TRANSPORTATION & DRIVING
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Car Rental – You may wish to rent a car for a short period of time. Here are the
phone numbers for the T.F. Green Airport location of companies from which you can
rent a car. There are several locations for each company throughout the Providence
area. To find the location nearest you, be sure to call the toll free phone number or
check out their website.
Advantage Car Rental (T.F. Green
Airport) Hertz (T.F. Green Airport)
Tel: 1-800-777-5500; Local: 401-736-5272 Tel: 1-800-654-3131; Local: 401-738-3550
https://www.advantage.com/ http://www.hertz.com/
Office of National Car Rental (T.F. Green
Alamo Car Rental (T.F. Green Airport)
https://www.alamo.com/International 1-800-227-7368; Local: 401-737-4800
Tel: 1-800-327-9633; Local: 401-737-4800 Airport)
Tel:
Avis (T.F. Green Airport) Student &
https://www.nationalcar.com/
Scholar Services Rental (T.F. Green
Tel: 1-800-331-1212; Local: 401-736-7500
http://www.avis.com
Payless Car
Airport)
Budget (T.F. Green Airport) (OISSS) Tel: 1-800-729-5377; Local: 401-736-8503
http://www.paylesscar.com/
Tel: 1-800-527-0700; Local: 401-739-8986
http://www.budget.com Thrifty Car Rental (T.F. Green Airport)
Tel: 1-800-367-2277; Local: 401-732-2000
Dollar (T.F. Green Airport) http://www.thrifty.com/
Tel: 1-800-800-4000; Local: 401 -739-8450
http://www.dollar.com
Zip Car (they will bring the car to you. Requires
a membership)
Enterprise Rent-A-Car (T.F. Green Tel: 1-800-866-494-7227
Airport) http://www.zipcar.com/
Tel: 1-800-325-8007; Local: 401-732-5261
http://www.enterprise.com/car_renta
l/
www.brown.edu/oisss
Taxis- It may difficult to get a taxi in the Providence without calling ahead. Please
keep in mind driving after drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited in Rhode
Island!
Keep the phone numbers of taxi companies handy.
Bay Taxi: 401-461-0780 Economy Cab: 401-944-6700
Big Daddy Taxi: 401-943-3636 Gonzales Taxi: 401-331-9560
Dominican Taxi: 401-421-3787 Yellow Cab: 401-941-1122
East Side Taxi: 401-521-4200
Airport Shuttle and Limousine Service-
Airport Express Service
Tel: 1-800-627-5499
All Occasion Limo
Tel: 401-312-0945
Bus
RIPTA (RI Public Transportation Authority)
Travel by bus throughout Rhode Island.
Tel: 401-781-9400
http://www.ripta.com/
Note: Brown University Students, faculty and staff ride RIPTA for free; ID
required.
Peter Pan Bus Lines Office of
Travel by bus throughout most states in New England and New York
International
http://www.peterpanbus.com/
Greyhound Bus Lines Student &
Travel by bus throughout the United States:
Scholar Services
http://www.greyhound.com/
(OISSS)
Railroad
Amtrak
Travel by train throughout the United States:
Tel: 1-800-872-7245
http://www.amtrak.com
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
Commuter Rail Service from Providence that connects to Boston’s subway
system.
100 Gaspee Street
Providence, RI
Tel: 1-800-392-6100
www.brown.edu/oisss
http://www.mbta.com
Air
The two airports closest to Providence are:
T.F. Green Airport Logan International Airport
2000 Post Road 1 Fish Pier Street
Warwick, RI East Boston, MA
http://www.pvdairport.com/ http://www.massport.com
Driving
Driver’s License-
The process for receiving your Rhode Island driver's license depends on your age at
the time of application and whether you are a new resident.
Drivers 18 or Older
If you are 18 or older, you must meet the following qualifications before receiving a
Rhode Island driver's license:
• Pass the written, vision, and driving exams before receiving your first license.
• You must have an acceptable identity document, signature document,
and proof of residency as described in the License/State ID Checklist.
• You must have a valid social security number or an acceptable denial letter
from the Social Security Administration (with an acceptable visa code).
• Pay a $31.50 fee.
*The fee for your first two-year license is $12. However, normal licenses cost $30
Office of
and are valid for five years.
International
*If you are older than 18 and have never had a driver's license, you will first need
to apply for an instruction permit instead of a full operator's license. You do not,
Student &
however, have to enroll in a driver education class.
If you are a new resident, Scholar Services
New Residents
you must meet the following qualifications before receiving
(OISSS)
a Rhode Island driver's license:
• Surrender a license that has not been expired for longer than one year.
• Furnish proof that you are now a Rhode Island resident.
