What you need to know about extended hours of Meriden bus schedules

Lo que debe saber acerca de los horarios extendidos en los autobuses de Meriden

Consuelo Suleiman, of Meriden, waits for the CTtransit 561 bus to depart the State Street station in Meriden on Thursday. Public bus changes including schedules, routes, extended hours and weekend service are now in effect. Dave Zajac, Record-Journal

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Consuelo Suleiman, of Meriden, right, boards the CTtransit 561 bus at the State Street station in Meriden, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. Public bus changes including schedules, routes, extended hours and weekend service are now in effect. Dave Zajac, Record-Journal

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The CTtransit 565 pulls out of the State Street station in Meriden, Thursday, November 9, 2023. Public bus changes including schedules, routes, extended hours and weekend service are now in effect. Dave Zajac, Record-Journal

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Riders step off a CTtransit 564 bus at the State Street station in Meriden on Thursday. Public bus changes including schedules, routes, extended hours and weekend service are now in effect.

November 09, 2023 07:49PM

By Lau Guzmán, Record-Journal staff

MERIDEN — The state Department of Transportation and CTtransit launched new, extended hours of Meriden bus service on weekends and evenings this week.

Consuelo Suleiman took the 561 bus on Thursday morning. She is a retired caseworker from the Bronx, N.Y., and moved to Meriden two and a half years ago. She has an injury that prevents her from driving, so she said the extended hours were very helpful for her and the community.

In her time taking the bus, she had no complaints since the buses were usually on time and the bus drivers polite. She also said the weekend schedule will especially help senior citizens who need to get to and from appointments at MidState Medical Center and a lot of Latinos who ride the bus every day.

“A lot of people work during the week, so they need that kind of schedule on Sundays where people can take advantage to do the shopping that they couldn't do during the week because they're working," she said. "I think the change of schedule and adding more hours is going to help the community out a lot."

How are the extended hours funded?

The extended hours are the result of the CX Action Plan, a yearlong listening tour gaining input from riders, operators and other stakeholders to see how they could make the state’s public transportation safer, more reliable and user-friendly.

After the plan was unveiled in June, the governor’s budget allocated an additional $9.1 million in 2024 and $9.4 million in 2025 to extend bus service and build better workforce transportation. Of that, the budget allocated an additional $1.6 million to the yearly operating budget for Meriden.

Tentative routes and schedules were announced in August and riders were invited to give feedback. The proposed routes included two new ones: Route 511 between the Meriden and New Britain downtowns via the Berlin Turnpike, and route 532 connecting Plainville Center and Queen Street in Southington. Route 511 was meant to replace the former route 501, which was discontinued.

Department of Transportation spokesman Josh Morgan explained that routes 511 and 532 are approved, but did not go into effect this week. Instead, he said that they will likely start in the new year.

“Adding new routes means adding new staff,” he explained.

Where can I check if my bus route is changed?

The plan also added two mobile options to simplify transit. A new app, Token Transit, allows riders to pay for bus fare digitally on all local routes. Another app, Transit App, also provides a unified place for riders to see real-time information on local buses and trains. It also is enabled for in-app purchases of fares.

The new, updated schedules are also available online at https://www.cttransit.com and have maps and a trip planner to help riders make sense of the changes.

Which local routes have changed service?

470 – Waterbury/Naugatuck Weekdays

Updates: weekday schedule, route

The schedule for Route 470 is being expanded to provide service all day on weekdays. Buses will now depart from North Main Street at Waterbury Green every hour from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Return trips will depart Naugatuck Railroad Station every hour from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

501 — Arch Street

Route 501 service to Meriden was discontinued. There are plans to provide direct service to downtown Meriden by the new Route 511 next year.

561 – Meriden Mall

Updates: Weekday schedule, weekend schedule, route

Route 561 buses will now depart Meriden Transit Center every 30 to 60 minutes from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekdays, 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays.

563 – Yale Acres

Updates: Weekday schedule, weekend schedule, route

Route 563 buses will now depart Meriden Transit Center every hour from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekdays, 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sundays.

564 – South Meriden

Updates: Weekday schedule, weekend schedule, route

Route 564 buses will now depart Meriden Transit Center every hour from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays.

565 – West Main Street

Updates: Weekday schedule, Sunday schedule, route

Route 565 buses will now depart Meriden Transit Center every hour from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays. Buses will continue to provide service to Platt High School on a part-time basis.

