HISTORY

In 1997, the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency (CCRPA) undertook the Hartford West Major Investment Study (MIS), a multimodal study that examined a variety of highway and transit improvements to provide improved mobility and congestion relief as traffic increased along the I-84 corridor. After detailed analysis and a comprehensive public outreach program, the MIS recommended creation of a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system as an effective tool to combat increasing congestion. The system is centered around an exclusive 9.4-mile long guideway dedicated to the BRT system that links Central Connecticut communities including Bristol, Cheshire, Hartford, New Britain, Manchester (Buckland Hills), Newington, Southington, Waterbury and West Hartford.

Over the next decade, significant resources were dedicated to developing the CTfastrak system. In 2001, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was completed. It analyzed alternatives and made recommendations to mitigate anticipated negative environmental impacts. A Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was completed in December 2001. As the project progressed, revisions were made to the FDEIS to reflect changes in the overall scope and design of the CTfastrak system. These planning steps were completed in accord with Federal regulations regarding new transit projects funded through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) New Starts program. In 2009, CTDOT completed the service and operations plans that outline major components of the CTfastrak program, including proposed routes, schedules, and operations details. In 2011, a Full Funding Grant Agreement was signed between the FTA and CTDOT that signaled the final commitment of funding necessary to make CTfastrak a reality. Project construction began in 2012 and CTfastrak will open for service in 2015.

Below are links to historical documentation of the CTfastrak Program.

1997 Hartford West Major Investment Study

2001 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS): Part 1 | Part 2

2001 I-84 West Side Access Study

2002 Record of Decision 

2006 FEIS Reevaluation 

2011 Full Funding Grant Agreement

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