Fare hikes, service cuts approved

DANBURY — The Board of Directors approved fare increases and reduced services to Brewster, N.Y., at Wednesday’s Housatonic Area Regional Transit meeting.

Under the changes, the base fare for a fixed route goes from $1.50 to $1.75 and other fare classes increase proportionately. The fare for ADA Paratransit increases from $2.50 to $3, and the fare for same day SweetHART dial-a-ride trips goes from $3 to $4.

The ADA rates were last raised in 2011, and the last fixed rate increase was in 2013, said Eric Bergstraesser, HARTransit’s chief executive officer.

“We can’t go any longer,” he said, adding HARTransit has the lowest fares in the state for both ADA and fixed rates.

He said the driver for this increase was the state’s budget problems and the lack of money expected for the state Department of Transportation and associated road projects. He said fiscal year 2019 looks even worse, with the state talking about increasing bus fares by 15 percent and cutting its contract with HARTransit by 15 percent.

“We’re hoping for the best and preparing for the worst,” he said.

Jeff Doyle, a rider who has nerve damage, said the fare increase was difficult for those with disabilities. He said he moved from Ridgefield to Danbury to use the bus, but still had limited ADA services on the bus. He said these limited services are forcing riders to find alternative travel methods.

Dan Honan, of Newtown, one of three representatives on the board, said he doesn’t like to raise the rates, but acknowledged it had to be done.

Both he and Chairman Leonard Russell, of New Fairfield, asked if they could delay the vote until more of the board could be there, but the timeline to enact the new rates prevented them from doing that.

Each town that uses HARTransit gets at least one seat on the Board of Directors, but only Danbury, Newtown and New Fairfield have appointed representatives. Newtown just approved its second appointee who starts at the next meeting.

Oswaldo Chin, the union president who represents HARTransit’s employees, is also asking the board to create two advisory spots to represent employees and riders.

Honan and Russell also approved reducing services on the 3 line, eliminating the rides between Trader Joe’s in Danbury and Brewster between noon and 2 p.m. This doesn’t affect the Brewster shuttle, which goes to the train station.

Rick Schreiner, HARTransit’s service development director, said this was to prevent the buses from getting backed up due to congestion on Interstate 84, which causes drivers to go on the side roads, which affects bus times. By eliminating the middle times, the later buses can get back on schedule.

“As soon as traffic backs up, it backs up to Mill Plain Road, and that dominoes into the system,” he said.

He said removing these services allows them to reinstate some of the Mill Ridge stops — which serve a public housing area — that were removed when the Brewster rides were extended.

Noreen Mangan, a Danbury resident who rides the Brewster shuttle, encouraged the board to keep the 3 line as is because it serves those in Brewster who work or shop in Danbury. She said cutting services could make Danbury a “transportation desert.”

“We shouldn’t be talking about cutting public transportation in Danbury where we are the fastest growing city in Connecticut,” she said.

HARTransit isn’t making changes to the 7 Link bus, which travels between Norwalk and Danbury. Beginning later this month, Norwalk Transit will no longer offer its two inbound and outbound buses that travel this line, and its 9:05 a.m. bus will only run to Wilton Center. HARTransit will continue to offer its five inbound and outbound 7 Link buses, which travel from 6:35 a.m. to 5:25 p.m.

The directors didn’t discuss what the reduced Norwalk services were and if HARTransit would assume those trips.