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"Fare Thee Well: Bus Fares Return to Connecticut"
by Colin Cogle
Published October 5, 2023.
Online at http://colincogle.name/bus
ABSTRACT
Bus fares have returned to Connecticut, and more service
changes will arrive for both road and rail.
After a full year of giving Connecticut residents a (literal) free ride
during the worst of global inflation, the Connecticut Department of
Transportation ended its relief efforts and resumed collecting bus fares
on April 1, 2023.
Included in the bill last year that provided a "gas tax holiday" for
drivers, American Rescue Plan Act funds were used to eliminate bus fares
for CT Transit. (OLR) Free rides were successful in convincing passen-
gers to return in droves to the state's largest bus network, as rider-
ship rates rose to pre-pandemic levels and then some. (Condon) Riders
universally lauded the Lamont administration for the program, which
helped many low-income riders get where they needed to go. Thanks to the
fare-free program, Daisy Rodriguez of Hartford, who uses the bus for
work seven days a week, saved over $750 during the worst of inflation.
As quoted in the Connecticut Mirror, "She noted that before the program
began, 'Sometimes you don’t have the money for the bus fare, and you
have to walk.'" (Condon)
The benefits of Connecticut's fare-free program weren't just seen in the
pockets of essential workers like Ms. Rodriguez. At the peak of COVID-19
as long-haul commuters adjusted to working remotely, trains saw less
than ten percent of their usual passengers; however, local and essential
workers continued to ride the bus, with Connecticut's buses carrying
"only" about half as many passengers. For those who rode through the
early pandemic, $63 per month on an unlimited-use bus pass was some de-
served money back in their pockets.
Free or reduced fares are not a new concept. They've existed in some
form since World War II, often as a benefit for seniors, students, mili-
tary members, the disabled, or essential workers. Private companies this
author has contracted with would often purchase transit passes for in-
terns and new employees as a perk.
Providing transportation for disadvantaged Americans and military fami-
lies isn't just the right thing to do: it's what any common-sense gov-
ernment would do. How else is everyone, regardless of background, sup-
posed to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness when they're
stuck in a city, and can't afford a car due to financial constraints or
the mere logistics of owning a car in an urban area?
Connecticut's fare-free program put our cities alongside others inclu-
ding Boston; Richmond, VA; Albuquerque; Kansas City; and Olympia, WA.
Boston mayor Michelle Wu told reporters "that removing barriers to pub-
lic transportation is a major step toward climate justice, racial equi-
ty[,] and mobility." (Slater)
Why did it end? Fortunately, we got to hear it directly from the source.
In an interview on Connecticut Public's "Where We Live" in March 2023,
Governor Ned Lamont said that the federal Department of Transportation
told him, "[y]ou can't provide free bus service until you do an equity
study." Though state and local municipalities may decide to set fares,
federal civil rights laws prohibit changes that last more than twelve
months unless a proper equity analysis is performed. A spokesperson
for the DOT said in response that "this is a routine activity for large
transit systems and helps them evaluate whether fare changes will have
disparate impacts on the basis of race, color, or national origin."
(Polansky)
Since then, the Connecticut General Assembly's Transportation Committee
has sat down and performed the study, releasing a draft of their report
on September 18, 2023. The study found that a majority of Connecticut's
public transportation would not undergo major changes, and thus, no
equity analysis would be required. In response to reduced ridership
rates compared to pre-pandemic levels (Connecticut DOT, p. 5), there
would be slightly fewer trains on Fridays and/or weekends. (p. 6) Metro-
North fares would go up by about six percent, or about forty cents for a
one-way peak-hours ride; and the Hartford Line and Shore Line East would
see an even smaller increase. However, it's worth noting and commending
that student pricing across all lines would stay the same or decrease.
(p.13-14)
On the other hand, this year's budget gave more money to the state's bus
lines, and service is getting a tune-up to focus on "better access to
jobs, training, and education by providing service that operates later
and seven days a week" (CTDOT, p.32). Many bus and shuttle routes in
the Hartford Division would be changed or consolidated, affecting riders
in Hartford, Berlin, Newington, Bristol, and New Britain -- including
Central Connecticut State University; however, few routes would be elim-
inated entirely. On the other hands, to accommodate growth in the south-
central part of the state, the New Haven Division would see new lines
created covering Northford, Wallingford, Meriden, Orange, and Milford.
(p. v) While fare-free rides won't be returning permanently, it could
make temporary comebacks due to construction, promotions, or "spare the
air" days.
That said, the case for moving people from point A to point B isn't an
economic one. It's not an expendable line item in the state's budget,
nor in one's personal budget. Public transit is an investment in people
and the local economy. Simply put, if workers can't get to work, then
they *can't* work; and if workers can't work, then the economy suffers.
Fares need to be as low as possible, and routes need to be plentiful
and efficient to ensure that workers can go where they are needed. On
the other side of the balancing act, bus drivers deserve to be paid well
for their role in bringing an invaluable public service to every stop
along the route. The next step is for our state legislators to review
the committee's report and help Connecticut residents to get where they
need to go.