Does RIPTA’s $400,000 “Safe Turn Alert” System Work?
GoLocalProv News Team and Kate Nagle
Does RIPTA’s $400,000 “Safe Turn Alert” System Work?
RIPTA has been under scrutiny and faces numerous lawsuits tied to deaths and accidents, and the agency has refused to turn over accident records to the media or to the attorneys, for the family of the 9-year-old girl killed by a RIPTA bus on Smith Street in 2015.
The new “safe turn alert” system is designed to alert pedestrians, bikers and other drivers that a bus is turning. The system, developed by Protran Technology of South Carolina, is being deployed now in about ten locations across the country. Providence is one of the bigger deployments.
The Protran system was installed by RIPTA and not the technology developer. According to RIPTA officials, the system has been deployed on nearly all of the fleet's 210 to 215 buses.
A GoLocal review found that the system appears to notify the pedestrian too late. The flasher and audio recording only deploys after the bus is in a full turn. According to RIPTA officials, the vehicle must have turned the wheel by 35 to 40 percent before the system is activated.
RIPTA officials came to GoLocal on Wednesday to review GoLocal footage of the alert system and defended the system and its implementation.
Video footage shot in numerous locations in downtown Providence shows that oftentimes, the RIPTA bus is fully engaged in the turn before the announcement starts.
“The system that we purchased…is designed to deploy when the steering wheel of the bus is turned. It is automatic so there is no human error factor. The default factory setting for that system is set for when the bus makes a turn of approximately 45 degrees. We adjusted that it so it deploys earlier in the turn – at roughly a 38 to 40 degree turning radius,” said Barbara Polichetti, spokesperson for RIPTA.
John Chadwick, Director of Inventory Control, Jamie Pereira, Chief Security Officer, and Polichetti came to GoLocal.
The Protran system is initiated in some other cities when the turn signal is initiated, thus giving pedestrians earlier notice of the system. The turn signal deployment notifies pedestrians two to four seconds earlier than in Providence depending on the speed of the bus.
A video from Baltimore television station WBAL shows that the Protran system installation notifies pedestrians significantly earlier. In Baltimore, the notification begins before the turn, versus in Providence in which the notification that it takes place during the turn, finishing the full announcement with the turn is nearly completed.
As GoLocal reported in May of 2016, “In the past two years, three people have been killed by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) buses and dozens have been injured. Now a lawsuit in the 2015 death of nine-year-old Ani Emdjian raises serious concerns about RIPTA’s safety and training of its drivers.
Presently, RIPTA faces dozens of lawsuits tied to accidents, injuries and deaths.
Top 100 Overtimers at RIPTA
#100
JERIMAL BARNES
Salary: $45,170.54
Overtime: $22,707.39
Total: $67,877.93
Does not include benefits
#99
BRENDA BRIERE
Salary: $60,302.26
Overtime: $22,801.78
Total: $83,104.04
Does not include benefits
#98
MARSEL GARCIA
Salary: $47,368.14
Overtime: $22,832.61
Total: $70,200.75
Does not include benefits
