CT Fastrak

Last updated

CTfastrak
CTfastrak logo.svg
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A 62-foot CTfastrak bus at Downtown New Britain station in November 2015
LocaleCentral Connecticut
Service type Bus rapid transit
Routes8 local routes
4 express routes
Stations10
Daily ridership10,046 (March 2018) [1]
Fuel typeHybrid diesel-electric [2]
Operator Connecticut Transit
Program DirectorMichael Sanders
Website cttransit.com/services/ctfastrak

CTfastrak (constructed as the New Britain-Hartford Busway) is a regional bus rapid transit system currently operating between downtown Hartford and Downtown New Britain station in New Britain in central Connecticut. Operated by Connecticut Transit, it is the first bus rapid transit system in Connecticut and the second in New England after the MBTA Silver Line. CTfastrak opened on March 28, 2015 after fifteen years of planning and three years of construction. [3]

Contents

CTfastrak services run on a 9.4-mile (15.1 km) dedicated busway which runs on an abandoned railroad right-of-way from Downtown New Britain to Newington Junction and alongside the active New Haven–Springfield Line from Newington Junction to downtown Hartford. Eight local and four express routes operate along the busway and over on-street loops in downtown Hartford. [4]

CTfastrak is tied with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's HealthLine as the second-top rated BRT system in the United States each with Silver rating according to the BRT Standard. [5] Only ABQ RIDE's Albuquerque Rapid Transit has achieved the top rating of Gold.

Infrastructure

A lengthy bridge carries the busway over East Street (pictured) and Allen Street in New Britain CTfastrak bridge over East Street, December 2014.JPG
A lengthy bridge carries the busway over East Street (pictured) and Allen Street in New Britain

The CTfastrak busway is built on current and former railroad rights-of-way owned by the state and Amtrak, which allowed for the busway to be constructed with minimal taking of private land. From its north end in downtown Hartford to Newington Junction station, the busway occupies the north side of Amtrak's New Haven–Springfield Line right of way. That section of the line was once 4 tracks (shared by two separate railroads) and is now two tracks, with the busway occupying the third and fourth track slots. From Newington Junction to its south end at Downtown New Britain station, the busway follows the former Newington Secondary rail line.

Along much of its length, CTfastrak is constructed as a grade-separated limited-access highway. There are three at-grade crossings of local roads in New Britain, one in the Elmwood section of West Hartford, and one in Hartford (the latter two shared with the New Haven–Springfield Line). Buses can additionally enter and leave the busway via access roads at Downtown New Britain, East Street, Cedar Street, Newington Junction, and Sigourney Street stations and at the north end of the busway at Asylum Street in Hartford. A lengthy bridge was constructed over East Street (CT-175) and Allen Street in New Britain to eliminate former grade crossings.

From New Britain to Newington Junction, a fenced multi-use trail was constructed alongside the busway. [6] Such a trail was not possible on the northern section, where all available room was needed for an access road for Amtrak maintenance vehicles. [7]

The busway has ten stations of varying size. Downtown New Britain is a sprawling complex with numerous bus bays and large shelters to support transfers between CTfastrak services and local CT Transit services. Flatbush Avenue and Sigourney Street have large island platforms and off-busway loops. The remaining seven stations have basic side platforms and small shelters, with ramps to street level. All stations except East Main Street have center passing lanes to allow express buses to pass stopped local buses. [8]

Services

CT Fastrak
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Hartford
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Sigourney Street
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Parkville
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Kane Street
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Flatbush Avenue
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Elmwood
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Newington Junction
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Cedar Street
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East Street
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East Main Street
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Downtown New Britain
A 62ft CTfastrak bus on route 101 at Cedar Street CTtransit route 101 bus northbound at Cedar Street CTfastrak station, December 2015.JPG
A 62ft CTfastrak bus on route 101 at Cedar Street
A CTfastrak 40ft bus on route 128 at Flatbush Avenue CTFastrak Bus.jpg
A CTfastrak 40ft bus on route 128 at Flatbush Avenue

As of December 2016, twelve CT Transit routes use the CTfastrak busway with a variety of stopping patterns. [9]

Eight routes provide local stopping service on various sections of the busway: [4]

The 101 Hartford/New Britain route provides high-frequency all-stops base service between New Britain and downtown Hartford, with headways of 7.5 minutes at peak, 12 minutes off-peak, and 20 minutes during the evening. [4]

The 102 makes the same stops as the 101 but extends past New Britain to Bristol, Connecticut; it operates at a lower frequency than the 101. The 121 uses the busway from Cedar Street to Sigourney Street, while the 128 uses the busway from Elmwood to Union Station.