• Present your Social Security card.
• Pay a fee.
*Your first Rhode Island driver's license will be a two-year license that expires on
your birthday. After this, you will be allowed to renew your license for the
normal five-year period if your immigration status will remain valid for that
period of time.
For more information contact:
Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles
600 New London Avenue
Cranston RI 02920
401-462-4368
www.brown.edu/oisss
http://www.dmv.ri.gov/licenses/
Buying a car- You may want to consider purchasing a car, although many
students and scholars are fine without one. There are several ways to search for
a car. You can go to car dealers, look at advertisements in local newspapers or
check classified ads online. Prices of used cars can be checked at the “Blue Book”
website: www.kbb.com Since the quality of used cars is hard to measure and
buying a car may use up a significant portion of your finances, it is much better
to consider the following options before making any decisions.
Car dealers- There are two kinds of car dealers- certified car dealers and non-
certified car dealers. If you are considering spending more than $8,000 on a
used car or you want to search for a car less than 5 years old it is much better to
buy it from a certified car dealer. Those car dealers are local distributors
certified by specific car manufacturers. In other words, car manufacturers have
to guarantee the quality of used cars sold in those car dealers, and you can also
enjoy the maintenance services provided by them.
If you are considering spending less than $8,000 on a used car and you are
familiar with the mechanics of cars, looking for non-certified dealers may be a
reasonable choice. To minimize fraud, only buy a car from a non-certified car
dealer which is licensed by the State of Rhode Island.
Individual Sellers- To find individual sellers, look at newspaper classified ads,
Office of
or check classified websites (such ashttp://www.craigslist.com )
International
If you by a car from non-certified car dealers or individual sellers, consider the
following procedures:
Student &
1. Check the VIN number (vehicle identification number) of the car
2. Use the VIN number to check the car’s history from www.carfax.com in
Scholar Services
order to see any history of accidents or damage.
(OISSS)
3. Drive and check the car yourself or with someone who is familiar with the
mechanics of cars.
4. Make sure that the name and address on the title is the same as the
seller’s name and address by checking their ID. (Individual sellers only)
5. Take the title of the car entitled by the previous owner (Individual sellers
only) or document of transfer entitled by the car dealer.
6. Obtain a temporary plate issued by the car dealer in order to drive the car
before getting you “official” plate from the Rhode Island Division of Motor
Vehicles (DMV)
Car Registration
1. A VIN number inspection must be completed before you register your
vehicle. If you purchase your vehicle from a certified dealer they should
be able to complete the VIN inspection for you. If you purchased a vehicle
www.brown.edu/oisss
from a non-certified dealer or through an individual seller you can get a
VIN inspection done at a local police station.
2. The State of Rhode Island requires that all vehicles registered within the
state are properly insured. You will need to show proof of insurance when
you register your car.
3. You will need to complete form TR-1 with the DMV to register your
vehicle http://www.dmv.ri.gov/documents/forms/registration/TR-1.pdf
4. You must show proof of residency in the State of Rhode Island (a lease,
utility bill, bank statement, or RI Driver’s license).
5. Once your car has been registered and you receive your RI license plates
you will need to get emission inspection completed. You can find an
inspection station at http://www.riinspection.org/
Automobile Insurance-If you purchase your own vehicle, you must have
automobile insurance. Prices vary by company so check with several
insurance companies before deciding. If your purchase a vehicle from a
dealer, the dealer may offer an insurance contract but this may not always be
the cheapest route.
Here are a few automobile insurance companies:
Allstate MetLife
http://www.allstate.com/ Tel: 1-800-422-4272
Tel: 1-866-621-6900 http://www.metlife.com/
Geico Progressive
Tel: 1-800-861-8380 Tel: 1-800-776-4737
http://www.geico.com/ Office of http://www.progressive.com
International State Farm
http://www.statefarm.com/
Student &
Scholar Services
Auto Repair and Services (a few close to Brown University)
269 Silver Spring Street (OISSS)
Wayne’s Service Plus Firestone Complete Auto Care
987 North Main Street
Providence, RI Providence, RI
Tel: 401-868-4105 Tel: 401-521-6622
Monro AAMCO
62 Carpenter Street 422 Silver Springs Street
Providence, RI Providence, RI
Tel: 401-751-6612 Tel: 401-831-6290
Parking
Parking on and around campus can be difficult. You can contact the Transportation
www.brown.edu/oisss
Office (401-863-3157; J. Walter Wilson, 69 Brown Street; Suite 511 (across from
OISSS)) to see if you are able to get a parking permit for an assigned lot on campus.
Otherwise you will need to find street parking. For more information please visit
http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Finance_and_Admin/transportation/parki
ng/