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FAQS

System Design

  • What is CTfastrak? +

    CTfastrak is Connecticut's bus rapid transit (BRT) solution to improved mobility and reduced congestion in the I-84 New Britain to Hartford corridor. BRT is an innovative, high capacity, cost-effective public transit solution that can significantly improve travel times through heavily-congested areas by using dedicated transit guideways or lanes to avoid traffic and quickly transport passengers to their destinations. By operating in a permanent, dedicated bus-only guideway, while allowing buses to enter and depart the line, the CTfastrak system offers the speed of a rail system with the flexibility of bus service to meet transit demand and provide passengers convenient point-to-point service to their destinations.

  • How will it work? +

    CTfastrak will work like a rail line, in its own right of way, separated from all other traffic and with few at-grade intersections. It is more flexible than rail, as the buses can get off at intermediate points or at the end of the line and continue directly to other destinations away from the line. The CTfastrak guideway will be two lanes, one in each direction, with bus pullouts at eight of the stations to enable drop-offs and pickups, while also allowing through buses, such as expresses, to pass without being delayed. Express buses will access the guideway from a dedicated bus exit ramp off the highway. Peak service will operate every three to seven minutes along the route, with about 20 buses traveling in each direction during the peak period.

  • How is this different from existing bus service? +

    CTfastrak will serve as the spine of the regional transit system, providing fast, frequent service within the most heavily-traveled area between New Britain and Hartford, and a key transit link to connect multiple routes throughout the CTtransit system. Bus routes using CTfastrak will be designed to offer faster local bus trips and one-seat rides to major employment, shopping, cultural, educational, and healthcare destinations. Express buses will access the CTfastrak guideway, making travel times from Bristol, Waterbury, Cheshire, and Southington equal to or better than driving. The flexibility of BRT operations will allow the transit system to more effectively respond to changing ridership demand and future development within the corridor.

  • What will it cost to operate the system? +

    The operating cost will include a major increase in bus service hours – approximately 130,000 additional bus service hours annually to the current CTtransit Hartford Division service total of 600,000 hours. Total operating expenses are estimated to be about $10 million in today’s dollars, about 25 percent of which will be covered by passenger fares. This is in line with transit system operating costs nationwide. This amount includes reserving money for maintenance of the dedicated guideway and facilities, including snow removal, pavement maintenance, station maintenance and standard bus operations costs.

  • Why here, why now? +

    CTDOT examined various alternatives to address the forecasted growth in population and travel demand in the New Britain and Hartford metro areas. Of all the options studied (highway widening, high occupancy vehicle lanes, commuter and light rail), bus rapid transit (BRT) in the existing rail corridor was selected as the preferred alternative because it offers travelers the greatest speed, flexibility and ease of use.

  • Why not run more buses on the local roads instead? +

    Adding more bus trips onto the same congested roads doesn't improve travel times for local or express buses, or drivers in traffic on I-84 and on local roadways.

  • Why not use the highway median? +

    Using the median as a dedicated guideway for buses creates a different set of problems, resulting in the need for additional right of way along I-84 to create stations and access for buses from the median to local roads. By having the stations within the community instead of the middle of an interstate highway, there is walk-in access and local bus connections available for riders.

  • What is the project doing about pedestrian access beyond the immediate station area? +

    Although pedestrian access beyond the immediate station areas is beyond the scope of the project, the Department will work with regional planning organizations and municipalities to prioritize pedestrian access improvements in the CTfastrak communities. You should see additional connections being made as new projects are built in the station areas. For example, as part of the construction of a new campus police station, CCSU will build a sidewalk to connect the campus to the Cedar Street station sidewalks. Click here to see access point locations to the Multi-use Trail which connects with stations and surrounding neighborhoods.
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Service

  • What are the planned hours of operation? +

    CTfastrak will provide service generally consistent with the hours of operation of the CTtransit Hartford Division. Route service in the Hartford Division begins as early as 4:05am and the last buses return to the garage at about 1:30am. As with existing bus route services, not all CTfastrak routes will run the complete 21 hour service day. Actual hours of service will depend upon demand. There will also be additional late night or off-peak services provided as needed, especially for special events.

