The East Side Trolley Tunnel is a tunnel in Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

, originally built for trolley use in 1914. In 1948 the tracks were removed and the tunnel was paved for use by buses and trackless trolleys. The trackless trolley system in Providence was dismantled in the mid-1950s. The tunnel remains in use today, reserved exclusively for buses—currently the RIPTA

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority provides public transportation, primarily buses, in the state of Rhode Island. The main hub of the RIPTA system is Kennedy Plaza, a large bus terminal in downtown Providence, Rhode Island...

 routes 35, 40, 42, 49, and 78, and the 92 East. The tunnel runs under College Hill

College Hill, Providence, Rhode Island

College Hill is a neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island, and one of six neighborhoods comprising the East Side of Providence and part of College Hill Historic District. It is roughly bounded by North Main Street to the west, Power Street to the south, Governor Street and Arlington Avenue to...

 on Providence's East Side

East Side, Providence, Rhode Island

The East Side is a collection of neighborhoods in Providence, Rhode Island on the eponymous eastern part of the city. It officially comprises the neighborhoods of Blackstone, Hope , Mount Hope, College Hill , Wayland, and Fox Point.The area is separated from East Providence, Rhode Island to the...

, connecting Thayer Street

Thayer Street

Thayer Street in Providence, Rhode Island is a popular destination for students of the area's nearby schools of Brown University, Moses Brown School, Wheeler School, RISD, Providence College, Johnson & Wales University, and Rhode Island College....

 to South Main Street. The approximately 2000-foot-long (600 m) tunnel allows buses to climb College Hill at a gentler grade than the city streets and to avoid vehicular traffic and stoplights. The west portal of the tunnel was built directly under the original classroom building of the Rhode Island School of Design

Rhode Island School of Design

Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...

, which was built in the mid 1890s and required extensive and complicated construction methods to support the building above as the tunnel was bored.

The East Side Trolley Tunnel could be considered the first bus rapid transit

Bus rapid transit

Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...

 operation in North America, considering its exclusive and continuous bus use since 1948.

The East Side Trolley Tunnel is not to be confused with the East Side Railroad Tunnel

East Side Railroad Tunnel

The East Side Railroad Tunnel is on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. It was opened on November 16, 1908 at a cost of $2 million. It runs , under College Hill, from Gano Street to Benefit Street and is currently abandoned and sealed, but a project has been suggested to reuse it for either...

, a separate tunnel whose western portal is one block north of the East Side Trolley Tunnel's west portal.

Despite signs explicitly forbidding them from entering, skateboarding through the tunnel is fairly common. Auto parts salesmen, couriers and other delivery personnel have been known to "shoot the tunnel" to avoid traffic congestion, despite the substantial traffic fine.

It is also rumored that Ted Turner

Ted Turner

Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...

 rolled a bowling ball through the tunnel during his time at nearby Brown University

Brown University

Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...

, although the rumor was denied by Turner.