This article needs additional citations for verification .(December 2013) |
Parent | Connecticut Department of Transportation |
---|---|
Founded | 1976 |
Headquarters | Hartford, Connecticut |
Locale | Connecticut |
Service area | Metropolitan areas of Stamford, Hartford, New Haven, Waterbury, Meriden, New Britain, Bristol, and Wallingford |
Service type | Intrastate bus service |
Routes | 177 unique scheduled routes and shuttles as of 2023 |
Operator | Various |
Chief executive | Thomas E. Stringer, Jr., HNS General Manager |
Website | www.cttransit.com |
CT Transit (styled as CTtransit) is a public transportation bus system serving many metropolitan areas and their surrounding suburbs in the 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.
In 2015, CT Transit began operation of CT Fastrak, the first bus rapid transit system in Connecticut and second in New England.
Although private transportation has existed in Connecticut since its initial settlement, public transportation in Connecticut dates back to the 19th Century with the introduction of horse-drawn trolley lines in many towns across the state. In 1901 the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company (CR&L) was formed to operate and extend electric powered trolley services. These operations were leased to the Consolidated Railway Company in 1906 and, a year later, merged with the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.
In 1910, the New Haven Railroad formally sublet all of its street railway operations, including CR&L, to the Connecticut Company. By 1924, the Connecticut Company operated some 1,640-passenger cars over a network of 834 miles of track. [1]
Although street railway services remained through much of Connecticut, as early as the 1920s underperforming street- and heavy-rail lines began to be replaced by motor coach services. The first replacement of street railways with buses in Connecticut occurred in Stamford in 1921, with the rate of replacement accelerating during the 1930s and 1940s.
In 1936, following financial setbacks during the Great Depression and being unable to maintain lease payments, the Connecticut Company was forced to divest the CR&L, representing nearly 35% of line mileage it operated prior to the divestment (152 miles of a total 438). [2] The newly independent CR&L no longer operated any rail services, while its former lessee began eliminating street railway lines as a cost-cutting measure. Although World War II put a pause on significant service changes, it was not long after the last trolley lines were taken out of service.
Although Connecticut's bus services were still profitable in the early-1950s, [3] by the 1960s profitability had significantly decreased. [4] In June 1964 the Connecticut Company was sold to transportation and insurance magnate E. Clayton Gengras for $3,225,000. [5] It was hoped by Hartford's chamber of commerce that under Gengras the Connecticut Company could become the core of a new "mass transit district" since it was no longer affiliated with the bankrupt New Haven Railroad. [6] Pursuant to Gengras' plan to "make some money with [the Connecticut Company]", [5] revenues did increase significantly following his acquisition. [4] Despite these higher revenues, even in 1964 there were concerns over the long-term viability of Hartford's bus operations in private hands. George J. Ritter, a member of the "in standby" Greater Hartford Mass Transit District (MTD/GHTD), stated that "the new Connecticut Company is no savior for mass transit in Hartford... we still have a sick company." [7] Gengras' reduction in Connecticut Company expenses was mostly through the discontinuation of less profitable services, [8] although there were notable layoffs, [9] fare increases, [10] and attempts to capitalize through a number of experimental services. Some of these experimental services included deluxe express buses with free newspapers, downtown Hartford shuttles, [11] the Railbus, which could run both on rail and road, [12] vacation tours, [13] and park-and-ride commuter on-demand express bus reservations using computers ("bus by request"). [14]
These changes, notably service reductions and layoffs, created much dissatisfaction among employees, [15] [16] resulting in a 27-day long strike in 1965 among all Connecticut Company divisions. [17]
Under Gengras the company first expanded in October 1967 when it acquired the Middletown area H&W Transit Company, [18] although even this was ineffective at increasing ridership with declines in riders' perceived quality of Connecticut Company services and the reduction of its routes' frequencies. [19] In September 1968 the Connecticut Company expanded again when it acquired the Silver Lane Bus Company of Manchester. [20]
