by Jamil Ragland CTNewsJunkie
HARTFORD, CT — As CT Transit looks back on 50 years of service, officials are already looking forward to the next 50.
Garrett Eucalitto, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation, said CT Transit has plans to build 750 new bus shelters in high ridership locations across the state. These shelters will feature real-time arrival signs, solar lighting, bench mounted seating, and be ADA accessible.
CT Transit is also moving to a zero-emissions bus fleet, switching traditional buses to those which use a battery for power. There are already 61 battery electric buses on the road, with another 20 arriving in 2026. The Connecticut General Assembly has mandated that all buses be battery electric by 2035.
“This anniversary marks not just five decades of bus service, but a defining moment in Connecticut’s public transportation history,” Eucalitto said in an anniversary celebration Tuesday at the CT Transit garage in Hartford. “What began as an urgent effort to save public transportation has grown into one of the most reliable and expansive bus systems in the country. Over those five decades, CT Transit has evolved from, at the time, a regional bus provider, to a statewide network and a statewide brand.”
What we now know as CT Transit began in April of 1976, when the state purchased the Connecticut Company, a private bus company. Now, DOT said CT Transit has grown into a statewide service running over 140 routes across eight regions, providing about 400,000 rides each week.
As part of the celebration, CT Transit is introducing a retro design for new buses that harkens back to the Hartford Whalers-style coloring of buses used up until the late 2000’s.
CT Transit General Manager Thomas Stringer Jr. said the design is more than a nod to the past.
“It’s a tribute to the leadership of former general managers, the dedication of our professional operators, maintenance crews, planners, and administrative teams, and to the valued customers who helped shape this system,” he said.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal also paid tribute to CT Transit employees, calling them a model of public service.
“It’s not easy to drive a bus, I’ve tried. You don’t want to be in that bus with me at the wheel,” he said.
In addition to their driving skill, CT Transit employees also have to deal with mechanical breakdowns, snow and passengers upset with the occasional delay, Blumenthal said.
“You’re the ones on the front lines,” he said.