Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline stopped by the city’s downtown train station this morning to support the findings of a new report outlining the need to develop stronger public transit systems in Providence and across the state.

“Transit has a transformative impact on a city,” Cicilline said over the intermittent rumble of passing traffic on Gaspee Street, and can add jobs, attract businesses and increase property value.

Improving bus service, extending rail lines and adding new modes of transportation such as a city streetcar network would add to the benefits mass transit already brings to Providence and the state, transit advocates said.

According to the report released this week by the Rhode Island Public Interest Research Group, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority in 2006 saved one million gallons of oil, avoided 4,874 metric tons of global warming emissions and saved rush-hour commuters in the greater Providence area 976,000 hours spent in traffic.

Riders who use the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s commuter rail that stops as far south as Providence and runs north toward Boston avoid the purchase of 576,064 gallons of oil and prevent 4,895 tons of pollution from entering the atmosphere, the report says.

“Rhode Island’s dependence on gasoline and automobiles is choking our health and environment,” said Chris Wilhite, the Rhode Island director of the Sierra Club. “By transforming our car-driven transportation system into a system with clean, affordable transportation alternatives, we can significantly reduce our dependence on imported oil and reduce traffic.”

Cicilline said the city’s Transit 2020 plan will continue to go forward with the report supporting the direction the city needs to move in to overcome the modern transportation challenges facing cities across the country.

“This report shows why we need to move forward with the recommendations of the Transit 2020 Working Group,” Cicilline said. “It puts clear numbers on how public transit reduces oil dependence, traffic congestion and global warming pollution.”

RIPTA recently solicited bids for a transit expert to help the state formulate a more specific plan to beef up public transportation for the Providence metropolitan area.

That plan will ultimately be used to apply for money from the federal government for transit projects such as additional bus service, Bus Rapid Transit, and light rail systems, said Mark Therrien, the assistant manager of transit development, planning and grants for RIPTA.

Bus Rapid Transit is an attractive option, Therrien said, because it costs less than light rail or streetcars, but it has added conveniences that make it faster (pre-paid fares, fewer stops, transmitters that extend green lights) and more comfortable (larger, lighted stops) than standard bus service.

“It’s kind of like the Cadillac of bus riding,” Therrien said.

The request also lists several of the state’s most traveled corridors the agency wants to study further including:

•Downtown Providence to Warwick

•Downtown Providence to Cranston via Allens Avenue

•Pawtucket to Providence

•Providence to East Providence

There are challenges securing federal transportation dollars, Therrien said, because even if the projects get approved, contribution rates can vary greatly.

Some projects can get as much as 80 percent of the cost, usually highway projects, but Therrien said it’s more realistic to expect about half.

With Governor Carcieri trying to close a $384-million deficit, the state is also not in the position to take on costly transit projects, but Therrien said planning must continue.

RIPTA is barely staying afloat financially after facing a state decision to stop using federal Medicaid money to buy bus passes for people receiving the service, which created a temporary $5.6-million hole in the agency’s revenue. (State officials have since promised to fill the gap for the 2009 fiscal year.)

Fuel costs have also taken a toll on the agency, which is proposing a fare increase which will be released at RIPTA’s April 4 board meeting.

Therrien wouldn’t disclose the amount, which would take effect July 1 if approved.

For now, RIPTA is continuing to study ridership patterns and other economic factors to see where its future lies.

“With gas prices at maybe $4 this summer, maybe $5 the next, people will eventually be asking why isn’t there more transit,” Therrien said. “We don’t want to wait for people to ask.”

ngarcia@projo.com