In August 1971 a "massive" [21] reduction in service was planned, with all Sundays trips to be eliminated, as well as most on evenings and Saturdays. In total the cuts represented around two thirds of all evening trips from Monday to Saturday should they be implemented. [22] The drastic nature of these cuts prompted many in state and local government to propose action. State Senator Joe Lieberman urged the consideration of the state to at least subsidize bus services, but even go so far as to assume some of their operations or operate them outright if necessary. [23] The still "in standby" GHTD sought to gather funds from the state to acquire the Connecticut Company before any service cuts could be approved by the Connecticut Public Utilities Commission (PUC). [24]
Although there was considerable support for GHTD to acquire the Connecticut Company, [25] [26] the PUC ruled that the Connecticut Company "could continue to provide service" while GHTD "could not do so". [27] On September 4 the Connecticut Company's reduced schedules were implemented, although four Hartford routes were run with marginal daytime service on Sundays. [21]
In September 1971, days before its reduced schedules took effect, the Connecticut Company filed a request with the PUC in an attempt to suspend all of its services in its Stamford division, [28] as well as to increase fares in Hartford and New Haven. [29] Neither of these requests were approved. [29]
The first state relief for the Connecticut Company came in April 1972 when it paid for new buses, although no further subsidy was provided. [30]
Particularly due to the 1973 strikes of the employees of the Connecticut Company and CR&L, the Connecticut Department of Transportation became more involved with bus services in Connecticut. [31] CTDOT noted in its annual Transportation Master Plan that year that "if the present trend continues, there will be minimal local bus service by 1980" and that "the service that exists today has not been capable of attracting or persuading the automobile driver to abandon his auto ride to the bus". [31] In the following years, CTDOT began providing more aid to Connecticut transit districts.
The CR&L surrendered its last operating transit franchises in 1973, and in June 1976 Gengras sold the three remaining divisions of the Connecticut Company (Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford) to the State of Connecticut.
When the Connecticut Department of Transportation acquired the assets of the Connecticut Company, it contracted with a private management company to operate the system. Beginning in 1979, First Transit operated CT Transit's three original divisions in Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford through its subsidiary HNS Management.[ citation needed ] Although HNS Management operates the buses and operations themselves, it is CTDOT which manages matters such as procurement, routes, and planning. In December 2022, CTDOT announced it had switched its operating contract from First Transit to RATP Dev USA, an American subsidiary of France's state-owned RATP Group. [32]
On April 1, 2022, CTDOT announced it had suspended fares on all public transit buses in Connecticut, [33] which was launched in response to sharp ridership decreases following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and heightened inflation. [34] By September 2022, bus ridership in some CT Transit Divisions had exceeded pre-Covid levels. [35] Fares resumed on April 1, 2023. [33]
CT Transit is managed by CTDOT and HNS Management is the company's largest contractor, (largely) operating the Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford divisions. However, CT Transit contracts a number of different companies and agencies with the CTDOT-led "core" providing supervision and coordination between them. In some ways CT Transit serves as a "brand" under which companies can operate their services while being part of a larger system. Because of its reliance on contractors however, CTDOT route planning can be significantly impacted by operators' decisions, and contract disputes have led to service cuts when agreements could not be reached.
Routes were first assigned letter designations in the Hartford area by the Connecticut Company in December 1964. [36]
CT Transit is arranged into five divisions, although some divisions serve more than one city. In addition, some divisions' services are operated by a single contractor while others are operated by multiple. Given CTDOT's supervisory role however, changes to improve consistency among the different divisions were made in the 2000s and 2010s, and today the divisions themselves have little effect beyond administration and direct operations. CT Transit's divisions are:
CTtransit’s annual revenue is primarily made up of fare revenue, advertising, and reimbursements for services through contracts with state agencies (primarily access to jobs). The State of Connecticut funds the operations of CTtransit in the amount of the annual operating deficit.
Although originally conceived in the late-1990s, CT Fastrak opened in 2015 as the first bus rapid transit system in Connecticut and second in New England.
