Connecticut Transit

Connecticut Transit

CT Transit New Flyer DE40LF hybrid 301 in downtown Stamford on the 42 Darien line. This bus is one of the two original hybrid-electric buses in the CT Transit fleet, and was retired in late 2015 due to a crash.
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 Local bus service
Routes Buses operate 7 days a week in most divisions, with the exception of a few holidays in some. See CT Transit for the latest information concerning holiday schedules.
Operator See articles for each division
Chief executive David A. Lee (HNS General Manager)
Website Official Website

Connecticut Transit (styled CTtransit) is a bus system serving much of the U.S. state of Connecticut and is a division of that state's Department of Transportation.[1] CT Transit provides bus service via contract providers for seven different metropolitan areas in the state, mostly concentrated in Hartford and New Haven counties. CTtransit began operations in 1976.

History

HNS Management, Inc., is the principal operator of CTtransit service in the greater Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford areas. They are the second largest public transit system in New England with a total fleet of over 400 buses an over 27 million customers served each year. HNS employs nearly 980 bus operators, maintenance employees, and administrative personnel; the company administers an annual operating budget of over $100 million. CTtransit is owned by, and management reports to staff of, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, Bureau of Public Transportation.

Early History

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 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 to the Connecticut Company, and service continued to expand throughout the next two decades. By 1924, the Connecticut Company operated some 1,640-passenger cars over a network of 834 miles of trolley track.

Both the New Haven Railroad and Connecticut Company suffered financial setbacks during the Depression years. In 1936, the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company (CR&L) returned to the transit business, having petitioned the Federal courts for restoration of its original transit property when Connecticut Company was not able to maintain lease payments. CR&L operated bus motor coaches on all of its lines. Although the manufacture of transit buses was virtually halted during World War II, new production after the war allowed the Connecticut Company to complete the replacement of all its former trolley lines in 1948.

The 1950s inaugurated a period of decline for public transportation nationwide. Suburbanization, increased automobile ownership, public investment in new highway construction, and declining profitability in the transit business led to a vicious circle of rising fares, service cuts, and declining ridership. Following the abandonment of its various local operations, the Connecticut Company was sold in 1964 to the Colony Company, headed by E. Clayton Gengras.

The CR&L surrendered its last transit operating 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.

Public Ownership

When the Connecticut Department of Transportation acquired the assets of the Connecticut Company, it contracted with a private management company to operate the system. Since 1979, First Transit, Inc. (formerly ATE Management and Service Company and Ryder/ATE) has provided contract management services to the State in managing the day-to-day operations of CTTRANSIT. H.N.S. Management Company (the letters symbolize the three divisions: Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford) is a wholly owned sub corporation of First Transit, established as the legal entity to perform the management contact.

Today, the management of CTTRANSIT reports to CTDOT’s Bureau of Public Transportation. CTDOT staff performs directly many functions that support the day-to-day transit operation, such as capital procurement, long-range planning, and Federal grant applications. In addition, CTDOT exercises oversight of the CTTRANSIT operation through the budget process, authorization of major capital expenditures, service and fare policy, and monthly financial and performance reporting.

Divisions

CTtransit is arranged into multiple divisions:[2]

CTtransit Bus Stop for the Hartford 5W-Windsor Locks and 30-Bradley Flyer routes.

Governance

CTtransit is operated by HNS Management, serving Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford. DATTCO and New Britain Transit provide service in New Britain and now New Britain Transit operates the Bristol Service. The Northeast Transportation Company operates the Waterbury, Meriden, and Wallingford divisions of CTtransit. CTtransit is overseen by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, which also provides the operating budget.

Commitment to the Environment

In early 2012, HNS Management made a commitment to reducing their environmental impact through the installation of a PureCell stationary fuel cell system for their headquarters on Leibert Road in Hartford, Conn. The fuel cell provides 400 kilowatts (kW) of clean, reliable power to the 330,000 square-foot facility. Thermal energy from the fuel cell will be used to pre-heat two boilers that support the building’s primary heating system.[3]

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 of trees. 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. 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.[4]