566 – East Main Street

Updates: Weekday schedule,weekend schedule, route map

Route 566 buses will now depart Meriden Transit Center every hour from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekdays, 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Buses will continue to provide service to Maloney High School, the Connecticut Department of Children & Families and Corporate Court on a part-time basis.

Dave Zajac of the Record-Journal contributed reporting.

lguzman@record-journal.comTwitter: @lguzm_n

Latino Communities Reporter Lau Guzmán is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. Support RFA reporters at the Record-Journal through a donation at https://bit.ly/3Pdb0re. To learn more about RFA, visit www.reportforamerica.org.

MERIDEN – El Departamento de Transporte de Connecticut y CTtransit lanzaron nuevos horarios extendidos para el servicio de autobuses en Meriden los fines de semana y por las noches a partir del 5 de noviembre.

Consuelo Suleiman tomó el autobús 561 el jueves por la mañana. Es una trabajadora social jubilada del Bronx, Nueva York, y se mudó a Meriden hace dos años y medio. Tiene una lesión que le impide conducir, así que dijo que las horas extendidas fueron muy útiles para ella y la comunidad.

Dijo que no tiene quejas, ya que los autobuses generalmente llegan a tiempo y los conductores son amables. También dijo que el nuevo horario de fin de semana ayudará especialmente a las personas mayores que necesitan llegar y salir de las citas en el Centro Médico MidState y a muchos latinos que viajan en el autobús todos los días.

"Muchas personas trabajan durante la semana, así que necesitan ese tipo de horario los domingos donde la gente puede aprovechar para hacer las compras que no pudieron hacer durante la semana porque están trabajando", dijo. "Creo que el cambio de horario y la adición de más horas va a ayudar mucho a la comunidad".

¿Cómo se financia la ampliación de horarios?

Las horas extendidas son el resultado del Plan de Acción CX, una iniciativa que recopiló opiniones de pasajeros, operadores y otras partes interesadas para ver cómo podrían hacer que el transporte público del estado sea más seguro, confiable y fácil de usar.

Después de que el plan se presentó en junio, el presupuesto del gobernador asignó $9,1 millones adicionales en 2024 y $9,4 millones en 2025 para extender el servicio de autobuses y mejorar el transporte laboral. Entre ese dinero, el presupuesto asignó $1,6 millones adicionales al presupuesto operativo anual para Meriden.

El departamento anunció las rutas y horarios tentativos en agosto e invitó a los pasajeros a dar su opinión. Las rutas propuestas incluían dos nuevas: la ruta 511 entre los centros de Meriden y New Britain a través del Berlin Turnpike y la ruta 532 que conecta Plainville Center y Queen Street en Southington. La Ruta 511 remplazará la antigua Ruta 501, que fue descontinuada.

El portavoz del Departamento de Transporte, Josh Morgan, explicó que las rutas 511 y 532 están aprobadas, pero no entraron en vigencia esta semana. En cambio, dijo que probablemente comenzarán en el nuevo año mientras buscan contratar más personal.

"Agregar nuevas rutas significa agregar nuevo personal", explicó.

¿Dónde puedo verificar si cambió mi ruta de autobús?

El plan también agregó dos opciones móviles para simplificar el tránsito. Una nueva aplicación, Token Transit, permite a los pasajeros pagar la tarifa del autobús digitalmente en todas las rutas locales. Otra aplicación, Transit App, también proporciona un lugar unificado para que los pasajeros vean información en tiempo real sobre autobuses y trenes locales. También está habilitada para comprar tarifas dentro de la aplicación.

Los nuevos horarios actualizados también están disponibles en línea en https://www.cttransit.com y tienen mapas y un planificador de viajes para ayudar a los pasajeros a entender los cambios.

¿Cuáles rutas locales han cambiado de servicio?

470: Waterbury/Naugatuck días laborables

Actualizaciones: horario entre semana, ruta

El horario de la Ruta 470 se está ampliando para proporcionar servicio durante todo el día los días laborables. Los autobuses partirán ahora de North Main Street en el Waterbury Green cada hora desde las 6:30 a.m. hasta las 11:30 p.m. Los viajes de regreso partirán de Naugatuck Railroad Station cada hora desde las 7:00 a.m. hasta las 11:00 p.m.

501: Arch Street

El servicio de la Ruta 501 a Meriden fue descontinuado. Hay planes para proporcionar servicio directo al centro de Meriden a través de la nueva Ruta 511 el próximo año.

561: Meriden Mall