PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority will receive half a million dollars from the state’s environment council, the body voted Monday.

The money will help fund RIPTA’s flex service, a van pool pilot, and a program to advertise public transit to tourists and other Ocean State visitors.

At a cash-strapped moment for RIPTA, the funding will only supplement the agency’s capital budget and will not aid any of the operational shortfalls that are forcing the authority to cut service later this month. RIPTA is decreasing frequency, removing spans, or taking away weekend service on 46 different routes starting Sept. 27 to make up for a $5 million budget gap.

The $500,000 pot comes from the state’s Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council, also known as the EC4. The body was established in 2014 to help coordinate the state’s efforts to combat climate change and meet its rapidly approaching carbon reduction mandates.

The state’s Act on Climate law requires a 45% reduction in 1990 carbon emissions levels by 2030. Advocates, members of the public, and notably Attorney General Peter Nerohna (who will be charged with defending the state against Act of Climate claims starting in 2026) have criticized the state for not taking a more active approach in reducing emissions through its transportation sector.

“The EC4’s funding support for RIPTA represents a key step forward in advancing strategies to reduce emissions from the transportation sector and achieve the climate reduction goals outlined in the Act on Climate,” Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management director and EC4 chair Terry Gray said in a statement. “This investment supports initiatives developed by RIPTA to help lower congestion, increase ridership by commuters, and encourage more sustainable transportation choices across Rhode Island.”

Of the half a million dollars in funding, the largest chunk, $440,000, will go toward the state’s flex service in Newport, Middletown, Narragansett, South Kingstown, and Woonsocket. RIPTA’s flex service provides on-demand busing within a certain service radius, unlike fixed-route service which operates on a set schedule and on a set transit corridor. Flex service also uses smaller buses.

Another $55,000 will pay for 4,000 free day passes and a marketing campaign to promote visitors to take RIPTA. The passes will be offered to people arriving at T.F. Green International Airport or staying at hotels in the state.

The last and smallest allocation of $15,000 will go to a van pool pilot. RIPTA already offers a $100 stipend for commuters to rent vans to get to and from work. According to a press release, the new program will provide an additional $200 monthly subsidy for new van pool riders for three months.

“My administration is providing additional resources to RIPTA, consistent with last month’s budget agreement, to support the agency in exploring lower-cost transit options that expand mobility statewide and move us toward a more sustainable financial model,” Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement. “At the same time, we’re keeping the focus on growing ridership and supporting our long-term climate goals.”