Fleet

Builder
and model
Built
year
Fleet Numbers/
Division
Powertrain Notes
MCI 102-DL3 1995
  • 9511-9515
Detroit Diesel 60/ Allison B500R6
  • Originally purchased by the State of CT D.O.T. for Peter Pan Bus Lines for use on commuter runs, then retained by CT Transit for service on the Stamford Division's I-BUS Express.
  • Retired from daily service in 2010 and replaced by the 2010 MCI D4500CT's.
  • Currently stored in Stamford and are mainly used for Metro North Railroad replacement service and on rare occasions can be spotted on the I-BUS Express
New Flyer D40LF 2001
  • 102-113 New Haven
  • 101,114-117;120-122 Hartford
  • 118-119 New Britain
  • 123-132 Stamford
  • 133-134 Retired
  • 135 DATTCO
  • 136 Storage(Hartford)
Detroit Diesel 40E/ Allison B400R5
  • 101-127 is in transit config.
  • 128-136 is in Suburban Config.
  • 108 is a spare for the Union Station Shuttle, it has no farebox.
New Flyer D40LF 2002
  • 201-240 Hartford
Detroit Diesel 40E/ Allison B400R5
  • Active
MCI D4500 2002
  • A221-A222 Collins Bus
Detroit Diesel 60/ Allison B500R6
  • Operated by Collins Bus Service for CT Transit
New Flyer DE40LF 2003
  • 301-302
Cummins ISL/ Allison EP40
  • First hybrid buses bought by CT Transit
  • 301 retired as of 11/27/2015 due to accident
MCI D4500 2003
  • 303-309
Detroit Diesel 60/ Allison B500R6
  • Used for Hartford express service
New Flyer D40LF 2003
  • 312-322 Hartford
  • 324-326 Milford Transit District (MTD)
  • 327-328 Greater Bridgeport Transit (GBT)
  • 329 Norwalk Transit District (NTD)
  • 310-311,323, 330-371 New Haven
  • 381-386 Waterbury,
  • 391-392 SEAT
Detroit Diesel 50EGR/Allison B400R5
  • 337 is retired due to crash
  • 324-329 is branded for Coastal Link. (CL) (Buses #327 & #328 are assigned for local service in Bridgeport.)
New Flyer D40LF 2004
  • 401-442 Hartford
  • 451-492 New Haven
Detroit Diesel 50EGR/ Allison B400R5
  • All Active
New Flyer D40LF 2005
  • 501-548 Hartford
  • 551-552 SEAT
Cummins ISL/ Allison B400R5
  • All Active
MCI D4505 2006
  • 604 Kelley Transit
Detroit Diesel 60/ Allison B500R6
  • This bus is the replacement for Kelley Transit bus 250, a 1995 MCI 102-DL3 which was destroyed in the Avon Mountain crash. It is the only D4505 in the CT Transit fleet.
New Flyer D40LF 2007
  • 711-753; 761-782 Hartford
Cummins ISL/ Allison B400R5
  • 761-782 are suburban buses with one door used only for Hartford express service
  • 711-713 are branded for CT FASTRAK
New Flyer D40LF 2008
  • 801-802 Hartford
Cummins ISL/ Allison B400R5
New Flyer D35LF 2008
  • 803 NBT
  • 804-805 SEAT
Cummins ISL/ Allison B400R5
  • All active
New Flyer D35LFR 2010
  • A1-A14 NBT
  • A21-A26 DATTCO
Cummins ISL/ Allison B400R5
  • All active
MCI D4500CT 2010
  • 1011-1018 Hartford
  • 1019-1022 Stamford
  • A71-A84 DATTCO
  • A85-A87 Kelley Transit
  • A88-A91 Collins Bus
Cummins ISM/ Allison B500R6
  • Used only for express bus service in Hartford and Stamford
New Flyer XDE40 2010
  • 1023-1036 New Haven
Cummins ISB/ Allison EP40
NovaBus LFSA 2010
  • 1041-1052 New Haven
  • 1061-1073 Stamford
Cummins ISL09/ Allison B500R6
  • Split between New Haven and Stamford
  • First 60 ft buses in CT
New Flyer XD35 2010
  • A30-A47 Waterbury
Cummins ISL09/ Allison B400R5
  • Active
New Flyer XDE35 2010
  • A48-A64 Waterbury
Cummins ISB/ Allison EP40
  • Active
NovaBus LFSA-HEV 2011
  • 1101-1110 Hartford
Cummins ISL09/ Allison EP50
  • 1101 was delivered with the number 1081 but has since been changed
  • 1101 is out of service due to fire
New Flyer XDE35 2012
  • 1201-1203 Hartford
  • 1204 New Haven
Cummins ISB/ Allison EP40
  • 1201-1203 is branded as dash
  • 1204 is branded for Union Station Shuttle
New Flyer XDE40 2012
  • 1210
  • 1211 & 1212 Hartford
  • 1213 & 1214 Stamford
Cummins ISB/ Allison EP40
  • Active
Gillig BRT 35' HEV 2013 1301-1302 SEAT Cummins ISB/ Allison EP40
  • First Hybrid units for SEAT
New Flyer XDE40 2014
  • 1401-1425;1481-1488 Stamford
  • 1441-1458 Hartford (CTfastrak)
  • 1489-1493 New Haven
Cummins ISB/ Allison EP40
  • Units 1441-1458 are for CTfastrak
  • 1481 is OOS from accident on 1/23/16
NovaBus LFX 2014
  • 1462-1473 Hartford(CTfastrak)
Cummins ISL9/ Allison EP50
  • All units are branded as CTfastrak)
Gillig BRT 29' Hybrid 2014-2015
  • 1430-1438,1501-1503 Hartford (CTfastrak)
Cummins ISB/ Allison EP40
  • Operating
  • All units are in CTfastrak livery
MCI D4500CT 2014-2015
  • 1475-1480, 1510-1525 Hartford (CTfastrak)
2014: Cummins ISX/ Allison B500R6
2015: Cummins ISL9/ Allison B500R6
  • All are operating
  • 1510-1525 has the new headlight design
  • 1510 has grey headlights
NovaBus LFSA HEV 2014
  • 1426-1429 New Haven
Cummins ISL9/ Allison EP50
  • Active

Funding

CTTRANSIT’s annual revenue is primarily made up of three things: passenger fares, advertising and reimbursements for services run through contracts with state agencies (primarily access to jobs). The State of Connecticut subsidizes the operations of CTTRANSIT in the amount of the annual operating deficit.

Numbers for FY2013:

Passenger Fares $26,214,835
Advertising Revenue $781,804
Service Reimbursements $8,627,668
Total Revenue $35,624,307
Total Expenses $121,969,197
Total Deficit $86,071,890

References

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/nebuses/rosters/connDOT.htmll

External links

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