The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority will hold a public forum on Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. on proposed service reductions. The meeting will be held in the Town Council chamber of Westerly Town Hall, 45 Broad St..

RIPTA officials will present the authority’s service-reduction proposal, answer questions and collect public comment. Information gathered from the public will be presented to RIPTA’s board of directors, which must approve any service reductions.

RIPTA is proposing reductions to help address a $10.8-million shortfall in the fiscal year that began July 1. The agency said in a statement that the deficit is largely due to a reduction in revenue from the state gas tax, its principal means of state support, and the high cost of fuel to operate the system.

“We want to continue creating a first-class transit system for Rhode Island,” RIPTA General Manager Alfred J. Moscola said in the release, “but that’s not possible with our current funding stream. Transit agencies across the country that depend on only one revenue source, like the gas tax, are experiencing the same problem coupled with a high demand for transit.”

RIPTA reduced the original shortfall of $12.2 million to $10.8 million by increasing ad revenue, leaving 12 staff vacancies unfilled, deferring capital projects requiring a local match, deferring six general overhauls, reducing building maintenance supplies and taking other cost-cutting measures.

A 72-hour notice is required for persons with sensory impairment requiring auxiliary aids at the meeting. To request this service, contact the RIPTA ADA Coordinator at (401) 784-9553 (TDD) or (800) 745-5555 (RI Relay TDD).