CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEWS RELEASE 2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546 NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546

FOR RELEASE: September 10, 2015

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062 FAX: (860) 594-3065 WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot

CTfastrak Bus Rapid Transit System To Begin Express Service

To UConn Football Games Starting Saturday

- All Active Duty Military Personnel and Veterans Can Ride For Free to this Saturday's UConn/Army Game and UConn/Navy Game In Two Weeks -

      One day after surpassing the million-rider mark, the Connecticut Department of Transportation announced the start of a new CTfastrak Bus Rapid Transit service to all Saturday University of Connecticut football games at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.  The new transit service will start this Saturday, September 12, 2015, when UConn plays Army at noon.

      On Wednesday, Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced that the state’s first rapid transit system, launched in February, is surpassing expectations – with an average of 14,000 riders per weekday in the corridor.

      Now, specially marked CTfastrak buses will depart from The Travelers on Main Street in Hartford every 15 minutes between 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. on game day.  The fare for up to two-hours of travel on the CTfastrak system is $1.50 per person ($0.75 for seniors and disabled) and $3.00 for an all-day pass, the same as on local CTtransit buses.  Bus riders taking a CTfastrak bus or CTtransit bus anywhere in central Connecticut will be able to transfer for free onto the new football express bus with a valid CTfastrak ticket, CTtransit transfer or regular multi-ride CTtransit pass.  The CTfastrak football express buses will enter the stadium grounds via a special entrance and drop off football fans close to the stadium entrance.

      All active duty military personnel and veterans are invited to ride for free to the UConn vs. Army game this Saturday and on September 26, 2015, when UConn plays Navy by presenting the proper military I.D.

      The first CTfastrak bus will depart Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field 15 minutes after the end of the third quarter.  The remaining buses will leave beginning 30 minutes after the game.  The last bus will leave one hour after the game ends.

      Game attendees can also use the CTfastrak route 121 bus which operates every half hour on Saturdays between Manchester Community College, downtown Hartford and the UConn Health in Farmington.  The CTfastrak route 121 bus operates on Silver Lane and stops near Rentschler Field.

      The CTfastrak system provides direct service to and from Waterbury, Cheshire, Southington, Bristol, Plainville, New Britain, Newington, West Hartford, Hartford, East Hartford and Manchester with routes that take advantage of the bus-only CTfastrak roadway. The CTfastrak system offers a one-seat, no-transfer ride to many major regional employment, education, shopping and healthcare destinations as well as connections to the New Haven Line-Waterbury branch rail in Waterbury and Amtrak service in Hartford. A new 4.5 mile multi-use trail was built parallel to the CTfastrak bus-only roadway from New Britain to Newington Junction. A recently launched benefits program that offers riders discounts or bonuses at area businesses called CTfastrak Rewards is also available.

For information about CTfastrak, visit www.ctfastrak.com, connect via Facebook at www.facebook.com/ctfastrak or via Twitter at @ctfastrak. Route timetables are available at www.cttransit.com under the “Schedules/CTfastrak” tab and the latest CTfastrak Rewards information is available at www.ctfastrak.com/rewards.