Longtime Public Transportation Official, Phillip Fry, Retires

Phillip Fry, CTtransit (First Transit) assistant general manager of planning & marketing, has announced his retirement after more than four decades of dedication and contributions to public transportation. Fry worked for more than forty years for First Transit and it’s predecessor companies, American Transit Enterprises (ATE Management and Ryder/ATE), to include 20 years at CTtransit, 14 years as the General Manager of AMTRAN (Altoona Metro Transit) in Blair County, Pa., and work with the suburban transit system in Oak Lawn, Ill. Additionally, Fry worked for the City of Marion, Ind., and the Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pa.

Richard Dunning, senior vice president at First Transit, presented Fry with the First Transit, Jensen/Lee Manager of the Year Award at an event held to commemorate Fry’s service, Oct. 25. The award is presented annually to managers from the agency’s Transit Management Division who exemplify and demonstrate commendable management values and practices throughout the course of their careers. Fry is the award’s first recipient.

Dunning said Fry has left his mark on the public transportation systems with which he has worked.

"It has been my great honor to have been Phil Fry’s colleague and friend for the last 38 years. Phil has dedicated himself to the practice of transit management and has always been an example to his colleagues of what a transit professional should be," said Dunning.

At CTtransit, Fry oversaw the company’s Planning department and dozens of employees responsible for developing and improving transportation routes in the Greater Hartford, Greater New Haven and Stamford Connecticut transit regions for millions of state riders. Fry also directed the CTtransit marketing department’s efforts in managing public information regarding the company’s system updates and upgrades through its websites, phone applications, customer service and public outreach platforms.

At CTtransit, Fry managed a project that mandated the use of a single uniform bus stop sign for use throughout the CTtransit system. Before Fry initiated this project, CTtransit riders were dependent on painted strips on telephone poles to determine the location of stops. Fry was also instrumental in the installation of passenger shelters in the Hartford region, and worked to allocate any advertisement revenue generated by the shelters to support their maintenance.

In addition to being the CTtransit liaison to the Connecticut media, regional agencies and businesses, Fry was closely involved in the implementation of CTfastrak, the region’s first bus rapid transit system. He also directed and organized the state’s annual Transit Roadeo competitions, and represented CTtransit on numerous planning studies undertaken by regional agencies.

At AMTRAN, which offers service to Pennsylvania State University, Fry oversaw several transit system upgrades, and in both Connecticut and Altoona Pennsylvania, Fry was involved in the initiation and planning of multiple circulator shuttle services.

Fry is a graduate of Indiana University where he majored in Transportation Management. He and his family reside in West Hartford, Connecticut.