#97
JENNIFER DONAHAY
Salary: $57,083.95
Overtime: $22,910.62
Total: $79,994.54
Does not include benefits
#96
JAMES GARCIA
Salary: $57,177.33
Overtime: $23,025.74
Total: $80,203.07
Does not include benefits
#95
JEFFREY THERIAULT
Salary: $47,370.19
Overtime: $23,195.92
Total: $70,566.11
Does not include benefits
#94
ANTOINIER PINTHIERE
Salary: $40,231.47
Overtime: $23,220.03
Total: $63,451.5
Does not include benefits
#93
ARTHUR TILLEY
Salary: $60,646.22
Overtime: $23,319.01
Total: $83,965.23
Does not include benefits
#92
A JOSEPH DAOU
Salary: $40,226.29
Overtime: $23,518.67
Total: $63,744.96
Does not include benefits
#91
ANTONIO LOPES
Salary: $37,807.65
Overtime: $23,591.75
Total: $61,399.4
Does not include benefits
#90
PENELOPE CODY-HEROUX
Salary: $42,539.58
Overtime: $23,786.93
Total: $66,326.51
Does not include benefits
#89
ABIODUN OSHIYEMI
Salary: $56,424.39
Overtime: $23,945.01
Total: $80,369.4
Does not include benefits
#88
OSWALDO RIVERA
Salary: $33,963.10
Overtime: $24,169.54
Total: $58,132.64
Does not include benefits
#87
NERY DURAN
Salary: $47,826.31
Overtime: $24,171.43
Total: $71,997.74
Does not include benefits
#86
PIERRE CHARLES
Salary: $56,467.37
Overtime: $24,236.90
Total: $80,704.27
Does not include benefits
#85
DAVID BLAIS
Salary: $62,316.27
Overtime: $24,281.46
Total: $86,597.73
Does not include benefits
#84
ANTHONY WILLIAMS
Salary: $61,714.37
Overtime: $24,377.80
Total: $86,092.17
Does not include benefits
#83
NICHOLAS DECRISTOFARO
Salary: $59,374.23
Overtime: $24,557.13
Total: $83,931.36
Does not include benefits
#82
GIOVANNI TIBURCIO
Salary: $59,579.49
Overtime: $24,645.30
Total: $84,224.79
Does not include benefits
#81
WILLIAM FELCI
Salary: $61,242.21
Overtime: $24,721.23
Total: $85,963.44
Does not include benefits
#80
MICHAEL CAMPOPIANO
Salary: $57,838.80
Overtime: $24,766.28
Total: $82,605.08
Does not include benefits
#79
ROBERT ANDOSCIA
Salary: $70,601.28
Overtime: $24,787.80
Total: $95,389.08
Does not include benefits
#78
MICHAEL PELLETIER
Salary: $59,553.13
Overtime: $24,798.52
Total: $84,351.65
Does not include benefits
#77
JULES ROMAIN
Salary: $60,919.34
Overtime: $24,861.48
Total: $85,780.82
Does not include benefits
#76
ERNST LUBIN
Salary: $65,183.76
Overtime: $25,318.42
Total: $90,502.18
Does not include benefits
#75
CHARLES WILLIS
Salary: $65,945.25
Overtime: $25,544.98
Total: $91,490.23
Does not include benefits
#74
STEPHEN ZACHAS
Salary: $64,362.72
Overtime: $25,594.00
Total: $89,956.72
Does not include benefits
#73
ORLANDO SEMEDO
Salary: $61,694.61
Overtime: $25,688.86
Total: $87,383.47
Does not include benefits
#72
DIMKY EDOUARD
Salary: $56,220.53
Overtime: $25,707.05
Total: $81,927.58
Does not include benefits
#71
JAMES MANER
Salary: $60,082.03
Overtime: $25,771.87
Total: $85,853.9
Does not include benefits
#70
MAURICE HOWIE
Salary: $70,170.11
Overtime: $26,013.00
Total: $96,183.11
Does not include benefits
#69
FERNAND LAGUERRE
Salary: $59,563.90
Overtime: $26,014.51
Total: $85,578.41
Does not include benefits
#68
KENNETH ATHAIDE
Salary: $65,816.19
Overtime: $26,238.96
Total: $92,055.15
Does not include benefits
#67
DAVID LEMIRE
Salary: $64,622.21
Overtime: $26,673.94
Total: $91,296.15
Does not include benefits
#66
KEVIN DECOSTA
Salary: $60,720.01
Overtime: $26,682.68
Total: $87,402.69
Does not include benefits
#65
