CT transit buses to charge riders beginning Apr. 1 

According to an announcement from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, public transit buses will require fees beginning Saturday, April 1. Fares were free for public transit buses in the past and will remain free until the end of the month, as determined by a bill signed by Governor Ned Lamont. 

“Free fares on public transit were originally implemented by the Governor as an emergency Covid-19 mitigation measure, since people had to interact with the bus operator and due to touch points such as inputting cash into the farebox when boarding causing a potential hazard,” said Philip Johnson of Windham Region Transit District in an email. 

For students who have a U-Pass, bus transportation will remain free, according to Johnson. For those without a U-Pass, fares will apply to the 671, 672, 674, 991 and 993 WRTD routes, which includes the Willimantic City-Bus, Willimantic to Storrs, Norwich/Foxwoods Casino route and Danielson, as well as the 913 and 918 buses departing Storrs for Hartford. 

The University of Connecticut’s HuskyGo shuttles and the 675 Hunting Lodge line will remain fare-free. 

The 671, 672 and 674 routes will charge students without a U-Pass $1.25, and the WRTD Danielson and Norwich routes (991 and 993) will charge $2.75, according to Johnson. For anyone interested in purchasing a monthly pass, the price is $40.00. 

Johnson also said that anyone looking to save on fares should download Token Transit, a mobile app that allows passes to be purchased at a monthly rate. 

“Token Transit is easy to use and caps fares at the monthly rate if you board often with a Single Fare, so it potentially saves a rider money,” added Johnson. 

Physical weekly and monthly passes can be purchased through WRDT located at 28 S Frontage Road in Mansfield Center. More information about public transportation in Connecticut, as well as U-Pass requirements, can be found on the CT rides website.