Two routes run express on the busway from Downtown New Britain to Sigourney Street, making no intermediate stops: [4]

Four other routes – 144, 153, and 161, as well as the 140(F) – act as feeder services. They make stops at CTfastrak station platforms but do not run on the busway, with the exception of the 140 and 144, which use the busway between Cedar Street and East Street. Other times throughout the day it enters the busway at Newington Junction station as the 140F and continues to East Street. [4]

History

The former New York & New England Railroad station at Newington Junction was moved and restored during the construction of a CTfastrak station at the site, seen here three months before service start Newington NY&NE station building, December 2014.JPG
The former New York & New England Railroad station at Newington Junction was moved and restored during the construction of a CTfastrak station at the site, seen here three months before service start

In 2001, a dedicated busway transit project was judged to be the most cost-effective way of relieving congestion on Interstate 84 between Hartford, West Hartford, Newington and New Britain. [10] The 9.4-mile (15.1 km) line was projected to cost $570 million, of which $400 million was funded by federal grants. [11]

The project officially broke ground on May 22, 2012 and opened to the public on March 28, 2015. [11] [3]

Proof of payment is used for fare collection along the route. On June 23, 2015, CTDOT began issuing $75 tickets for riders found to have not paid their fare. [12]

Preliminary work estimated a $10 million annual cost of running the various CTfastrak routes and new feeder services. In September 2015, CTtransit released that the yearly cost would be substantially higher at $17.5 million. [13]

In October 2019, the state applied for a federal grant to test autonomous buses on the CTfastrak busway beginning in 2020. [14]

Hartford Line

The Hartford Line commuter rail service between New Haven, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts via Hartford commenced on June 16, 2018. [15] It initially connects to CTfastrak at Union Station. Hartford Line stations adjacent to the CTfastrak stops at West Hartford (Flatbush Avenue) and Newington Junction are planned to open later.

The 2012 environmental assessment for the Hartford Line included preliminary plans for four infill stations including West Hartford and Newington Junction; although they were not yet funded, this would allow future planning and construction to be expedited. [16] On January 12, 2015, the state announced that $5.75 million in funding would be made available for environmental mitigation and design at ten Hartford Line and New Haven Line stations, including design funding for Hartford Line platforms at West Hartford and Newington Junction. [17]

CTfastrak East

Planning began in early 2016 for extending CTfastrak service to communities east of Hartford. The expansion would incorporate many of the BRT features of the existing system, including branded buses, large shelters, real-time information, and frequent all-day service. However, it would run on existing HOV lanes on I-84 and I-384 rather than a dedicated busway. [18] [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newington, Connecticut</span> Town in Connecticut, United States

Newington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. Located 8 miles (13 km) south of downtown Hartford, Newington is an older, mainly residential suburb located in Greater Hartford. As of 2023, the population is 30,527. The Connecticut Department of Transportation has its headquarters in Newington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Hartford</span> Metropolitan region in the United States

Greater Hartford is a region located in the U.S. state of Connecticut, centered on the state's capital of Hartford. It represents the only combined statistical area in Connecticut defined by a city within the state, being bordered by the Greater Boston region to the northeast and New York metropolitan area to the south and west. Sitting at the southern end of the Metacomet Ridge, its geology is characterized by land of a level grade along the shores of Connecticut River Valley, with loamy, finer-grained soil than other regions in the state. Greater Hartford, had a total population of 1,213,531 at the 2020 United States census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Haven–Springfield Line</span> Railroad line in Connecticut and Massachusetts, U.S.

