Via Email Members of the League of Women Voters of Connecticut recognized the critical importance of transportation for Connecticut by designating transportation as a legislative priority. Transportation is critical to keeping our economy viable, our workers working and making Connecticut competitive and modern. Improved transit is critical to the long-term health of the state. Public transportation gets people to work and school, reduces air pollution and eases highway gridlock. In these difficult economic times, transit is needed more than ever. Bus transit is the backbone of public transit in Connecticut. Commuter bus service continues to impact most immediately the congestion on our highways and provide mobility for our most-economically challenged citizens. While we understand the financial limitations and the difficulties in crafting budgets, investment in transit generates short and long-term jobs needed to get our state's economy started again The proposed new bus fares will affect local bus systems serving the areas of Hartford, New Haven, Stamford, Waterbury, New Britain, Meriden, Bristol and Wallingford. ADA paratransit fares for these same areas would also be increased by approximately 10 percent, as would fares on express commuter bus services to the Hartford area and for the I-BUS Stamford to White Plains express. Combined, these bus systems serve over 29 million passengers per year. The proposed bus and rail fares and proposed service reductions are simply too deep and will adversely affect a segment of the state’s population that is already feeling the economic pinch most acutely. We urge you to rescind or minimize these rate increases and service reductions. Thank you for this opportunity to provide input. Sincerely, Jara N. Burnett Transportation Specialist, LWVCT 203 288-7996 Comments Comments are closed. | Advocacy:
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