Yesterday the Estuary Transit District (ETD) launched the new Nine-Town Transit Mid-Shore Express bus service, which provides daily bus express bus service between the shoreline and Middletown, thanks to new funding through the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the federal New Freedom Initiative.
The Mid-Shore Express provides five round trips each weekday between the Old Saybrook Train Station, the Essex Park and Ride lot, the Chester Park and Ride lot, Chester Center, and Middletown. Stops in Middletown will include Middlesex Hospital and the Social Services Office and the Middletown Area Transit (MAT) bus terminal. This express route offers a travel time of just 45 minutes from Old Saybrook to downtown Middletown for just $1.25.
This new service will provide access to much more than downtown Middletown through free connections to other public transit services. Passengers looking to travel around Middletown or to Meriden may do so on MAT buses. Those wishing to travel to Hartford or the surrounding region may do so on CT Transit. Both services meet with Nine-Town Transit (9TT) at the Middletown bus terminal and will accept 9TT transfers.
Richard Cabral, Chairman of the ETD Board of Directors, commented “The Mid-Shore Express closes the gap that has existed between the shoreline and Middletown; providing improved access to social services, medical services, government offices, and jobs,”
“With the existing connections to New Haven’s S Route bus and New London/Norwich’s Southeast Area Transit bus system, this final link to Middletown and Hartford will give shoreline residents incredible mobility options and improve our state’s public transit network” said ETD Executive Director Joseph Comerford.
In addition to providing shoreline residents with improved access to services and jobs, the new link creates access for Middletown and Hartford area residents to shoreline employment centers such as the Tanger Outlets at Westbrook and the Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets, and the Chester Industrial Park. It also provides a direct link to Shoreline East Commuter Rail.
The Estuary Transit District provides public transit service to Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook through its Nine Town Transit service. Connections are provided to New Haven and New London/Norwich bus services and Shoreline East Commuter Rail.
Route maps and schedules are available online at www.estuarytransit.org or by calling Nine Town Transit at 860-510-0429. |