The New Haven–Springfield Line is a railroad line owned by Amtrak from New Haven, Connecticut, north to Springfield, Massachusetts, serving the Knowledge Corridor. As a branch of the Northeast Corridor just north of New Haven State Street station, it is served by approximately seven daily Northeast Regional round trips, some continuing from New Haven to Washington, D.C., along the Corridor and others terminating at New Haven as shuttles. On weekends, there is one train daily to Roanoke, Virginia. It is also served by the daily Vermonter, which starts in Washington, D.C., and continues north from Springfield, finally terminating in St. Albans, Vermont. The line is part of the Inland Route connecting Boston and New York via Hartford, Springfield, and Worcester, in contrast to the "Shore Line" along the Connecticut Shore and through Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CT Transit</span> Brand of commuter bus operations in Connecticut, USA

CT Transit is a public transportation bus system serving many metropolitan areas and their surrounding suburbs in state of Connecticut. CT Transit is a division of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, although it contracts a number of private companies for most of its operations. CT Transit began operations in 1976 as Connecticut Transit after the Connecticut DOT's acquisition of the Connecticut Company. Initially serving only the Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford areas, CT Transit's service now extends throughout much of Connecticut. CT Transit provides local "city bus" service in Bristol, Hartford, Meriden, New Britain, New Haven, Stamford, Wallingford and Waterbury in addition to a number of express routes connecting to outlying suburbs and other regions of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Department of Transportation</span> Transportation agency based in Connecticut, US

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports and waterways in Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartford Union Station</span> Train station in Hartford, Connecticut, US

Hartford Union Station is a railroad station in Hartford, Connecticut, United States on the New Haven–Springfield Line. It is served by Amtrak Hartford Line, Northeast Regional, Valley Flyer, and Vermonter intercity rail service, plus CT Rail Hartford Line commuter rail service and CTfastrak bus rapid transit service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Company</span>

The Connecticut Company was the primary electric street railway company in the U.S. state of Connecticut, operating both city and rural trolleys and freight service. It was controlled by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, which also controlled most steam railroads in the state. After 1936, when one of its major leases was dissolved, it continued operating streetcars and, increasingly, buses in certain Connecticut cities until 1976, when its assets were purchased by the state government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartford Line</span> CTrail commuter rail service in the US

The Hartford Line is a commuter rail service between New Haven, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts, using the Amtrak-owned New Haven–Springfield Line. The project is a joint venture between the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts, with support from the federal government as well. CT Rail-branded trains provide service along the corridor, and riders can use Hartford Line tickets to travel on board most Amtrak trains along the corridor at the same prices. The service launched on June 16, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CT Transit Hartford</span>

CT Hartford is the largest division of Connecticut Transit, providing service on 43 local routes, 5 "flyer" limited stop routes and 18 express routes throughout 27 towns in Hartford County, including Bloomfield, East Hartford, Farmington, Glastonbury, Manchester, Middletown, Newington, New Britain, Rocky Hill, South Windsor, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor, in addition to Hartford. Service is provided seven days a week in the region, with routes centered on Hartford. The Hartford Division provides connections with local routes in Bristol and New Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CT Transit New Britain & Bristol</span>

CT New Britain Division and CT Bristol Division is one division of Connecticut Transit that collectively provides local bus service to four towns in the Central Connecticut Region with connections to CT Transit Hartford Division in downtown New Britain, downtown Bristol, along the Berlin Turnpike, at UConn Health, at Tunxis Community College, CT Transit Waterbury Division and Middletown Area Transit in Cromwell. Service in both divisions operates daily along 13 routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown New Britain station</span>

Downtown New Britain is a bus rapid transit station and the terminus of the CTfastrak line, located just south of Route 72 off Columbus Boulevard and Main Street in New Britain, Connecticut. It opened with the line on March 28, 2015. The station consists of one side platform and one island platform, comprising a collective total of 19 bus bays for CTfastrak local and express services, plus local CT Transit buses which do not use the busway. The station is located at the site of New Britain's former railroad station, which saw service from 1850 to 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Street station</span>

East Street is a bus rapid transit station on the CTfastrak line, located off East Street (CT-175) in New Britain, Connecticut. It opened with the line on March 28, 2015. The station consists of two side platforms serving the busway, with two center passing lanes to allow express buses to pass buses stopped at the station. Along with Cedar Street, it serves Central Connecticut State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cedar Street station</span>

Cedar Street is a bus rapid transit station on the CTfastrak line, located near the intersection of Cedar Street (CT-175) and Fenn Road in Newington, Connecticut. It opened with the line on March 28, 2015. The station consists of two side platforms serving the busway, with two center passing lanes to allow express buses to pass buses stopped at the station. Along with East Street, it serves Central Connecticut State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elmwood station (Connecticut)</span>

