Will Stuart waited for a bus on the corner of School Street and Whitney Avenue in Hamden on his commute home from work on a Wednesday evening. At the tail end of a stressful workday, he waits for what will be the final part of his trek home. However, he was forced to stand for 30 minutes at the bus stop for the late-running bus, due to a delay on the New Haven-bound CT Transit route.
“I don’t why the routes take so long, or why they’re unreliable considering the prices they have,” said Stuart, who takes public transit up to 6 times throughout a typical week.
Stuart, 23, who works out of Fairfield, frequently uses the Metro-North railroad and CT transit services for the train and bus. CT Transit features a variety of pricing packages for bus passes, with Stuart and many others relying on single-ride passes.
“In the last few years, I’ve noticed an increase in single ride fares, I’m not sure what the most affordable option is anymore. I know that monthly passes are available, but I don’t think I ride the bus enough to reason with buying one of those. I always thought that bus would be the most affordable and easy way to get to work, but it hasn’t always felt that way,” Stuart said.
This problem isn’t uncommon for riders and prominent concerns have risen related to this increase in fares, the reliability of services being on time, and the structure of the routes on respective bus lines.
The decision of whether to buy a single-day pass, or a package like a monthly pass, is a decision that many commuters are faced with. For CT transit buses specifically, a single-day pass includes unlimited trips within that day on the bus and costs $3.50. A 31-day pass, their longest possible fare package, costs $63.00. This means that the total price of a 31-day pass would be eclipsed with the purchase of 18 single-day passes. This leaves riders who take the bus between 19 and 31 days a month, in a sizable predicament. In fact, the majority of commuters will find themselves in that range, particularly ones who only commute on weekdays, who would commute on an average of 23 days a month not including the weekends.
As for the Metro-North Railroad, company-wide fares have increased at by a significant margin, complicating commutes for many workers. Many of those who ride, either don’t own a vehicle or are looking to save gas money and time by taking the train. For the Metro-North, fares were increased by up to 4.5 percent, meaning that a single ride ticket would jump from around $17.50, to $18.25. While the increase may seem small, a larger scale evaluation says otherwise. Over the course of a calendar year, this could increase total train expenses by more than $300 for frequent riders. The increase in fares was the railroad’s first since 2018 when the increase was around 1%. The latest change in fares, which occurred on November 1st, was the biggest yet for the railroad by far.
Arthur Smith spent more than 3 decades working as a system road foreman for the Metro-North Railroad, where he worked on the Grand Central to New Haven line. In Smith’s time working for the railroad, he oversaw engineering for the trains and was responsible for making sure that trains were officially qualified and safe for use. Smith was also involved with the implementing of new technologies for the railroad, and what discussed what that would mean financially.
“I think Labor contracts have become very lucrative for the union, that’s probably one of the biggest drivers of the increase in fares. Also, new technology and infrastructure have caught up with the company money-wise, so that’s likely another reason for the surge,” Smith said.
Smith, who retired from working at Metro-North twelve years ago, was part of the early stages of modern transformation for the railroad. In 2011, the New Haven line began using a new railroad car, the M8, which was built by Kawasaki. To this day, the New Haven Line and Shoreline East Line operate completely with this type of multi-unit train car.
“They ended up doing away with all other cars on the line, making the M8 the only type of car they’d use. It was a big deal for the mechanical department because they’d always be dealing with the same car. It’s much easier for them to order parts for one type of car, compared to 3 or 4. The fact that the cars are electric also contributes to expenses for the railroad and riders, but they’re truly sound machines,” Smith said.
Smith’s days at the railroad had long passed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. However, by keeping in touch with the company and his own experiences, he acknowledges how much of a blow the pandemic was to public transit.
“The company was decimated by the onslaught of the pandemic. The general ridership is starting to come back a bit, but they’re still struggling in some areas. Not so much with single ride passes, but for multi-day trip ones like 10 days or monthly, the sales are down. The reason is because a lot of people have since decided to start working remotely, especially those going to and from New York,” Smith said.
Amy Trahant, a Connecticut resident who often travels on the New Haven line to visit with family in New York, has noticed a difference in her transit experience post-pandemic.
“Before COVID, every train was packed. It could have been morning, post work, 10 P.m., the trains would always be filled, it’s not that way anymore,” Trahant said.
Trahant discussed what a full journey to the city would look like for her on public transit, with the hope of avoiding traffic on her drive from eastern Connecticut. The first part of her journey would be getting from her hometown of Clinton, to Union Station in New Haven.
“The local trains are super wonky and rarely have connecting times going to New Haven. This will often cause me to have to drive into New Haven if I’m traveling to New York and pay extremely pricey parking, I believe around $35 a night.” Trahant said.
The disconnect between local and major routes like the New Haven line, has raised questions regarding whether public transit would be worth taking compared to driving. A $35 parking pass in New Haven, coupled with a round-trip train ticket for $36.50 to New York, would total over $70 for a rider taking a similar journey as Trahant. Meanwhile, the projected gas price to do the same trip via car, would come out to around $30, less than half of the total cost of public transit. The difference in cost is significant and shows that driving may be more affordable in some instances compared to the train.
Anna Corbett, an 18-year-old resident of Cheshire, often uses the CT Transit bus service, to travel to New Haven for recreation and work. Corbett has discussed her frustration with the routes that the buses take during her trip. The distance between her home and New Haven would take approximately 25 minutes by car, a number that at times can triple, on the bus.
“Taking the bus can be super aggravating, especially considering how long my route takes. For me, the trip often takes around an hour, sometimes more. It really all depends on how much time I spend waiting at the stops,” Corbett said.
For many Connecticut bus routes, some transfers defer them from the quickest possible route, potentially causing lateness to destinations for riders. For this reason, many who have a vehicle have opted to use that to commute to work. In certain instances, bus routes will go up to 10 miles out of the direction of the destination to make stops, or require riders to transfer to reach their final stop.
“I can’t imagine public transit fully catching on in Connecticut, I think we’re all too used to driving and it’s just much quicker in the area. Not to mention, even if I did take a local train or bus, I think I’d be stuck needing to get picked up since most towns aren’t equipped with sidewalks or adequate walking platforms.” Trahant said.
For many of those who ride public transit, that service may be the only way to commute to work every day. For Will Stuart and other riders, there is daily concern about missing this transit or being late because of it. With that, increasing fares and other expenses, can further provoke anxiety surrounding the commute.
“I still believe that taking the bus is the best way for me to get to work and around Connecticut. Even though it can be stressful at times, it’s a part of my routine now and my work life. Hopefully I spend more time riding on the bus then waiting in the cold for it throughout the winter.” Stuart said.