BusTalk

[Bill D]

From courant.com
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Rell Plans Upgrades To Bus Service
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Initiative Aims To Reduce Number Of Motorists On Roadways, Boost State's Economy

By GARY LIBOW
Courant Staff Writer

April 28, 2007

A statewide bus service initiative, fueled by the $7.5 million purchase of 36 new buses, will be announced today by Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

Some enhancements using the existing fleet will debut July 1, Rell said in a statement Friday. Other service upgrades will begin when the new vehicles arrive.

The bus service initiative will provide more frequent service, extended hours or additional days on existing routes, and completely new routes in some areas.

Noting that Connecticut's bus transit system provides more than 34 million passenger trips each year, the governor reported that ridership increased by 5 percent in 2006.

A sampling of service enhancements:

Sunday bus service is being added in Waterbury.

The route from New Britain to Newington is being expanded Monday through Saturday to serve more employment destinations.

The Willimantic to Danielson route will have four round trips Monday through Friday.

The bus service upgrades are aimed, in part, at siphoning motorists from state roadways.

"Every time we can get people out of their cars and onto public transportation, we take another significant step in that direction," Rell said. "The way to do that is to provide attractive, convenient and safe public transit options."

The bus fleet purchase will include six 60-foot articulated buses; two 40-foot buses; five 35-foot buses; three 30-foot buses, and 20 smaller vehicles or raised-roof vans.

The governor said that the bus upgrades will also help boost the state's economy.

"The initiative is also part of our jobs and economic development plan, because businesses in Connecticut want the best possible service for their employees," Rell said. "I want Connecticut to be as business-friendly as possible, and providing alternatives to the single-occupancy vehicle helps achieve that goal."

The $7.5 million for bus purchases was set aside in the governor's 2005 transportation initiative.

Another $3 million for operation costs has recently been budgeted, said Mike Sanders, the state Department of Transportation's transit administrator.

"We've hit some of the high priorities," Sanders said, noting that DOT staffers in late fall to winter decided where the need was most justified.

"This is a start," Sanders said. "There is still a lot of work to be done."

For more information on the expanded bus schedules, go to www.cttransit.com.

Contact Gary Libow at glibow@courant.com.
Copyright 2007, Hartford Courant

[RailBus63]

Any idea which routes will get the artics?

[Bill D]

This is the first that I heard about Connecticut obtaining artics for regular routes. When the NABI BRT artic demo was recently in Hartford, it was mentioned that state law would have to be changed to allow operation of articulated buses. As I find out more I'll keep the group posted.

[Bill D]

The State of Connecticut's web site reports that the articulated buses will be assigned to the Stamford division of CT Transit for use on Routes 11 & 41 between Port Chester and Norwalk.

For more details on all of the service improvements click on the link below:

http://www.ct.gov/governorrell/cwp/view.asp?Q=379068&A=2791

Bill

[RailBus63]

Hmmm - no Hartford-area improvements.