A few weeks after service cuts by the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority took effect in September, Tawana Brace Knowles thought she might lose her job.

She takes the 22 from Providence to Cranston, where she works at a warehouse, but because the bus is coming less frequently (now every 55 minutes instead of every 35) and later, she was consistently getting to work 30-45 minutes late.

“I don’t think she understands,” Knowles said of her supervisor, who had asked her when the bus schedule would return to normal. “I don’t think she takes public transit.”

Knowles then had a choice: keep showing up late and likely get fired or spend her paycheck on rideshares, such as Uber and Lyft, to get her to work.

She isn’t the only one making those choices.

The changes to the 22 are a part of widespread cuts to bus service that took effect Sept. 27. RIPTA reduced service on dozens of lines to fill in a $5 million budget gap.

Although the service cuts are less severe than originally proposed, riders around the state are finding that buses can no longer take them to their shifts, or they’re arriving late, or sometimes even blowing past them because they’re overcrowded.

The Providence Streets Coalition has been collecting and cataloging stories about bus troubles since the start of the new schedule; many riders have said they are facing similar situations to Knowles.

In the “Rider Impact Survey Responses,” compiled by PVD Streets, at least a dozen riders said they have been turning to rideshares as an alternative to the lost service, but most of them worried about how they would be able to afford such remedies long term.

Most RIPTA riders come from households making $25,000 or less, well below the state median income, according to a recent rider survey completed by the authority.

Fares for RIPTA cost $2 per ride, and some low-income residents, older adults, and people with disabilities can receive discounted or free fare.

Knowles said she was spending at least $12 a day on rideshares, if not more, compared to $4 round trip on RIPTA.

“I don’t think most people here can afford that,” the 50-something-year-old said.

Knowles also hates driving. “I don’t want to be forced to buy a car,” she said. The additional costs of buying and maintaining a vehicle would also be difficult, she said.

Talking about her previous experience, Knowles said taking the bus has always been a challenge. She tries to get as many things delivered as possible so she doesn’t have to take the bus. A few years ago, she had to leave a job she really liked in Warwick for a job in Providence because of a different RIPTA schedule change.

Knowles had to leave a job with a bigger paycheck that was more relaxing, cleaner, and had a “great view of the water,” she said.

Luckily for Knowles this time, she said she found someone who will carpool with her to work. She’s giving them about $10 a day for gas, which is better than a rideshare, but not much better.

“It’s better to keep the job than to be collecting unemployment,” she said.