By JOSEPH FITZGERALD

BURRILLVILLE — Town leaders are vowing to fight the Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority’s preliminary proposal to eliminate a segment of the No. 9 bus route that services Burrillville, Glocester and Smithfield.

A fired-up Town Council Wednesday unanimously voted to draft a letter to Gov. Donald L. Carcieri and RIPTA General Manager Alfred J. Moscola to protest the transportation agency’s plan to do away with the northwestern segment of the No. 9 bus route in an attempt to address a $7.5 million deficit this fiscal year.
The council is also demanding that at least one of the public hearings scheduled to be held on the proposal this fall take place in Burrillville.
According to the proposal, the segment of the No. 9 route between Kennedy Plaza and Apple Valley Mall would remain in service, but the rest of the route, which runs through Greenville, Glocester and Burrillville to Eleanor Slater Hospital’s Zambarano unit, would be eliminated.
RIPTA’s proposed plan would shut down 160 routes or segments across the state in an effort that would save approximately $9.7 million in 2009. The cuts, which are aimed first at routes that have low ridership or are close to other routes, would eliminate some routes, shorten others and stop evening or weekend service on others.
RIPTA raised its basic, one-way fares this month from $1.50 to $1.75 in an effort to recoup some of its operating costs. The rising cost of diesel fuel left RIPTA at a $1.8 million deficit for the fiscal year that ended June 30, and the authority expects to rack up an additional deficit of $5.7 in the fiscal year that just began. RIPTA is also considering eliminating free fare for some elderly and disabled people, instead charging them 85 cents per ride.
Burrillville town officials and residents found themelves in an identical battle with RIPTA four years ago, when the agency, which was facing a deficit that year as well, tried to eliminate the No. 9 bus to cut costs.
“This issue comes up cyclically,” noted Town Council President Nancy F. Binns. “It’s not a huge number of people who use it (No. 9 bus), but there are a substantial number of people who rely on it. It’s imperative that we stay in touch with our state representatives and make our feelings known.”
Town Administrator Michael C. Wood agreed, saying town officials and residents need to “get on top of this early and put as much pressure on as possible.”
“The issue is about economics more than anything,” Wood said. “I realize they (RIPTA) have problems, but they shouldn’t take it out on the rural communities.”
Resident Renee McLeish, a Pascoag rider on the No. 9 bus for the past 10 years, urged the council to fight the proposal, saying the bus not only services the state Zambarano Hospital, but is also used by students from northern Rhode Island who attend La Salle Academy. The proposal, she says comes at a time when ridership has increased due to the high cost of gasoline.
“We’re making the same appeal to you as we did in 2004,” she told the council.
Rep. Edwin R. Pacheco (D-Dist. 47, Burrillville, Glocester) told the council that he and Sen. Paul W. Fogarty (D-Dist. 23, Glocester, Burrillville, North Smithfield) are already working to fight the proposal, saying they have a meeting scheduled with Moscolla in a couple of weeks. Pacheco said it is his understanding that at least one of the public hearings on the plan will be held in Burrillville.
Town Councilwoman Margaret “Peggy” Dudley suggested contacting the Glocester Town Council for its support and to adopt a resolution at the next meeting seeking the support of other communities as well.