HENRY WILLIAMS
Salary: $75,864.00
Overtime: $26,901.18
Total: $102,765.18
Does not include benefits
#64
CARLOS ROCHA
Salary: $72,422.30
Overtime: $26,924.37
Total: $99,346.67
Does not include benefits
#63
CHARLES CAMPBELL
Salary: $54,881.00
Overtime: $27,059.66
Total: $81,940.66
Does not include benefits
#62
ELEUTERIO TORTI
Salary: $60,846.67
Overtime: $27,175.79
Total: $88,022.46
Does not include benefits
#61
ELDORA GIBLIN
Salary: $58,241.09
Overtime: $27,294.04
Total: $85,535.13
Does not include benefits
#60
MEURIS MOQUETE
Salary: $67,626.46
Overtime: $27,478.84
Total: $95,105.3
Does not include benefits
#59
EDDY PIERRE PHILIPPE
Salary: $68,720.56
Overtime: $27,539.27
Total: $96,259.83
Does not include benefits
#58
JASON FERREIRA
Salary: $74,351.36
Overtime: $27,555.32
Total: 101,906.68
Does not include benefits
#57
JAMES BIANCHI
Salary: $57,462.71
Overtime: $27,632.22
Total: $85,094.93
Does not include benefits
#56
MARY HATHAWAY
Salary: $38,637.04
Overtime: $27,644.10
Total: $66,281.14
Does not include benefits
#55
DENNIS DUGAN
Salary: $61,758.61
Overtime: $27,941.43
Total: $89,700.04
Does not include benefits
#54
OSIEL OLIVA
Salary: $51,294.64
Overtime: $27,984.21
Total: $79,278.85
Does not include benefits
#53
FIROUZ PAZHOUHANDEH
Salary: $63,288.54
Overtime: $28,013.90
Total: $91,302.44
Does not include benefits
#52
LOVERIDGE AMOAKO
Salary: $68,757.43
Overtime: $28,127.17
Total: $96,884.6
Does not include benefits
#51
DAVID MCGEE
Salary: $61,188.94
Overtime: $28,388.53
Total: $89,577.47
Does not include benefits
#50
SLAV MALYUTA
Salary: $40,164.78
Overtime: $28,802.99
Total: $68,967.77
Does not include benefits
#49
MILTON LUNA
Salary: $60,352.93
Overtime: $28,832.53
Total: 89,185.46
Does not include benefits
#48
JOSEPH COLE
Salary: $65,644.69
Overtime: $29,904.84
Total: $95,549.53
Does not include benefits
#47
GEORGE CURRAN
Salary: $68,968.48
Overtime: $30,022.05
Total: $98,990.53
Does not include benefits
#46
PETER DZIEDZIC
Salary: $61,072.04
Overtime: $30,820.70
Total: $91,892.74
Does not include benefits
#45
JORGE VIZCAINO
Salary: $67,905.35
Overtime: $30,900.19
Total: $98,805.54
Does not include benefits
#44
BERT DEMERS
Salary: $65,121.68
Overtime: $31,222.21
Total: $96,343.89
Does not include benefits
#43
LENUS BAPTISTE
Salary: $39,874.52
Overtime: $31,283.90
Total: $71,158.42
Does not include benefits
#42
JOHN TANCREDI
Salary: $69,805.26
Overtime: $31,362.49
Total: $101,167.75
Does not include benefits
#41
SAMUEL RIVERA
Salary: $47,874.95
Overtime: $31,394.86
Total: $76,269.81
Does not include benefits
#40
RAYMOND LEE
Salary: $67,935.57
Overtime: $31,442.45
Total: $99,378.02
Does not include benefits
#39
ALBERT CARDILLO
Salary: $60,086.08
Overtime: $31,736.42
Total: $91,822.5
Does not include benefits
#38
XIOMARA PACHECO
Salary: $68,383.37
Overtime: $31,819.18
Total: $100,202.55
Does not include benefits
#37
SHELDON WILLIAMS
Salary: $60,798.37
Overtime: $31,849.70
Total: $92,648.07
Does not include benefits
#36
WELLINGTON TAVAREZ
Salary: $58,525.45
Overtime: $32,213.38
Total: $90,738.83
Does not include benefits
#35
DAVID NOVSAM
Salary: $61,966.07
Overtime: $32,414.02
Total: $94,380.09
Does not include benefits
#34
MARILYN RAPOSA
Salary: $60,837.44
Overtime: $32,555.86
Total: $93,393.3
Does not include benefits
#33
JEAN LOUIS
Salary: $64,816.03
Overtime: $32,768.48
