NORWALK, Conn. — As the Norwalk Transit District launched its new network on Monday, the agency announced that everyone will be able to ride the bus for free for a month to help ease the transition.
The no-fare promotion begins immediately and is aimed at getting people to their destinations by taking the bus, whether they are long-time or new residents of the city, or commuters using the Metro-North, according to Jack Pavia, a Marketing and Policy intern at the NTD, at a press conference outside the South Norwalk train station.
“There are issues of affordability, pollution, congestion, and walkability, and they work towards solving those larger issues,” said Pavia, noting that residents of all classes, races, and ethnicities take the bus for a variety of reasons, including their jobs, to get groceries, and even a haircut. “We’ve made significant progress, and we believe the bus is one of many solutions.”
The new redesign is the first in Norwalk’s history, as noted by Senator Bob Duff, and combines the previous separate commuter shuttles and WHEELS routes into seven all-day WHEELS routes. Three of these are core routes that cover the main corridors in Norwalk, such as Connecticut and Main Avenue, and were designed to be the “main lifeline of the city,” according to Matt Pentz, NTD’s CEO. Additionally, these primary routes will have expanded evening and weekend service until 11 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays and 8 p.m. on Sundays. There will also be three hubs: South and East Norwalk train stations and Burnell Blvd., which has now been converted to a two-way.
“We believe this will be a much easier system to understand, and it’ll run more consistently on the main quarters,” said Pentz. “We’ll have as frequent as 15-minute frequency providing service for the city,” he continued, noting that there will be a learning curve.
The NTD has also extended transfers to 120 minutes and is testing a new system, “ConnectPoint,” an e-tablet that shows riders real-time bus updates at some bus stops, without requiring a phone. The agency is also piloting transit signal prioritization (TSP), which will allow buses “to go to the traffic light [a] little bit sooner” if they are running late, according to Jacinto Torres, Fleet Manager of the NTD.
The agency is also looking to introduce, within the next year, tap-and-go technology to the buses, which will allow riders to use their phones, smart watches, or credit and debit cards to pay fares.
“It’s another example of Norwalk taking the lead, and we appreciate all the things that the Transit District has done,” said Mayor Rilling. “We’re building the technology, we’re doing the things that will make it more effective and more user-friendly, people will be able to get places with only one transfer.”
Pentz acknowledged that while there are some “pain points” with the rollout, the NTD would work to fine-tune them in the coming days. For now, ambassadors in yellow shirts and blue hats, as well as volunteers from Sustainable Streets, are assisting riders to figure out the new routes.
For more information, Norwalk residents can visit the NTD’s website, where the agency has published an overview of the new bus network and a “Find Your New Route” table. They can also contact the Norwalk Transit District’s customer support team at (203) 852-000 or email them at info@norwalktransit.com.
Leave a Reply
You must Register or Login to post a comment.