Community Transit and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) celebrated the anniversaries of their respective bus rapid transit (BRT) systems.
Community Transit’s Swift Orange Line
Community Transit’s Swift Orange Line BRT has logged more than 810,000 boardings during its first year in service. The agency notes the Swift Orange Line BRT is its third BRT route, joining the Swift Blue and Green lines. The Orange Line links riders to popular destinations like McCollum Park, Mill Creek Town Center, Alderwood Mall, Lynnwood City Center Station and Edmonds College and connects to Link light rail at Lynnwood City Center Station.
During its first year, the Swift Orange Line has had:
- 810,000-plus total boardings
- 62,000-plus total trips
Community Transit notes the Orange Line station with the most boardings is the Lynnwood City Center Station and the busiest hour of the day on the Orange Line is from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. when 220 daily boardings occur on average.
“The launch of the Swift Orange Line one year ago marked a major milestone—not just for Community Transit, but for transit in the region,” said Community Transit Chief Planning and Development Officer Melissa Cauley. “Thanks to our riders, employees and community partners, the Orange Line is helping shape a more connected future for our community.”
CTDOT’s CTfastrak turns a decade old
CTDOT’s fastrak, the state’s first regional BRT system, has turned a decade old. CTDOT notes CTfastrak is a system of 10 bus routes operated by CTDOT that provides direct service to and from Waterbury, Cheshire, Southington, Bristol, Plainville, New Britain, Newington, West Hartford, Hartford and Manchester, Conn., with portions operating on a 9.4-mile dedicated roadway between New Britain and Hartford. The line provides a one-seat, no-transfer ride to many regional employment, shopping and healthcare destinations, as well as to rail service, including the New Haven Line, the Waterbury Branch Line and the Hartford Line.
CTDOT says that since its launch, CTfastrak has provided more than 28.5 million passenger trips. Today, it averages about 14,000 weekday trips. Among CTfastrak’s routes is Route 101, which is the busiest bus route in the state, serving about 1.1 million passengers annually.
According to CTDOT, more than $550 million in transit-oriented development projects near CTfastrak stations have been completed, are currently under construction or are being planned, and in 2024, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy ranked CTfastrak the No. 1 BRT system in the U.S.
“Take one look at any neighborhood that has a CTfastrak station and compare it with how those areas were doing ten years ago, and you will note the hundreds of new units of housing and the many new businesses that have established operations in these communities over the last decade,” said Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont. “CTfastrak’s impact extends beyond providing commuters with convenient public transit. It is revitalizing communities and showing the direct connection between our transportation system and the growth of vibrant communities where people want to live, work and play.”
CTDOT says it continues to evolve CTfastrak’s service based on customer feedback and changing ridership habits.
“CTfastrak has done more than connect communities — it’s reshaped the state’s economy and set the gold standard in the U.S. for bus rapid transit,” said CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “This success proves that when government, local leaders and the private sector collaborate, we can deliver results that help residents and businesses thrive.”
Brandon Lewis | Associate Editor
Brandon Lewis is a recent graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lewis is a former freelance editorial assistant at Vehicle Service Pros in Endeavor Business Media’s Vehicle Repair Group. Lewis brings his knowledge of web managing, copyediting and SEO practices to Mass Transit Magazine as an associate editor. He is also a co-host of the Infrastructure Technology Podcast.
