Fairfield
County Commuters Find Convenience and Savings with Commuter Connections
With prices at the pumps on the rise more commuters than ever are
looking for alternatives to driving alone to get to work. More than
a thousand Fairfield County commuters are taking full advantage
of an extensive shuttle system that meets rush hour New Haven line
trains morning and night, delivering them to and from their offices
and affording them the chance to use the commute to read, snooze,
chat or catch up on the news. While many of those making the commute
alone in their cars pale from gas-pump sticker shock, shuttle bus
riders enjoy easy-on-the-wallet pricing, convenience and a relaxed
trip to and from work—those using the deeply discounted combination
train/bus Uniticket increase the pocketbook benefit even more. Connecticut
DOT and local transit operators, responding to the increased interest,
continue to review new possibilities for shuttle services in the
hopes of relieving some of the congestion on area roadways.
“The convenience and affordability of Commuter Connection
services offer commuters a compelling option,” said Michael
A. Sanders, Transit and Ridesharing Administrator with the Connecticut
Department of Transportation (CTDOT). “Connecticut DOT and
local bus operators are working in partnership to identify ways
to expand the service, an important element in the effort to get
more cars off the road to manage congestion and improve air quality.”
The earliest shuttle service in Connecticut was a Commuter Connection
shuttle running from the Stamford station to the city’s downtown
in the 1980s; others saw their start just after 1990, when Congress
amended the Clean Air Act to increase the country’s efforts
to improve air quality with funds earmarked for congestion mitigation
and air quality improvement programs; the newest shuttles in Connecticut
launched in the early 2000s, as part of an initiative by Connecticut’s
Transportation Strategy Board.
However they got their start, the shuttles press on today to meet
the needs of commuters and clear both the roads and the air. The
Commuter Connection services are jointly marketed by CTDOT, MTA
Metro-North Railroad and MetroPool, Inc., a CTDOT supported, non-profit,
regional transportation management company that works to provide
outreach programs promoting commuter alternatives.
While the business of getting riders to and from rush hour trains
requires strategic planning and tight scheduling, there’s
almost a folksy, personal quality about some of the shuttles. Take
the Commuter Connection service run by the Milford Transit District,
for instance. Henry Jadach, Executive Director, said the drivers
know their riders and often receive calls from regulars to let them
know which train they’ll be on, or that they’ll be working
late or heading out early. The Milford Commuter Connection, prompted
by train station parking lots with a three-year wait list, serves
commuter park and ride lots on Route 34 in Orange, Wolf Harbor Road
and Route 1, across from the BBQ restaurant in Milford, getting
commuters to and from the train station, and from trains to nearby
corporate parks.
“Every day and in all kinds of weather, we provide friendly,
personal and inexpensive door-to-door service, picking up at the
train platform and delivering commuters to their cars,” said
Mr. Jadach of the local shuttle, which launched in January 2002.
“It’s easy to see why people often stick with this service
once they’ve tried it.”
Corporate relocations and a large commuter population have kept
the Norwalk Transit District busy adding service and refining routes
in order to meet changing needs. The Commuter Connection in Greenwich,
for instance, serves nearly 150 commuters per day in central and
western Greenwich with loops from the train to major employment
locations. In Westport, an area highly populated with commuters,
350 riders depend on the service each day, with the local shuttles
reducing pressure on overfilled parking lots at the Westport station
and serving corporate locations including Norden Park, Nyala Farms
and Greens Farms. In Norwalk, the district is running three different
shuttles to serve corporate locations—from Norwalk Hospital
to Virgin Atlantic, Merritt 7 Corporate Park to Glover Avenue and
in Wilton, to 10/20 Westport Road—services that are supplemented
by regular weekday buses to the train station from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“Norwalk is where we are seeing our greatest increases, due
to corporate relocations,” said Nancy Carroll, Deputy Administrator.
“Transit service was a vital consideration, for instance,
when News America Marketing relocated to 10/20 Westport Road because
so many of their employees were already using train shuttle services.
Since we started the run to 10/20 Westport Road we’ve seen
new riders opting for the service, with employees from Golf Digest
and other tenants there hopping on for an easier way to get to and
from work.”
Easier and more economical than driving, the Greater Bridgeport
Transit Authority runs a Commuter Connection Shuttle that meets
peak morning and evening trains at the Stratford station, with stops
in area neighborhoods to create a comfortable, convenient service
for local commuters.
While CTTRANSIT’s three Commuter Connection shuttles serve
about 200 train riders every day in Stamford, the company runs 13
additional regular bus routes, many with scheduled stops at corporate
parks. In addition, the I-Bus, operated by CTTRANSIT and launched
in 1996 to serve Stamford to White Plains commuters, now serves
up to 400 commuters every day, meeting riders at the train station
in Stamford and stopping at a half dozen work sites along the way
to its final destination at the Trans Center in White Plains.
“As business has grown, our ridership has increased,”
said Bob Calling, Division Manager. “Our Commuter Connection
Central shuttle serving downtown Stamford was the first shuttle
in Connecticut; we’ve added new service as new companies have
arrived. We’d like to increase ridership even more to reduce
the bottleneck in Stamford and improve the workday for everyone.”
Whatever the reason—rising gas prices, full-to-capacity train
station parking lots or an easy, inexpensive commute option—more
Fairfield County commuters than ever are taking a test ride on Commuter
Connection shuttles and leaving the highway behind.
Commuter Connection Information
In Stamford
CTTRANSIT
(203) 327-7433
www.cttransit.com
In Milford
Milford Transit District
(203) 783-3258
In Norwalk
Norwalk Transit District
(203) 852-0000
www.norwalktransit.com
In Bridgeport
Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority
(203) 366-7070
www.gbtabus.com
MetroPool, Inc.
1-800-FIND-RIDE
www.metropool.com
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