Although early attempts at deluxe commuter express buses by the Connecticut Company were a failure, the organization did begin to seriously consider regularly-operating express buses as early as 1970 with plans for an express bus from Unionville and Farmington to Hartford via I-84. [37]
The first express routes operated by CT Transit were those inherited from the Connecticut Company which were initiated from 1972 until the company's acquisition by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) in 1976. The creation of the routes was prompted by the CTDOT hoping to "decrease automobile traffic into the major urban areas". [38] The first express route operated was from Hartford to the Corbins Corner area of West Hartford, and began operation on January 17, 1972. [39] The route was initially part of a pilot program which was extended due to promising results. [40] 15 express routes were in operation by the time CT Transit (then Connecticut Transit) was created, with 13 operating around Hartford, and 2 operating around New Haven respectively. [39]
CT Transit's first new express route came in 1998 with the creation of the I-Bus (now Route 971) between Stamford and White Plains, New York. [41] Originally begun as a pilot funded by the Departments of Transportation of Connecticut and New York, [41] the route would be added to regular service as CT Transit's only interstate express route.
Despite the introduction of the I-Bus, a number of express routes were combined or eliminated over the years following their initial introductions. [42] Although some new routes such as the CI (Correctional Institutes) and IND (Windsor/Bloomfield Industrial) briefly existed around the turn of the millennium, [43] the total number of express routes in 2003 was down to 12, all of which were in the Hartford area. [44] Still intended mostly for commuters, only three routes offered any sort of mid-day service alongside that during rush hour. [44] To meet its budget that year, schedules were constrained even further despite the reduced number of routes. Although unsuccessful, the proposed cuts also originally included eliminating express service to Unionville. [45]
Around 2008, previously having all of its express services operated by HNS, CT Transit began contracting commuter services from other operators in Connecticut including Dattco and Peter Pan. With other operators' services, new routes extended the CT Transit system, such as to Torrington and Winsted. These new routes also provided express connections between CT Transit divisions, such as with the Hartford-New Haven Express and Waterbury Express respectively.
After the creation of CT Fastrak, some routes were altered to serve new CT Fastrak stations. Also, express service to UConn began, operated by Peter Pan, Dattco, and HNS, which was originally planned to be part of an expanded Fastrak service known as "Fastrak East"
In August 2021, due to the decreased ridership resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic, many of CT Transit's routes were consolidated or had their service reduced, and express routes were no exception. Routes 917 (Tolland Express), 924 (Southington-Cheshire Express), 925 (Waterbury Express) were suspended, and their services were partially integrated into other routes. Beginning in August 2021, CT Transit contracted Peter Pan's services in the state of Connecticut along its Hartford-Providence route. Designated Route PPB, Peter Pan buses are used, although both Peter Pan and CT Transit fares are accepted for intrastate travel in Connecticut.
A contract dispute between the CTDOT and Dattco in late-2021 caused the Dattco-operated express routes, which were contracted by CT Transit starting in 2008, to be dropped from CT Transit. The three routes affected by the contract dispute were 921 (Middletown/Old Saybrook Express), 923 (Bristol Express), and 928 (Southington-Cheshire-Waterbury Express). Although Dattco continued operating the routes themselves in the immediate aftermath, service was significantly reduced, operating only a few times per day on each route, and in the case of the former Route 928, it was shortened from Waterbury only to Cheshire. Citing mounting costs, Dattco ended service on all three routes on February 18, 2022. After a four month gap in service, a contract agreement was reached in June. With a new contract, Route 928 resumed operation as part of CT Transit once more on June 22, and Routes 921 and 923 resumed later in August 2022.
