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

INTRODUCTION
The following section provides an overview of proposed transit improvements by municipality. These service improvements would require new funding commitments over and above those that are currently in place.

The area has always benefited by having transit expansion plans in place to take advantage of new funding as it becomes available. The goals below will serve this purpose.

Various technical planning documents support the summary of proposed improvements shown below: These include the 2004 Bus Service Improvement Plan for the Housatonic Valley Region , the 2000 SweetHART Comprehensive Operational Analysis, the 2000 Route 7 Corridor Travel Options Implementation Plan, Connecticut DOT 2000 Statewide Bus System Study and the 2001 Danbury Branch Line Shuttle Feasibility Study.

1. BETHEL, CT TRANSIT GOALS:

BETHEL COMMUTER RAIL:
• Expand parking supply at station, which is severely overcrowded. Study the feasibility of a two sided platform at the train station and creation of a transit oriented development on Durant Avenue. Consider a second parking garage location, within walking distance and to the south.

• Expand peak period, through train and reverse commute rail service available at Bethel Station. Extend rail service north from Bethel to New Milford.

• Provide subscription shuttle bus service to Bethel Station after the Phase Two Danbury Branch Line expansion.

BETHEL FIXED ROUTE HART BUS:
• Add bus shelters on Route 302 and in the Downtown Area.

• Goals include extending the weekday service span from 6 pm to 9 pm, extending the Saturday service span from 5 pm to 9 pm, implementing new Sunday service hourly between 9 am and 4 pm, and providing service with 30 minute headways during the midday period.

• Split the #2 Stony Hill Route into two routes to improve Danbury-Bethel service, and to allow for a new Bethel-Newtown-Bridgeport service.

BETHEL SWEETHART BUS:
• Provide Bethel's seniors and disabled with additional weekday SweetHART service by extending the service day from the current 4:45 pm to 6 pm.

• For the long term, reduce costs by establishing a new regional SweetHART service that would serve Bethel and nearby towns in a more efficient manner than the town by town approach at present.

2. BRIDGEWATER, CT TRANSIT GOALS:

BRIDGEWATER COORDINATION WITH SWEETHART BUS:
• Coordinate operation of the Town provided service with regional service provided by HART.

BROOKFIELD COMMUTER RAIL:
• Reestablish commuter rail service from Brookfield Village near the Routes 7 and 25 intersection to Danbury, and from Brookfield Village north to New Milford.

BROOKFIELD FIXED ROUTE HART BUS:
• Goals include extending the weekday service span from 6 pm to 9 pm, extending the Saturday service span from 5 pm to 9 pm, implementing a new Sunday service hourly between 9 am and 4 pm, and providing service with 30 minute headways during the midday period.

• Modify the #4 Brookfield route to operate between Danbury and Brookfield hourly via Danbury Hospital. Extend the hours of service span to match other routes and facilitate transfers.

BROOKFIELD SWEETHART BUS:
• Provide Brookfield's seniors and disabled with additional weekday SweetHART service by extending the service day from the current 5 pm to 6 pm.

• For the long term, reduce costs by establishing a new regional SweetHART service that would serve Brookfield and nearby towns in a more efficient manner than the town by town approach at present.

DANBURY COMMUTER RAIL:
• Expand peak period, through train and reverse commute rail service from Danbury Station. Extend rail service north to New Milford.

• Create a new "Danbrook Station" at the White Turkey Road public park and ride lot near the Brookfield Town Line.

• Operate a connector shuttle between Danbury Station and the HART Pulse Point after the initial rail expansion phase.

DANBURY FIXED ROUTE HART BUS:
• At the HART Pulse Point on Kennedy Avenue in Downtown Danbury, insure that as nearby traffic flow improvements are made that Pulse Point operations are not damaged.

• Goals for Danbury service include extending the weekday service span from 6 pm to 9 pm, extend the Saturday service span from 5 pm to 9 pm, implement Sunday service hourly between 9 am and 4 pm, and provide service with 30 minute headways during the midday period.

• To simplify routes, remove Danbury Hospital from the #1 Medical Center route and place it in the #4 Brookfield Route.

• Split the #2 Stony Hill Route into two routes to improve Danbury-Bethel service and allow for new Danbury-Newtown service.

• Modify the #4 Brookfield Route to operate between Danbury and Brookfield hourly via Danbury Hospital. Extend the hours of service span to match other routes and facilitate transfers.

• Operate the #6 Mall route with 30 minute headways throughout the day or create a second route with more direct service to the Danbury Fair Mall.

DANBURY SWEETHART BUS:
• Provide Danbury's seniors and disabled with additional weekday SweetHART service by extending the service day past the current 6 pm termination.

• For the long term, reduce costs by establishing a new regional SweetHART service that would serve Danbury and nearby towns in a more efficient manner than the town by town approach at present.

5. NEW FAIRFIELD, CT TRANSIT GOALS:

NEW FAIRFIELD FUTURE FIXED ROUTE HART BUS:
• Implement a New Fairfield to Southeast, NY rail station shuttle for New Fairfield commuters.

• For the long term implement a fixed route service from the Ball Pond area east along Gillotti Road to New Fairfield Center, then south along Route 37 to the HART Pulse Point Danbury.

