HARTFORD, CT — Hartford bus riders have 21 new shelters across the city, with another 47 stops in the design process as state and local officials work to improve the city's public transportation infrastructure.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation and the City of Hartford recently marked the completion of the first 21 shelters with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 26 at Blue Hills Avenue and Greenfield Street.
The installations were completed through DOT's Bus Stop Enhancement Program and represent the first completed project under the Greater Hartford Mobility Program, a regional initiative designed to identify and advance transportation priorities across the Hartford area.
Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam and CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto were among the officials who marked the project's completion.
"Everyone in this city deserves a dignified transit experience, and that's what DOT has prioritized through our work collaboratively on the greater Hartford mobility study," Arulampalam said.
The 21 improved stops serve about 360 passenger boardings each weekday, totaling about 131,000 annually, according to information released about the project.
The shelters are intended to provide riders with safer and more comfortable places to wait for buses.
The project is not finished.
Another 47 Hartford bus stops are in the design process, which would bring the total number of new shelters to 68.
"Everyone deserves a dignified transit experience, which is why I'm excited to share that the first 21 of 68 new bus shelters were just installed in Hartford!" Arulampalam said in announcing the improvements.
The mayor also thanked CTDOT for collaborating with the city on the project.
The Greater Hartford Mobility Program brings communities in the region together to identify transportation needs and develop projects intended to improve mobility.
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