In 1991 the Greater Hartford Transit District (GHTD), began paratransit services through a collaboration between CT Transit and the CTDOT. [46] The GHTD's paratransit dial-a-ride services intend to provide ADA access to areas where CT Transit's routes cannot by deviating .75 miles from existing routes and utilizing accessible vehicles. [47] However, unlike many other paratransit services, the GHTD's operation as an accessible "alternative" to CT Transit's routes means that it mirrors where CT Transit buses already serve, at the same times the buses normally operate. [47] GHTD's mirroring of CT Transit services has created difficulties for some riders who live in areas underserved by CT Transit bus services. [48]
In most areas of Connecticut, CT Transit does not operate paratransit services. However, in the Meriden, Wallingford, and Waterbury areas the Northeast Transportation Company (NET), operates paratransit services under CT Transit livery. NET's service provides dial-a-ride access to residents living in specific Waterbury-area towns as well as accessible alternatives to CT Transit routes for those who within .75 miles of them. NET's paratransit is officially referred to as NETPS (Northeast Transportation Paratransit Service), synonymous with the service offered before NET became a CT Transit contractor. [49]
In February 2012, CT Transit acquired a PureCell stationary fuel cell system for their headquarters on Leibert Road in Hartford. [50] The fuel cell provides 400 kilowatts (kW) of power to the 330,000 square feet (31,000 m2) facility. [50] Thermal energy from the fuel cell will be used to pre-heat two boilers that support the building’s primary heating system. [51]
By generating power on-site with a fuel cell, CTtransit will prevent the release of more than 827 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually – the equivalent of planting more than 191 acres (77 ha) of trees. [50] The reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions compared to a conventional power plant are equal to the environmental benefit of removing more than 102 cars from the road. [50] In addition to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the PureCell system will enable CTtransit to save nearly 3.6 million gallons of water annually. [50]
As of July 2022, CT Transit operated 12 electric buses. In July 2022, one caught fire, requiring the hospitalization of three people. [52] This incident resulted in the temporary suspension of electric buses from CT Transit's fleet, which ended on July 31, 2023. [53]
The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) oversees and coordinates public transportation in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, offering fixed-route bus service, paratransit service, and senior van service. PVTA was created by Chapter 161B of the Massachusetts General Laws in 1974. Based in Springfield, Massachusetts, PVTA serves Hampden and Hampshire counties, and provides connecting service to CTtransit in Hartford County, Connecticut, to FRTA in Franklin County, and to WRTA in Worcester County. It is the largest regional transit authority, and second largest public transit system in Massachusetts after the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, providing service to over 11 million riders annually across 24 municipalities in the region, with about 70% of all riders using the system as their primary mode of transit.
Shore Line East (SLE) is a commuter rail service which operates along the Northeast Corridor through southern Connecticut, United States. The rail service is a fully owned subsidiary of the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and is operated under the CT Rail brand. SLE provides service seven days a week along the Northeast Corridor between New London and New Haven; limited through service west of New Haven to Bridgeport and Stamford has been suspended since 2020. Cross-platform transfers to Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line trains are available at New Haven for service to southwestern Connecticut and New York City. Pre-COVID, around 2,200 riders used the service on weekdays.
The New Haven Line is a 72.7 mi (117.0 km) commuter rail line operated by the Metro-North Railroad in the U.S. states of New York and Connecticut. Running from New Haven, Connecticut, to New York City, the New Haven Line joins the Harlem Line in Mount Vernon, New York, and continues south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The New Haven Line carries 125,000 passengers every weekday and 39 million passengers a year. The busiest intermediate station is Stamford, with 8.4 million passengers, or 21% of the line's ridership.
The Waterbury Branch is a branch of the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line, running north from a junction in the Devon section of Milford to Waterbury, Connecticut. Originally built as the Naugatuck Railroad, it once continued north to Winsted. The part north of Waterbury is now leased from CTDOT by the Railroad Museum of New England, which operates excursion trains from Thomaston station through their operating subsidiary Naugatuck Railroad ; this name was chosen in homage of the original railroad. The trackage ends in Torrington, but Metro-North service on the branch ends at Waterbury. There are conceptual plans to extend service from its current terminus in Waterbury to Hartford via Bristol and New Britain. Currently, riders that want to continue to New Britain and Hartford have to transfer to an express bus operated by CTtransit at Waterbury. All trains on this branch operate as shuttles between Waterbury and Bridgeport.
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.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports and waterways in Connecticut.
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.
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.
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.
CT New Haven is the second largest division of Connecticut Transit, providing service on 24 routes in 19 towns within the Greater New Haven and Lower Naugatuck River Valley areas, with connections to other CT Transit routes in Waterbury and Meriden, as well as connections to systems in Milford and Bridgeport at the Connecticut Post Mall.
CT Transit Stamford is the division of CT Transit for the Stamford, Connecticut metropolitan area. It provides service on 20 bus routes in Stamford and nearby towns and cities. All routes originate from the Stamford Transportation Center, in Downtown Stamford, and connect to other neighborhoods in Stamford, as well as Greenwich, Darien, Norwalk, as well as Port Chester and White Plains in New York state. CT Transit Stamford's service area overlaps that of the Norwalk Transit District, HARTransit's Route 7 Link in Norwalk, Greater Bridgeport Transit's Coastal Link, and the Bee Line Bus in Port Chester and White Plains.
