation jobs in Rhode Island

Posted on December 2, 2018

City officials and the Department of Transportation are busy creating more transportation jobs in Rhode Island with the new Pawtucket-Central Falls Commuter Rail Station and Bus Hub.

The new intermodal transit center will allow riders to switch modes easily between commuter rail and RIPTA’s statewide bus network. When complete, the commuter rail stop will join three other stations (Providence, T.F. Green and Wickford Junction) serviced by the MBTA, with numerous stops in Massachusetts on route to South Station in Boston.

The rail-bus station will serve a built-in ridership that lacks robust transit choices, with many area residents having to drive to nearby commuter rail stations in Attleboro and South Attleboro, Massachusetts. Ridership studies show this station will attract an estimated 520 daily boardings.

The commuter rail station will be located near the intersections of Pine Street and Goff Avenue in Pawtucket, and act as a catalyst for increased transit-oriented economic development given its proximity to the 150-acre Conant Thread District. It will include dedicated platforms for northbound and southbound service, connected by a pedestrian bridge overpass, elevators, ramps and stairs.

“This is a fantastic day as we further strengthen our transportation system and plant the seed for new development that will rise up around this transportation center,” Governor Raimondo said. “It’s also a sign that Pawtucket and Central Falls are on the map and poised to be major players in the economic revival of the Blackstone Valley and the entire State of Rhode Island.”

“I credit Mayor Grebien and Mayor Diossa for their vision, tenacity, and leadership in making this happen. When it’s completed, this new station and hub will bring opportunities for smart growth and development for Pawtucket and Central Falls,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), who earmarked over $1.9 million in 2008 for Pawtucket and RIDOT to undertake preliminary engineering and environmental studies to support the project and has since led efforts in Congress to increase federal appropriations for TIGER – now known as BUILD – and bus facility grants.