When CTfastrak was first conceived in 2000 and then when ground was broken in 2012 on the 9.4 mile, $567 million dedicated bus way between New Britain and Hartford, the project caught plenty of criticism from politicians, especially Republicans, who called it a waste of taxpayer dollars that would have to include annual, indefinite subsidies to offset poor ridership numbers.
But proponents said ridership would be there, that it would increase employment opportunities for urban riders who needed public transportation to get to work, reduce congestion on Interstate 84 between New Britain and Hartford and bring economic development to neighborhoods adjacent to bus stops along the way.
Both sides turned out to be right in some measurable aspects.
Ridership numbers did increase every year of operation from 2015 to 2019. In its first full year of operation in 2016 state Department of Transportation officials said more than 2.8 million people rode CTfastrak. That number continued to increase annually and topped out at 3.34 million riders in 2019. In 2021 that number dipped to 2.09 million but has been slowly increasing since then. In the recently completed fiscal year which ended in June, state DOT officials said ridership stood at 2.57 million. Over 10 years, according to the DOT 25.7 million people have ridden the line.
Housing and retail has also followed the bus line, according to the DOT, which said that 700 housing units have been created so far along the route and that another 1,300 are in the planning stages. Overall, that would result in $588 million in construction costs and $33.5 million in appraised property value.
Ben Limmer, bureau chief of the DOT's Bureau of Public Transit, said the line's successes have drawn the interest of the Federal Transit Administration. Acting FTA administrator Veronica Vanterpool visited Connecticut last week and took a ride with Limmer and other state and federal transit officials.
Limmer said Vanterpool, who has also been visiting other public transportation initiatives around the country, discussed a variety of associated benefits of the line, including economic development, public works improvements, signaling updates and safety and security for riders and the public.
"It's my observation that there are a lot of societal issues that have nothing to do with public transportation," Limmer said. "Theres's been an increase in crime and all federal agencies have seen the trend."
Limmer said that the state DOT is fortunate that it's a state agency and has direct access to public safety, including state and local police.
Vanderpool did not immediately respond to a request for comment about her visit to the state.
Asked if he could back up the claim made more than a decade ago that the bus line would reduce congestion on I-84, Limmer said that wasn't something he could prove, but added that the line gives motorists another option.
As for subsidies, Limmer said he wasn't sure that he could arrive at a dollar figure because there are a lot of factors at play between ridership among the lines.
"We do what we can to make sure fares are affordable. I assume fares have not kept up with inflation so we're probably flat or slightly up on subsidies," he said.
In 2018, then state Sen. Joe Markley claimed that the state was subsidizing the bus way to the tune of $20 million a year and claimed that then Gov. Dannel Malloy was hiding the true numbers from the public.
CTfastrak officials also have reason to celebrate a federal $38.9 million grant that will help pay for 46 battery-electric buses and 29 chargers.
Gov. Ned Lamont said in July when the funding was announced that the new battery-electric buses and chargers will "help meet the growing demand for reliable, efficient, and environmentally-friendly transit options, and will greatly benefit the thousands of residents and commuters who rely on CTfastrak services every day."
And the line was also recently chosen as the country's best bus rapid transit system by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.
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