During last Wednesday's budget debate in the House, some reps, particularly Lisa Baldelli-Hunt of Woonsocket, were sharply critical of the move to earmark proceeds from a two-cent per-gallon gas tax hike for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority. It was Badelli-Hunt's view that RIPTA shouldn't get more money because of what she characterized as management woes within the agency.

With Rhode Island being such a small place, you'd think the state would have a smart and well-coordinated approach to public transportation. Instead, it more commonly seems the opposite is true. 

Representative Ed Pacheco, who not coincidentally is mulling a run for LG, points to the need for a more comprehensive approach in introducing legislation for this proposal:

The Transportation Review Council would issue recommendations to the governor and the Department of Transportation regarding transportation issues such as quality and standards of Rhode Island’s transportation system, adequacy of funding, staffing, and enforcement of regulations. The council, of which the lieutenant governor would serve as chairperson, would also be empowered to establish subcommittees to investigate special areas of concern and issue reports to the findings to the council as a whole. ...

“We have a state agency that is concerned with building and maintaining roads and bridges, another that is concerned with buses, another for the airports, and various city, state, and town agencies that are concerned with planning for development. What we need is an effort to look at the big picture and bring parties from all these places together so they’re working in concert. This council will lead to greater efficiency, better communication and better coordination so transportation in Rhode Island is improved in sensible ways,” said Representative Pacheco.

The council would consist of 12 members. One would be the lieutenant governor, who would serve as the council’s chairperson. The governor, the lieutenant governor, the Senate president and the House speaker would each appoint two other members, and the Secretary of State, the General Treasurer and the director of the Department of Transportation would each appoint one.