NEW FAIRFIELD SWEETHART BUS:
• Provide New Fairfield's seniors and disabled with additional weekday SweetHART service by extending the service day from the current 5 pm to 6 pm.

• For the long term, reduce costs by establishing a new regional SweetHART service that would serve New Fairfield and nearby towns in a more efficient manner than the town by town approach at present.

NEW MILFORD COMMUTER RAIL:
• Re-establish commuter rail service from Norwalk and Danbury northerly to New Milford.

NEW MILFORD FIXED ROUTE HART BUS:
• Goals include extending the weekday service span from 6 pm to 9 pm, extend the Saturday service span from 5 pm to 9 pm, implement Sunday service hourly between 9 am and 4 pm and provide service with 30 minute headways during the midday period.

• Make minor changes to the #7 New Milford Route to complement proposed modifications to the #4 Brookfield Route.

NEW MILFORD SWEETHART BUS:
• Provide New Milford's seniors and disabled with additional weekday SweetHART service by extending the service day from the current 2:45 pm to 6 pm.

• For the long term, reduce costs by establishing a new regional SweetHART service that would serve New Milford and nearby towns in a more efficient manner than the town by town approach at present.

7. NEWTOWN, CT TRANSIT GOALS:

NEWTOWN FIXED ROUTE HART BUS:
• Extend fixed route service from northern Bethel to Newtown via the #2 Stony Hill Route.

• Continue the new route above south on Route 25 to the City of Bridgeport, as part of a new CT Transportation Strategy Board (TSB) funded interregional route, similar to the Danbury to Norwalk TSB funded route.

• Plan for a Waterbury to Danbury I-84 commuter shuttle route that would make a stop in Newtown.

NEWTOWN SWEETHART BUS:
• For the long term, reduce costs by establishing a new regional SweetHART service that would serve Newtown and nearby towns in a more efficient manner than the town by town approach at present.

8. REDDING, CT TRANSIT GOALS:

REDDING COMMUTER RAIL:
• In coordination with the private redevelopment of the vacant wire mill complex in Georgetown, construct a new rail passenger station and adjacent transportation center on the Wilton - Redding Town Line.

• Expand peak period, through train and reverse commute rail service and extend rail service north from Georgetown and West Redding Stations past Danbury to New Milford.

REDDING COORDINATION WITH SWEETHART BUS
• Coordinate operation of the Town provided service with regional services provided by HART.

RIDGEFIELD COMMUTER RAIL:
• Expand peak period, through train and reverse commute rail service from Branchville Station and extend rail service north to New Milford.

• As proposed in the Ridgefield Town Plan, construct a decked parking structure at the Branchville Station.

• Implement a subscription shuttle bus to the Branchville Station after the Phase Two Danbury Branch expansion.

RIDGEFIELD FIXED ROUTE HART BUS:
• Operate fixed route services hourly between the Danbury Pulse Point and the Ridgefield central business district.

• Determine if there is a market for expanding the Ridgefield to Katonah, NY commuter shuttle service to the midday hours, as no service is provided at present between 8:30 am to 5 pm.

RIDGEFIELD SWEETHART BUS:
• For the long term, reduce costs by establishing a new regional SweetHART service that would serve Ridgefield and nearby towns in a more efficient manner than the town by town approach at present.

SHERMAN COORDINATION WITH SWEETHART BUS:
• Coordinate operation of the Town provided service with regional service provided by HART. The First Selectman stated in 10/2007 that "while Sherman is meeting its transportation needs adequately at the present time, we believe that the need for a connection with HART will be essential in the near future as our community ages."

11. HVCEO REGION'S TRANSIT GOALS:
Local goals must also be seen from the perspective of the human services transportation coordination requirements of the federal SAFETEA - LU legislation.

Under this requirement, existing Federal Transit Administration human service transportation programs such as the Section 5310 Elderly individuals and individuals with Disabilities Program, Section 5316 Job Access and Reverse Commute Program and the Section 5317 New Freedom Program must be much more fully coordinated than in the past.

HVCEO and HART will work with Conn DOT in this regard to meet program requirements. HVCEO "passes thru" part of its federal transportation planning grant each year such that HART planning undertakes much of the technical planning responsibility of HVCEO on this topic.

HART will represent HVCEO and HVCEO will assist HART with the implementation of human services transportation coordination requirements of SAFETEA-LU. HVCEO and HART will work cooperatively with Conn DOT to meet the above requirements.

It should be noted that this new effort builds upon the already established relationships created over the past ten years through the regional Joblinks Jobs Access Collaborative. While communications are now to be expanded to include private providers, social service organizations have been communicating with HART regularly for transit planning.

HART staff acting on behalf of HVCEO will:

--- Participating in public outreach activities to start the cooperative process.
--- Build a data base of participants and existing services, identify service gaps and formulate a strategy to address gaps.
--- Cooperate with partners in the Conn DOT assigned Northwest planning region.
--- Help setup parameters for a competitive selection process for grants to various transit services that will coordinate and efficiently fill identified gaps.
--- Other activities in support of human services transportation coordination as agreed with Conn DOT and Northwest CT planning partners.

Moving beyond municipal transit goals and into the details of current bus services, proceed to section three for a review of today's conditions on HART fixed route 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