Rhode Island Public Transit Authority CEO Scott Avedisian submitted his resignation Thursday, about two weeks after being involved in a chain-reaction car crash at a McDonald’s drive-thru in Warwick.
In a letter to Gov. Dan McKee, Avedisian claimed credit for a series of improvements at RIPTA, including a downtown transit connector, funding the transit agency’s pension, and supporting the introduction of a Pawtucket-Central Falls transit center.
“Regrettably, all of these initiatives are now being overshadowed by recent events,” Avedisian wrote. “I regret that the good work of the employees is being detracted by my actions.”
Avedisian has pleaded not guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident after the RIPTA-issued vehicle he was driving crashed into a car at the drive-thru, causing it to collide with another car.
Other participants in the accident told police Avedisian appeared intoxicated. He fled the scene and did not respond to the door when police responded to his house.
Avedisian was picked as RIPTA’s CEO by then-governor Gina Raimondo in 2018.
The moderate Republican had served as mayor of Warwick since first winning election in 2000, when he succeeded his friend Lincoln Chafee, after Chafee was elevated to fill his late father’s seat in the U.S. Senate.
RIPTA has struggled for funding for years and now faces possible cuts due to a deficit.
Ahead of Avedisian’s resignation, the advocacy group RIPTA Transit Riders said in a statement that the agency “needs a strong, effective, and experienced leader to deal with these many serious challenges. We believe this is an opportunity to replace RIPTA’s current CEO with a nationally recognized public transit leader who can provide the transformational leadership needed to turn RIPTA into a first-class public transit agency. We urge the board to take this opportunity to do so.”
The terms of Avedisian’s departure are expected to be discussed when RIPTA’s board meets Tuesday.
In a statement, Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, who had been critical of Avedisian’s leadership in the past, said, “Rhode Islanders deserve a robust, accessible public transit system that effectively and efficiently serves residents and visitors. I am hopeful that the RIPTA Board will seize the opportunity they now have to conduct a thorough search for their next CEO and bring in a true transit professional to guide the agency through the many challenges it faces.”