Middletown Community Press Conference & Call to Action

Last month the State Department of Transportation with, a state bus budget of over 156 Million, proposed a 15%, $260,558 cut to MAT transit funding that will significantly reduce and eliminate some bus services to all of Middletown, Cromwell, Portland and parts of East Hampton and Meriden. This will severely impact the most vulnerable populations such as working poor families, senior citizens, youth, college students, veterans, and those with disabilities, just to name a few.

In addition, due to severe reductions to MAT Transit bus services, many unemployed and the working poor will be disenfranchised from new job opportunities coming to Middletown.

FedEx Ground located at the old Middletown Aetna site is scheduled to open in August 2018.

FedEx Ground representatives has stated that the new distribution center would hire as many as 160 full-time employees and 220 part-time employees in 2018 before the operation enters its full phase. In the future, FedEx will be able to employ 400 full-timers and 600 part-timers

The CT Parents Union and other community members from Middletown, Meriden and other surrounding towns are concerned that eliminating vital public transit services:

• Will cause people to lose jobs and/or limit access to new job opportunities because of limited public transportation. i.e. FedEx

• Will cause families, those with disabilities, senior citizens, and veterans to have limited/no access to and from medical appointments., senior centers, grocery stores, social service, and other quality of life necessities.

• Will cause some college students and young people to have limited access to and from school, after school and summer programs that are considered safe havens and summer employment opportunities.

From From Lydia Brewster Of St. Vincent DePaul Middletown's Assistant Director for Community Services