  • What do I do when I get to downtown Hartford or New Britain? Walk from the station? +

    Buses will circulate through the downtown Hartford area after exiting the CTfastrak facility at either Sigourney Street or Union Station in downtown Hartford. In downtown, New Britain, access via a transfer will be available to all CTtransit New Britain services.

  • What happens when I get to Hartford? +

    While the CTfastrak guideway ends at Asylum Street; CTfastrak buses will travel on Asylum into downtown. The present downtown plan that has been commissioned by the City of Hartford has three stops along the way: High Street, XL Center and State House Square. Some of the CTfastrak buses will exit the guideway at Sigourney Street and travel along Farmington Avenue or Capitol Avenue providing service direct to many destinations along those guideways.

  • Where can I make multi-modal connections using CTfastrak? +

    CTfastrak services will run seamlessly with CTtransit services, ensuring connectivity between the CTtransit routes and the CTfastrak routes to maximize service opportunities to transit riders. CTfastrak will provide connections at the Waterbury train station to the Waterbury Branch of the New Haven Line, allowing rail travel to Bridgeport with connections in both directions to New Haven and to Stamford and beyond. CTfastrak service will also connect with Union Station in Hartford for the existing Amtrak service and with the future New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail service scheduled to begin operating in 2016. In addition, CTfastrak will share future station locations at the Flatbush and Newington Junction Stations with the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Intercity Rail service, facilitating and enhancing transit service and transfers between those transit modes.
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Riding CTfastrak

  • How much will it cost to ride a CTfastrak bus? +

    The fare to ride a CTfastrak bus will be the same as the rest of the regional CTtransit bus system. As of August 2013, the local cash fare is $1.30 and express bus cash fares range from $2.35 to $4.45. Reduced fares are available to seniors and people with disabilities. Discounts are offered for 3-day, 5-day, 7-day, ten-trip and monthly or 31-day passes.

  • How many riders are expected to take the CTfastrak system? +

    The system is expected to provide 16,000 rides per day by 2030 – nearly double the current ridership on current bus routes within the corridor. Approximately half of these are expected to be new riders to the transit system. About 4.8 million times a year, someone will take a trip that uses CTfastrak.

  • How do I ride CTfastrak? +

    Upon arrival at a CTfastrak station, glance at the bus arrival signs to see when the next bus to your destination will arrive. Purchase a ticket from a ticket machine (or use your transfer or bus pass). Locate the appropriate platform. Get on the bus, sit down and enjoy the ride to your destination.
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Benefits

  • What are the benefits of the CTfastrak? +

    CTfastrak is a valuable investment in the future quality of life in central Connecticut. First and foremost, it is projected to significantly improve travel times for both bus riders and drivers within the congested New Britain to Hartford corridor. And it's a permanent solution that will provide fast, dependable travel times in this corridor, regardless of increasing traffic congestion. It will greatly increase the convenience of using transit as an alternative to automobile travel to travel to key employment, educational, cultural and other destinations throughout the region. CTfastrak is estimated to provide approximately 16,000 rides a day to travelers in the central Connecticut corridor. Many of this number will be people who currently drive on the I-84 corridor. CTfastrak will give these drivers and many other current and future transit riders an alternative to traveling on our roadways and put them on environmentally-friendly transit vehicles, improving our air quality, decreasing fuel usage and reducing wear-and-tear on our roads by 17 million vehicle miles per year. In addition, bus rapid transit (BRT) systems often stimulate development around the future stations, providing an important economic boost to the area.
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Parking

  • Do I have to drive to New Britain station to park my car? +

    CTfastrak services are designed to offer a one-seat ride from origin to destination. So if you live in Bristol, Plainville, Southington, Cheshire, Waterbury, Manchester, or other points beyond the end of the CTfastrak facility, you can pick up CTfastrak buses in those communities without driving to New Britain. But if it’s more convenient for an individual, CTfastrak users will also be able to access municipal parking in downtown New Britain, a three minute walk to the downtown CTfastrak station. Discounted rates or free parking will be negotiated between CTDOT and the New Britain parking authorities to minimize the cost of parking to CTfastrak customers.

