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

GOAL 1: TO EXPAND EVENING AND SUNDAY
SERVICE PROGRAMS TO COVER THE ENTIRE
URBAN FIXED ROUTE SERVICE AREA.
The foremost request by passengers when surveyed is almost universally for service expansion into the evenings and on Sunday. Beginning in 1998, the opportunity arose to secure funding for limited evening and Sunday bus service.

Through the regional Job Links program, HART worked with a host of other agencies to initiate such services in the region. Three evening/Sunday routes are currently in operation, funded through a combination of FTA, State DSS and local dollars.

Current monthly ridership on the evening service exceeds 1000 trips per bus route. The service, due to funding constraints consists of three LOOP service routes (link to Fixed route existing conditions) that serve the majority of the major trip generators in the HART service area. However, the LOOP’s still do not serve all locations served during the day.

The Connecticut Statewide Bus Study noted that when compared to similar systems across the country, HART provides approximately one third less service per capita than average. Among other service enhancements the study recommended the following for the HART system:

Hourly service on all routes Weekday and Saturday between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Hourly Sunday Service on all routes except route 7 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

HART’s goal would be to provide extended hours to all of the urban fixed route service area until 10:30 pm weeknights and Saturday Nights and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. The evening LOOP services operate during this span of service and have proven the ability to generate ridership in New Milford. Employer and rider surveys indicate that 9 p.m. is too early to end the service day for second shift employees.

Secondary Objectives: - Improve headways to 30 minutes all day.

GOAL 2: TO CONDUCT A FEASIBILITY
STUDY FOR EXPANSION OF TROLLEY SERVICES.
The CityCenter Danbury Trolley began operation in October of 1996 with a single trolley-bus vehicle procured especially for the service. If the vehicle was taken out of service for any extended period of time for repairs, HART used paratransit buses for back-up. HART secured federal funds to allow for the purchase of a second vehicle in FY 2003. The older vehicle was retained as a spare.

The CityCenter Danbury trolley is a successful partnership between the City of Danbury, CityCenter Danbury and HART to tie together points of interest in the central business district and to promote the region. The vehicle is used in numerous promotional events including the Twilight 5K run, Halloween on the Green, Danbury Railway Museum events and local parades.

A similar service was recently initiated by the New Haven Transit District in New Haven. The New Haven service operates using battery powered electric vehicles, as opposed to the gasoline and diesel fueled Danbury trolleys.

HART’s goal is to conduct a study to examine the feasibility of establishing similar services in other municipalities, particularly Bethel, New Milford, Newtown and Ridgefield. In addition to new operating funds, additional capital equipment would have to be purchased to expand the trolley program.

GOAL 3: TO DEVELOP MORE
EMPLOYER-BASED BUS TRANSIT SERVICE.
HART had some success in this area over the past five years, providing limited service for Stop and Shop in Ridgefield as an addition to the Ridgefield LOOP program in early 2001. Incidental service was provided for a series of training sessions at Cendant Mobility.

The provision of employer subsidized transit services by HART has several benefits. First, the environment benefits from the reduction in single occupant vehicle trips. Secondly, HART benefits by spreading its overhead and indirect costs over additional service programs thus helping to minimize cost increases to the public sector. Lastly, the entire Region benefits through the expansion of employer subsidized public transportation at no cost to the public sector.

Services geared to employers require innovation or flexibility not typical of traditional fixed route transit. Operation of such services, however, is not new in this Region. HART operated peak-period shuttles to major work sites along Old Ridgebury Road and Shelter Rock Road prior to the 1990 service upgrade.

Opportunities exist for expanded shuttle service from rail stations on the Danbury Branch Line to employment, should rail service be expanded according to plan. HART has already researched this issue in depth and the detailed results were contributed to the Housatonic Region's transportation plan.

HART's goal is to identify new service opportunities and develop innovative funding options for private-sector participants. In this manner, employers can choose the options that best meet their needs.

GOAL 4: TO EXTEND FIXED ROUTE SERVICE
TO NEWTOWN, BRIDGEPORT AND NEW FAIRFIELD.
To review the history of such changes, fixed route service provided to Ridgefield began in 1988 and ceased in 1998, due to loss of subsidy. Then in 2001, a job access based peak period fixed route service was instituted between the Danbury Fair Mall and the Ridgefield Central Business District.

In the following year the Norwalk LINK service began operation along Route 7 in Ridgefield, and Ridgefield-Katonah Shuttle began operation between Ridgefield and the Metro-North Harlem line station in Katonah, New York as Connecticut Transportation Strategy Board projects.

Looking ahead for additional changes, the 2000 census estimated population in Newtown at 25,031. According to the census, population in the town grew by over 20% over the past 10 years. The town now has the third highest population in the region, and a density per square mile equivalent to that of New Milford. There are twelve employers serving over 100 employees and a major shopping center in the municipality that receive no transit service.

HART developed long-term plans for expansion to Newtown as far back as 1993, and maintained service expansion to this area as a secondary goal in the 1998 TDP. The 2000 Statewide bus study also recommended a service addition to Newtown. Both plans envision an extension or modification of the Stony Hill Route into Newtown.

HART’s goal is to update the 1993 service plans for Newtown fixed route and to develop the community support and funding commitments to initiate the service.

Service to Newtown could then be part of an interregional service to Bridgeport. The census journey to work data for 2000 identified an accelerating commuter linkage between this Region and Bridgeport. For example, Bridgeport residents working in Danbury totaled 198 in 1980, 307 in 1990, but then up to 998 in 2000, a major change of pattern.

This service could be funded by the CT Transportation Strategy Board in a manner similar to funding used for the Danbury to Norwalk LINK service.

Secondary Objectives: - Implement fixed route service from the HART Pulse Point to New Fairfield. A 1993 study showed that Newtown and New Fairfield were the next logical extensions of intertown service within the Housatonic Valley Region.

Route planning for the New Fairfield link should incorporate the comment of WECAHR on 2/10/2004 that the new Stetson Place Condominium on Route 37 in Danbury will have ten specially built handicapped accessible units, these in need of the fixed route HART service to be developed.

GOAL 5: TO DEVELOP NEW RAIL
FEEDER EXPRESS BUS SERVICES.
The Brewster Shuttle is one of HART’s fastest growing services, and continues to operate five years after inception. After CMAQ demonstration funding was exhausted, New York State Department of transportation (NYS DOT) began funding the service out of its Surface transportation Program (STP).

NYS DOT has since increased funding for the Danbury-Brewster Shuttle, but it remains a Monday-Friday service. The secondary objective of a Norwalk –Danbury bus service was met in 2002 with the introduction of the Danbury-Norwalk Route 7 LINK.

HART has enjoyed rapid success with the introduction of its Ridgefield-Katonah service, the latest rail shuttle operated by the district. The service as of February 2003 transports an average of 96 riders per day, often well exceeding 100 trips per day. Given the strong positive response from the public to rail feeder shuttles, HART’s goal is to examine the possibilities for additional similar services.

Services to both the Harlem and Danbury Branch line may be warranted. Preliminary assessment is already completed on service to the Danbury Branch Stations of Bethel, Branchville, Danbury and West Redding. Other stations along the Harlem Line between Katonah and Pawling might be appropriate for rail shuttle services. These services could be funded as pilots through the CMAQ program.

Secondary Objectives: - Reassess Waterbury-Danbury express bus service proposal of 1994.

The next topic in this bus service plan is a review of the current conditions of the HART Sweethart service.

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