Metro Hartford Rapid Routes has been studying the ridership and service level of the CT Transit bus services along priority corridors in the region. The West End is included in the Farmington Avenue corridor, which links Downtown Hartford with West Hartford Center.
The goal of the study is to identify opportunities to improve the bus service by making it more efficient and more comfortable for riders. The study proposed a number of improvements to the physical infrastructure and the routes. In the West End the improvements take the form of fewer stops, and more amenities for riders at the stops that remain.
The study began by evaluating existing conditions along each route. Below are the findings for the Farmington Avenue corridor.
The study found that all five of the stops in the West End were well-used. The size of the circles in the chart represents the number of people per day who board the system at a particular stop. Since the font is rather small, I’ll note that 173 people boarded the bus per day at KFC (the 4th highest on the route, and the highest outside of Downtown Hartford), 115/day at Denison, 99/day at Whitney, and just under 99/day at both Oxford and Prospect. CT Transit is a popular service in the West End!
The current proposal for the Farmington Avenue corridor can be seen below.
Again, because the font is small, I’ll summarize what the schematic shows. There will be “Enhanced” stops for inbound riders at Prospect, and at Whitney. There will be a “Signature” stop for inbound riders at Denison. There will corresponding outbound stops at Denison, Whitney, and Prospect that will all be “Regular.” The stops at KFC/Girard and Oxford are eliminated.
Below are two figures showing the amenities associated with the different categories of stops.
Despite the investment in better quality stops, the reduction in the number of stops seems like a reduction in service quality for the West End.
Please consider submitting comments on the proposal to share your views. Comments can be emailed to info@metrohartfordrapidroutes.com.