Imagine traveling throughout Connecticut without sitting in gridlock, hunting for parking or stressing about the time. CT Fastrak, the state’s first “bus rapid transit” system, achieves this — it’s designed to move travelers quickly between central towns and downtown Hartford. We’ll spill the beans on everything you need to know to ride with confidence.
The trick? CT Fastrak uses a bus-only roadway with station stops — much like a train or subway system — and is designed with high frequency in mind, so riders never have to wait long. Since the buses don’t travel on the highways or town roads for most of their journey, they bypass traffic congestion and can maintain reliable travel times.
First operating its innovative service in 2015, the system was ranked as the number one BRT network in the country in 2024.
There are 11 stations on the route, spanning four towns: Downtown New Britain, East Main Street and East Street in New Britain; Cedar Street and Newington Junction in Newington; Elmwood and Flatbush Avenue in West Hartford; and Kane Street, Parkville and Sigourney Street in Hartford. Fastrak also connects with trains and regional bus services at Hartford Union Station, and limited service to other points in downtown Hartford.
The buses on Fastrak are modern, comfortable and equipped with free Wi-Fi and bicycle racks. Many of them are articulated buses (those long, bendy ones) — which means there’s plenty of room even during rush hour.
University of Connecticut students may be interested to know that CT Transit’s Route 913, the express bus that runs from UConn to Hartford, can take you directly to Hartford Union Station and the Sigourney Street Fastrak station.
Students can use their U-Pass for free travel on CT Fastrak with no limitation. The fares are also reasonable, with a two-hour unlimited pass costing $1.75 — and an all-day ticket at just $3.50. They can be used on both Fastrak trips and on local CT Transit buses, many of which connect at the stations; ticket VTMs are available at every Fastrak station and in numerous on-street locations in downtown Hartford.
There are five “core” trip variants form the backbone of the Fastrak system: Route 101, which makes every stop from Hartford to Downtown New Britain; 102, which is the same, but runs further to Bristol; 121, which has two variants: one that deviates from the Fastrak to stop at UConn John Dempsey Hospital and another which travels eastward to Manchester Community College — otherwise stopping at the stations between Cedar Street and Hartford; 125, which runs to Newington Junction and then to the Berlin Turnpike; and 128, which goes to Flatbush Avenue and then to the Westfarms Mall in Farmington.
A handful of other local-ish routes are also operated under the CT Fastrak system, as they may stop at one or two stations, but most do not use the bus-only roadway — such as a shuttle for students to the nearby Central Connecticut State University campus in New Britain. Some of CT Transit’s express bus routes also make use of the traffic-skipping roadway.
A great amenity of this system is a multi-use trail for the length of the roadway from Downtown New Britain to Newington Junction. Pedestrians and cyclists can travel alongside the Fastrak on the paved walkway, bring their pets and enjoy the scenery from dawn to dusk daily. However, the trail is not regularly cleared of debris, snow, or ice, so trail-users should be vigilant.
Although the Fastrak stations are outdoors, they are large and well-lit, with spacious waiting areas (plus heaters for the cold seasons), digital messaging signage and clearly marked crosswalks and wayfinding. Ample parking is also available at many of the stations.
While the concept of CT Fastrak may have been better served by light rail or subway-like infrastructure, it is no secret that it is an efficient, highly trafficked system even with buses being used. There are some plans to expand Fastrak to other spokes of Hartford, such as to Middletown, Manchester and north to Bradley International Airport — with studies determining the feasibility of using train equipment and sharing the right-of-way with freight users and others — but those are a long way away from implementation. Judging by the success of the New Britain-bound Fastrak, I would imagine the state would support any plan to invest in Connecticut’s rapid transit if the funding appeared.
CT Fastrak offers a faster, cleaner and more reliable way to get around central Connecticut. Whether you’re commuting to work, exploring downtown Hartford or eventually traveling to UConn, the system is designed to make your trip smoother. Enjoy speeding along!