First Transit announces that the company has been awarded a new contract by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) to operate the Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford divisions of CTtransit, as well as CTfastrak, the state’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) system.
First Transit has provided management services to CTDOT since 1976. With the addition of CTfastrak, First Transit is responsible for managing a fleet of nearly 450 buses and a workforce of more than 1,000 drivers, maintenance personnel, and administrative/managerial staff. The new contract, which began March 1, is for five years options.
First Transit’s management team at CTtransit brings more than 130 years of professional experience. The team is led by General Manager David Lee, who also serves as First Transit’s Area Vice President for the New England Region. The five assistant general managers include Michael Arrow (maintenance and technology), Ronald Macaluso (transit services), Philip Fry (planning and marketing), Nicole Rohan (administration), and Cole Pouliot (procurement and capital projects).
Senior management support for the resident team is led by First Transit Senior Vice President Rick Dunning. Dunning stated, “We are very pleased to continue our strong partnership with CTDOT. And, as bus rapid transit continues to grow throughout the U.S., we are excited to be part of CTfastrak.”
The Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford divisions managed by First Transit operate fixed-route local and express bus service in 46 Connecticut towns, as well as White Plains and Port Chester, NY. CTfastrak, which began service on March 28, includes 9.4 miles of exclusive bus-only guideway serving ten stations between downtown Hartford and New Britain, CT. Key features of CTfastrak include a state-of-the-art suite of ITS technology to provide real-time bus location information for customers and off-board fare collection.