Elmwood is a bus rapid transit station on the CTfastrak line, located near the intersection of New Britain Avenue (CT-529) and New Park Avenue in West Hartford, Connecticut. It opened with the line on March 28, 2015. The station consists of two side platforms serving the busway, with two center passing lanes to allow express buses to pass buses stopped at the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flatbush Avenue station (Connecticut)</span> Bus rapid transit station in West Hartford, Connecticut

Flatbush Avenue is a bus rapid transit station on the CTfastrak line, located near the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and New Park Avenue in West Hartford, Connecticut. It opened with the line on March 28, 2015. The station consists of one island platform to the side of the busway, with passing lanes to allow express buses to pass buses stopped at the station. A CTrail Hartford Line commuter rail platform is planned to open in 2022 under the name West Hartford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parkville station (Connecticut)</span>

Parkville is a bus rapid transit station on the CTfastrak line, located near the intersection of Park Street and Francis Avenue in Hartford, Connecticut. It opened with the line on March 28, 2015. The station consists of two side platforms serving the busway, with two center passing lanes to allow express buses to pass buses stopped at the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigourney Street station</span>

Sigourney Street is a bus rapid transit station on the CTfastrak line, located near the intersection of Sigourney Street and Hawthorn Street in Hartford, Connecticut, near Aetna corporate headquarters. It opened with the line on March 28, 2015. The station consists of one side platform and two island platforms to serve both through buses and those which enter and leave the busway at the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in Connecticut</span>

The transportation system of Connecticut is a cooperation of complex systems of infrastructure. Trains and highways are the central pieces of the system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterbury station</span> Metro-North Railroad station in Connecticut

Waterbury station is a commuter rail stop on the Waterbury Branch of the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line, located on Meadow Street in Waterbury, Connecticut. It is the northern terminus of the Waterbury Branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newington Junction station</span>

Newington Junction is a bus rapid transit station on the CTfastrak line opened in 2015 located off Willard Avenue (CT-173) in the Newington Junction neighborhood of Newington, Connecticut.

References

  1. "CTfastrak Ridership". Connecticut Bureau of Public Transportation. March 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  2. "Greening the Community" (PDF). CTfastrak. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 11, 2015. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Despite Snow, Thousands of Riders, Many First-Timers, Experience CTfastrak on First Day of Service" (Press release). Connecticut Department of Transportation. March 28, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "CTfastrak Routes". CT Transit. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  5. "BRT Rankings". Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  6. "Multi-Use Trail". CTtransit. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  7. Simpson, Stan (June 30, 2014). "DOT officials bullish on CTfastrak's future". Hartford Business Journal. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  8. "Station Site Plans". Connecticut Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  9. "CTfastrak System Map" (PDF). CT Transit. December 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  10. U.S. Department Of Transportation; Federal Transit Administration; Connecticut Department of Transportation (December 2001). "Executive Summary, New Britain–Hartford Busway" (PDF).
  11. 1 2 "Busway: After More Than 12 Years, Work Starts In Earnest On Busway". Hartford Courant.
  12. "Fare Enforcement Begins on CTfastrak Bus Rapid Transit System: Riders Can Be Fined $75 Without Valid Proof Of Fare Payment" (Press release). Connecticut Department of Transportation. June 23, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  13. Stacom, Don; Kauffman, Matthew (September 28, 2015). "Yearly Taxpayer Cost To Operate CTfastrak Jumps 75 Percent From Original Estimate". Hartford Courant. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  14. Teehan, Sean (November 25, 2019). "CT hopes to test self-driving buses on CTfastrak in 2020". Hartford Business News.
  15. Porter, Mikaela; Owens, David (June 17, 2018). "Thousands Take A Free Ride On Hartford Line's Inaugural Run". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
  16. CDM Smith. "Section 1.3: Station and Layover Site Concept Plans" (PDF). NEW HAVEN-HARTFORD-SPRINGFIELD LINE HIGH SPEED INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT/ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT EVALUATION: Volume II Concept Design Drawings and Environmental Resource Graphics. Connecticut Department of Transportation. pp. 36, 37. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  17. "GOV. MALLOY, BOND COMMISSION APPROVE DESIGN OF RAIL STATIONS ON HARTFORD AND NEW HAVEN LINES" (Press release). State of Connecticut. January 12, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  18. "CTfastrak East of the River Expansion: Initial Study Results" (PDF). CTfastrak. April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  19. Stacom, Don. "DOT: Hartford To UConn Bus Route Could Cost $1.4 Million A Year". Hartford Courant. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
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