Hartford Business Journal

20 Hartford Business Journal • June 15, 2020 • www.HartfordBusiness.com By Sean Teehan steehan@hartfordbusiness.com W hen the city of Hartford released its 15-year master plan in January, a major goal was to increase access to and use of public transportation. "In many ways in Hartford we have no choice," Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Sara Bro- nin said of the city's focus on public transportation. "About a third of our households don't have access to a car." But it didn't take long for that plan and the future of Connecticut's public transportation system to be upended. In mid-March, when the CO- VID-19 pandemic forced business shutdowns and social-distancing requirements, ridership on Connect- icut's public transit system plum- meted: bus service use dropped by about 60%, while Hartford Line rail service ridership fell nearly 95%. That's raised concerns about the financial future of Connecticut's public transportation system. While ridership has rebounded a bit since then, questions remain over whether or not a skittish public will return to buses or trains any- time soon, or if the pandemic will lead to long-term changes in public- transportation use. For now, state transportation officials are working under the as- sumption ridership will bounce back as businesses reopen, while some of downtown Hartford's largest em- ployers say their public-transporta- tion incentive programs will remain largely unchanged when workers eventually return to the office. "It's an absolutely critical service," said Garrett Eucalitto, undersecretary for transportation policy and planning at the state Office of Policy and Man- agement. "We are going to do every- thing we can to make our passengers feel as comfortable as possible coming back to our services." Since Connecticut's public transit ridership hit its nadir in March, pas- senger counts have slowly increased, said Rich Andreski, bureau chief of public transportation at the state Department of Transportation. Bus ridership is currently down about 40%, while rail ridership is still down 90%. Prior to coronavirus, the Springfield- to-New Haven Hartford Line's rail rid- ership was up 25% year-over-year as of January and on pace to exceed 750,000 passenger trips in its second year of operation. It debuted in June 2018. Meantime, during the month of May, the CTfastrak New Britain-to-Hartford busway recorded 11,742 average week- day local and express passenger trips, down 52% from a year earlier. DOT has kept most buslines in full service during the pandemic, and revamped its cleaning procedures. The interior of each bus is now deep cleaned twice per day, while drivers are provided personal protective equip- ment and passengers are encouraged to wear masks and socially distance. If necessary, Andreski said, DOT is will- ing to run additional buses on popular lines to enable social distancing. He predicts ridership will see a slow, but full recovery, and there is some evidence to back that up. A survey conducted during the last two weeks of May by the nonprofit Tri-State Transportation Campaign, which advocates for reducing car dependency, found 92% of respon- dents who use public transit as their primary transportation mode plan to return to it after COVID-19 subsides. Additionally, Andreski said it's just not possible for everyone in Connect- icut who used to take public trans- portation to start driving to work. "As business gets back to normal, there's just simply not the capac- ity to accommodate everybody in single-occupancy vehicles," he said. Financial challenges Even if riders come back to public transit, many state public transpor- tation systems are already facing serious financial headwinds as a result of the pandemic. U.S. transit agencies are facing an overall funding shortfall of $48.8 billion between the second quarter of this year and the end of 2021 as a result of decreased ridership and likely budget cuts at the state level, according to the American Public Transportation Association. It's not clear whether the state will cut DOT's budget, Eucalitto said, but Connecticut's special transportation fund, which underwrites infrastructure improvement projects, was projected to run out of money by fiscal year 2023 even before the coronavirus hit. That's why Gov. Ned Lamont has spent most of his governorship advocating for highway tolls. Last year, the state spent $473.4 million on rail and bus operations, according to the DOT. Some short-term financial relief is on the way. Connecticut is receiv- ing a $224.3-million grant from the Federal Transit Authority to cover COVID-19-related expenses for rail and bus operations. The money will cover the costs of personal protec- tive equipment, cleaning supplies and driver salaries, Andreski said. Despite the budget challenges, DOT is still planning by next June to purchase new cars for and add Rough Ride The coronavirus has sunk public transportation ridership. Will it come back? Here's what public transit users say about safety measures Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a nonprofit that advocates for reducing car dependency, surveyed more than 1,000 active public transit users in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey between May 15 and May 30, asking them "What will make you feel safe on public transit?" Here's what they desire: Increased cleaning: 19% Required mask-wearing: 16% Reduced maximum passenger capac- ity: 21% Social distancing: 20% Source: Tri-State Transportation Campaign Rich Andreski (right), of the state Department of Transportation, said he predicts public transportation ridership will make a slow but full comeback. Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Sara Bronin. PHOTOS | HBJ FILE

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