Total: $97,584.51
Does not include benefits
#32
ANTONIO VARGAS
Salary: $56,851.23
Overtime: $33,014.32
Total: $89,865.55
Does not include benefits
#31
FRED NASH
Salary: $39,037.18
Overtime: $33,286.43
Total: $72,323.61
Does not include benefits
#30
MATTHEW BORGES
Salary: $61,538.40
Overtime: $33,312.95
Total: $94,851.35
Does not include benefits
#29
DANILO PAULINO
Salary: $57,872.33
Overtime: $33,391.43
Total: $91,263.76
Does not include benefits
#28
OSCAR DELCID
Salary: $61,871.52
Overtime: $34,594.63
Total: $96,466.15
Does not include benefits
#27
BENJAMIN CABRERA
Salary: $48,300.97
Overtime: $35,264.78
Total: $83,565.75
Does not include benefits
#26
FELIX TERRERO
Salary: $57,890.97
Overtime: $35,267.81
Total: $93,158.78
Does not include benefits
#25
EDMUND MELLO
Salary: $62,106.72
Overtime: $35,272.97
Total: $97,379.69
Does not include benefits
#24
LAWRENCE ONYE
Salary: $60,037.59
Overtime: $35,655.53
Total: $95,693.12
Does not include benefits
#23
DONALD SPELLMAN
Salary: $60,171.53
Overtime: $35,959.88
Total: $96,131.41
Does not include benefits
#22
VICTOR FERREIRA
Salary: $49,687.19
Overtime: $36,268.59
Total: $85,955.78
Does not include benefits
#21
JEAN ALTERA
Salary: $64,439.65
Overtime: $36,722.77
Total: $101,162.42
Does not include benefits
#20
KEVIN CAHILL
Salary: $61,882.27
Overtime: $36,831.63
Total: $98,713.9
Does not include benefits
#19
DAVID ST.GERMAIN
Salary: $58,210.46
Overtime: $37,099.91
Total: $95,310.37
Does not include benefits
#18
MARIAN LONCZAK
Salary: $74,721.30
Overtime: $38,320.12
Total: $113,041.42
Does not include benefits
#17
LAWRENCE THORNTON
Salary: $58,770.93
Overtime: $39,139.03
Total: $97,909.96
Does not include benefits
#16
JULIO ROCA
Salary: $66,959.54
Overtime: $39,256.56
Total: $106,216.1
Does not include benefits
#15
JEFFREY ROY
Salary: $60,785.53
Overtime: $40,374.83
Total: $101,160.36
Does not include benefits
#14
PAUL PRICE
Salary: $60,574.83
Overtime: $40,782.05
Total: $101,356.88
Does not include benefits
#13
JOSEPH LIMA
Salary: $65,717.90
Overtime: $42,067.18
Total: $107,785.08
Does not include benefits
#12
JULIEN RAVENEAU
Salary: $62,387.59
Overtime: $43,244.80
Total: $105,632.39
Does not include benefits
#11
STEPHEN MIELE
Salary: $62,797.76
Overtime: $45,612.73
Total: $108,410.49
Does not include benefits
#10
PASCO MACARI
Salary: $59,191.64
Overtime: $45,837.34
Total: $105,028.98
Does not include benefits
#9
LIVINGSTON CICERON
Salary: $57,473.30
Overtime: $46,234.44
Total: $103,707.74
Does not include benefits
#8
STEPHEN FARRELL
Salary: $63,534.81
Overtime: $46,880.08
Total: $110,414.89
Does not include benefits
#7
PAPA NDIAYE
Salary: $57,226.65
Overtime: $46,898.01
Total: $104,124.66
Does not include benefits
#6
WILLIAM BLAIR
Salary: $61,665.97
Overtime: $48,069.52
Total: $109,735.49
Does not include benefits
#5
LYNN HENDERSON
Salary: $61,909.12
Overtime: $51,238.23
Total: $113,147.35
Does not include benefits
#4
RAYMOND HOLT
Salary: $74,738.88
Overtime: $52,280.20
Total: $127,019.08
Does not include benefits
#3
DENNIS CONNOLLY
Salary: $60,932.98
Overtime: $53,056.52
Total: $113,989.5
Does not include benefits
#2
JOHN REALL
Salary: $61,145.00
Overtime: $53,766.95
Total: $114,911.95
Does not include benefits
#1
JOSEPH MONTI
Salary: $84,823.35
Overtime: $58,359.06
Total: $143,182.41
Does not include benefits