The North East Transportation Company is a bus operator based in the Naugatuck Valley area of Connecticut. NET currently serves as a contractor under CT Transit providing local bus and paratransit services in Meriden, Wallingford, and Waterbury. Despite being part of the CT Transit system, these cities' routes are fully operated by North East Transportation and are overseen by local transit authorities.
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.
The Central Naugatuck Valley is a region of Connecticut in New Haven and Litchfield counties located approximately 70 miles (110 km) northeast of New York City and 110 miles (180 km) southwest of Boston, United States. The region comprises 13 towns: Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Cheshire, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oxford, Prospect, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott, and Woodbury.
CTfastrak 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.
Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company was a streetcar and bus transit operator serving the region around Bridgeport, Norwalk, Derby, New Britain and Waterbury, Connecticut. It was formed in 1901 by United Gas Improvement Company of Philadelphia to manage the streetcar operations of the Connecticut Light and Power Company, which at the time included Central Railway and Electric Company, Norwalk Street Railway, and the Waterbury Traction Company. The newly formed Connecticut Railway and Lighting acquired Bridgeport Traction Company, Derby Street Railway, Milford Street Railway, Shelton Street Railway, Meriden, Southington and Compounce Tramway Company, and the Cheshire Street Railway. Connecticut Railway and Lighting was leased to the Consolidated Railway and in turn the Connecticut Company between 1906 and 1936. Streetcar operations were discontinued in 1937 when all lines were converted to bus. Transit operations continued until 1972, when all remaining bus operations were suspended and taken over by Connecticut Transit, except in Bridgeport- by the Greater Bridgeport Transit District in 1975.
Windham Region Transit District, or WRTD, is a bus operator for Windham County, with NECTD, SEAT, UConn Transportation Services in neighboring towns. Prior to August 2019, The company operated four routes in total, connecting with a small handful of other operators, such as UConn Transportation Services in Mansfield, SEAT in Norwich, and NECTD in Brooklyn, Connecticut. Because of the small collection of routes, they have approximately ten fixed route buses, with some Paratransit vehicles. Beginning August 14, 2017, WRTD provided connections to CTtransit in Mansfield Storrs with the 913 Express route to Hartford, Connecticut. WRTD also provides Dial-A-Ride within their nine-town district (Ashford, Chaplin, Columbia, Coventry, Lebanon, Mansfield, Scotland, Willington and Windham. ADA Paratransit is provided for areas within 3/4 mile of WRTD's Local Routes.
The Northeastern Connecticut Transit District (NECTD) is an agency providing multiple forms of public transportation in northeastern Connecticut. Six fixed routes (with deviation on request) provide week-round service to the towns of Brooklyn, Killingly, Plainfield, Putnam, and Thompson. Using fixed route service connections to WRTD can be made in Killingly and to SEAT in Plainfield respectively. With advance reservation NECTD also offers dial-a-ride service to the general public and door-to-door to select elderly and disabled persons. Dial-a-ride and door-to-door service is available to all towns served by NECTD's fixed routes as well as to Canterbury, Eastford, Hampton, Pomfret, Union, and Woodstock. Following a pilot program which began in 1977, NECTD was founded in October 1979, with its first service beginning in August 1980.
CT Rail, stylized as CTrail, is the brand for commuter rail services overseen by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), in the U.S. state of Connecticut, with some service extending into Massachusetts. CTDOT oversees two lines: Shore Line East, between New Haven and New London, Connecticut, and the Hartford Line, from New Haven, through Hartford, to Springfield, Massachusetts.
The Waterbury and Milldale Tramway was a streetcar line that operated between Waterbury and Milldale, Connecticut, United States. The line was 8.702 miles (14.00 km) long, including 1.385 miles (2.23 km) of trackage rights on a Connecticut Company line to reach downtown Waterbury. The company was chartered in June 1907 and began construction in mid-1912. It opened in stages, with the first section entering service on November 19, 1913, and the full line open on December 19, 1914. The line was soon unprofitable; the east portion was abandoned in October 1927, and the remainder in October 1933. A bus route that replaced the western portion continues to run as CTtransit route 425, operated by the Northeast Transportation Company. The Waterbury and Milldale was locally known as the "Green Line" after its green-painted streetcars, which included a pair of unique cars.