  • How will you do that with only 300 parking spaces? +

    Rapid transit systems are not designed to be drive-in facilities. Many CTfastrak riders are expected to access the system by walking, riding a bike, taking a connecting bus, or getting dropped off at a station. While many users will be coming from and going to the stations in the communities near the stations, many other passengers will be coming onto CTfastrak from express buses in surrounding communities, such as Bristol, Plainville, Cheshire, Southington and Waterbury, where there are existing park and ride facilities. Since the buses can travel “off-track,” CTfastrak circulator and connector buses can travel into nearby communities, picking up riders and delivering them to major destinations, without the need to drive to a station. CTfastrak users will also be able to access municipal parking in downtown New Britain, a three minute walk to the downtown CTfastrak station. Discounted rates or free parking will be negotiated between CTDOT and the New Britain parking authorities to minimize the cost of parking to CTfastrak customers.

  • How much parking will there be at the CTfastrak stations? +

    The table below provides a listing of the number of parking spaces per station. For a Google map format of Park & Ride locations click here.

    LOCATION

    TOTAL

    SPACES

    AVAILABLE

    SPACES (Estimated)

    New Britain

    New Britain Station

    Parking at adjacent

    municipal garages

    East Street

    34

    34

    CorbinsPark & Ride, Rt 9, Exit 30 at Rt 71, south of Westfarms Mall

    227

    159

    Newington

    Newington Junction

    28

    28

    Cedar Street Station

    45

    45

    West Hartford

    Elmwood Station

    27

    27

    Flatbush Avenue

    31

    31

    Hartford

    Parkville Station

    9

    9

    Farmington

    I-84, Exit 37 Park & Ride, Batterson Park Road

    70

    60

    Bristol

    Todd St. Park & Ride north of Rte. 72

    200

    172

    Rte. 229 (Middle St.) at Lake Avenue Park & Ride

    143

    114

    Plainville

    TBD

    TBD

    TBD

    Cheshire

    I-84, Exit 26 at Route 70 Park & Ride lot

    146

    77

    Cheshire Park & Ride, I-84, Exit 29, Route 10 north of I-691

    118

    70

    Southington

    Plantsville Park & Ride, Route 10 at Slider's Restaurant, Southington 

    102

    39

    Waterbury

    TBD

    TBD

    TBD
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Multi-Use Trail

  • Why doesn't the Multi-Use Trail go all the way to Hartford? +

    From New Britain to Newington, the trail shares the existing abandoned railroad right-of-way with CTfastrak. From Newington Junction Station north to Union Station in Hartford, CTfastrak is located next to the existing active Amtrak railroad right-of-way. The width of this corridor cannot accommodate the Multi-Use Trail, the CTfastrak guideway, and the Amtrak rail right-of-way. However, the Capitol Region Council of Governments and the local towns are looking at ways to design and complete a safe bicycle route connecting the end of the CTfastrak trail in Newington Junction with West Hartford and Hartford.

  • What safety measures will the stations and the Multi-Use Trail have? +

    The stations have been designed incorporating the principles of "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design" (CPTED). This is a design approach that deters criminal behavior by designing safer station areas with improved visibility and a more open feel. In concert with this, the stations incorporate the use of video cameras and “blue light” call boxes. Additionally, the stations will have lighting along the sidewalks, parking lots and platforms. The CTfastrak Multi-Use Trail will be similar to other trails of its kind throughout the State; lighting and security features are not part of these types of recreational facilities, as they are intended for dawn to dusk use.

  • Where can I access the Multi-Use Trail? +

    Click here to see Multi-Use Trail access point locations.
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BRT versus Rail

  • Why not rail? +

    The CTfastrak bus rapid transit (BRT) system offers flexibility and frequency that rail cannot. CTfastrak routes are designed to take advantage of the travel time savings that a dedicated lane offers but with the added flexibility to continue from the ends of the route into the downtowns, or to other destinations off the line for a one-seat ride between many locations in the region without the need for a transfer.Even in a region where there already are rail facilities, light rail is more expensive per mile than CTfastrak. When you add in the cost to build a stand-alone rail maintenance facility in the Hartford area and connect it to the project, the cost would go even higher. Light rail in the CTfastrak corridor would face some of the same challenges as BRT, as it would have to operate in the Amtrak right of way. Operation of light rail and intercity rail on the same tracks is NOT allowed by the Federal Rail Administration (FRA) or Amtrak. That has been problematic in some places around the country. Finally, operating costs for rail would have been about double the cost of operating BRT, even though BRT will have better service frequencies than rail.
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