BUS
MAIN --- 1.
INTRO --- 2.
GOALS BY MUNIC. --- 3.
FIXED ROUTE --- 4.
FIXED ROUTE GOALS
5. SWEETHART --- 6.
SWEETHART GOALS --- 7.
MULTIMODAL GOALS
8.
ADMIN. GOALS --- 9.
CAPITAL PLAN --- 10.
INTERCITY BUS --- 11.
LINKS
The
2003 Bus Service Improvement Plan provides a blueprint for
the continued operation of Housatonic Valley bus transit services
over the next five years. Thru this document, all concerned
with bus transit in the area can have access to key information,
then help shape public policy and expenditures.
The Housatonic Area Regional Transit District (HART) was created
by two municipalities as the Danbury-Bethel Transit District
in 1972. This was a low point for bus service in Danbury and
Bethel, and emergency action was needed to keep minimal service
running. THis was far from the golden age of local bus service
represented by this overview
of Danbury bus services in 1935.
Taking its present name in 1979, HART functions as the authority
responsible for overseeing public bus transit operations in
the Housatonic Valley Region and promoting their careful and
steady incremental growth.
HART has grown to eight member towns: Bethel, Brookfield,
Danbury, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Redding, and
Ridgefield. The Transit District is governed by a Board of
Directors with at least one representative from each member
town. Policy decisions are made by the HART Board of Directors
and implemented by the HART management staff.
HART operates
two types of bus services. Fixed route service, which operates
according to a published timetable, is available to the general
public on 15 routes. Paratransit (demand-responsive, door-to-door)
service known as SweetHART, is available to persons over 60
or with a disability in eight municipalities.
Several
services were added or modified since the last update to the
bus service improvement plan in 1998 that affected the hours
of operation and geographic coverage of bus operations. These
are briefly described below:
•
In 1998 HART began operation of the Danbury–Brewster
Shuttle. Vehicles stop at park and ride lots off I-84 exits
2, 1 and 7 and travel locally down Route 6 to the Village
of Brewster Metro-North train station. In early 2002, this
service was expanded to 20 hours per day. The service is funded
by the New York State Department of Transportation.
•
In 1999, Evening, Sunday and holiday service was initiated
on one route in Danbury. The Danbury LOOP grew out of the
JobLinks collaborative and is supported by Connecticut DSS
and federal jobs access funds. A second LOOP service, serving
Brookfield and New Milford was initiated in 2000, and a Monday-Friday
peak period service between the Ridgefield central business
district and Danbury Mall began in 2001. A fourth bus, expanding
the geographic coverage of the evening service program was
added in 2003.
•
DATAHR rehabilitation institute (now Ability Beyond Disability)
discontinued its long-time transportation and maintenance
contract with HART in 2000. Contract maintenance services
were expanded in 2002 with the addition of Henry Abbot Vocational
Technical School.
•
SweetHART service was reduced in the town of Redding in 2001
and the town of New Fairfield in 2002 as a result of municipal
budget reductions.
•
The Transportation Strategy Board funded two projects in 2002,
a Ridgefield-Katonah shuttle (modeled after the successful
Danbury-Brewster shuttle) from Ridgefield to the Katonah,
New York Metro-North train station, and the Danbury-Norwalk
Route 7 Link route. The Link is operated jointly with the
Norwalk Transit District between Norwalk and Danbury.
The next
section provides a quick reference overview of transit
service improvement goals by municipality.
BUS
MAIN --- 1.
INTRO --- 2.
GOALS BY MUNIC. --- 3.
FIXED ROUTE --- 4.
FIXED ROUTE GOALS
5. SWEETHART --- 6.
SWEETHART GOALS --- 7.
MULTIMODAL GOALS
8.
ADMIN. GOALS --- 9.
CAPITAL PLAN --- 10.
INTERCITY BUS --- 11.
LINKS
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