Scott Avedisian’s exit as CEO of RIPTA became official Tuesday when the public transit agency’s board unanimously approved a severance agreement that includes a payment of $67,800.
The payment consists of $45,500 for 13 weeks of wages and $22,400 for accrued vacation time.
Avedisian, who did not attend the meeting, has been RIPTA’s CEO since 2018.
Avedisian submitted his resignation last week to Gov. Dan McKee, about two weeks after he was involved in a three-car crash in a drive-thru at a McDonald’s in Warwick. Avedisian has pleaded not guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident.
Asked about the exit agreement considering the circumstances of Avedisian’s departure, RIPTA’s board chair, state Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti, told reporters, “I think it’s fair. I think given what Scott Avedisian has done in a positive way for this agency as he served during the last several years, both from the standpoint of fairness and from the standpoint of his contractual agreement with the state, I think it’s a fair package.”
RIPTA CFO Chris Durant was appointed by the board to serve as interim CEO while the search continues for a permanent replacement.
The change in leadership comes as RIPTA continues to struggle with financial issues.
In a statement, the advocacy group RI Transit Riders called for McKee and legislative leaders to boost funding for RIPTA to make the top more attractive to a future leader.
“Now that Scott Avedisian has resigned, the RIPTA board should select a nationally respected transit professional as RIPTA’s next CEO — someone who is able to put good transit principles first while practicing open communications with riders and the public,” Transit Riders co-chairs Patricia Raub and Amy Glidden said. “The next CEO needs to maintain service and continue to make progress on the initiatives to improve and expand operations that are currently underway. The next CEO should be free from political interference and allowed the independence to work effectively.”
They added, “We ask the board to include a transit advocate as a public member on the CEO search committee. While the search for a new CEO is in progress, one good possibility as an interim leader is RIPTA’s capable Chief Financial Officer Chris Durand.”
