You’ve probably heard that nothing beats the price of free. It’s true, at least for visitors to downtown Hartford — they’re speeding around town on the “Dash,” a free shuttle bus.
The Dash isn’t an ordinary bus. It’s described as a “circulator,” which comes from its route: a loop around downtown, with a frequent level of service. There are 17 stops, and the idea is that the bus is never more than a short wait away — approximately 20 minutes.
All you’ve got to do is hop on. The livery for Dash buses is usually orange, but you may see regular-looking CT Transit buses being used.
The loop starts and ends at the Connecticut Convention Center, serving as the stop for the “Adriaen’s Landing” riverfront area. Then, it makes two stops along Arch Street and a stop at the corner of Trumbull and Jewell streets to access Bushnell Park. The route continues along Trumbull Street, making a stop at the corner of Asylum Street — one of three designed for passengers visiting PeoplesBank Arena.
The Dash then continues westward, making three stops within proximity to Hartford Union Station: the first on the corner of Asylum and High streets in front of Black-Eyed Sally’s, then an “official” Transportation Center stop at the local bus pickup along Spruce Street. The Dash then starts heading east, stopping at the corner of Union Place and Allyn Street — right across the street from the train station’s historic waiting room.
There are two more PBA-focused stops, the first on Ann Uccello Street near the Sportsbook entrance, and then at the corner of Church and Trumbull streets. Next, the Dash makes a stop on Main Street near Capital Community College before heading north.
Hold the phone… north? That’s right, the Dash is a great way to connect with “Downtown North,” an area currently under development. You may have already been to its star attraction: Dunkin’ Donuts Park, the baseball stadium where the Yard Goats play. The Dash makes two stops there, one on North Main Street and another on Pleasant Street, before continuing southbound. There are two more stops along Columbus Boulevard before you’re back at the convention center.
Sounds like a pretty cool service, right? The Dash currently runs on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., with occasional extra service during “major downtown events” according to CT Transit.
It’s been running since 2005, with route adjustments and improvements since operating originally under the name “Star Shuttle.” At the time, Hartford’s tourism branding was themed around “New England’s Rising Star.” The new name was actually the winner of a public naming contest — and is said to be an acronym for Downtown Area SHuttle. It was suggested by local resident David Ceder, a University of Hartford student at the time.
“I chose ‘Dash’ not only because of the acronym but also because it’s an action word — ‘Dash,’ to me, is exciting, inviting, and invokes you to hop on and discover Downtown,” Ceder told the blog CT By the Numbers then.
The Dash is a convenient and safe method of travel around downtown, having originally been designed to connect “the riverfront, the arts and entertainment district, various restaurants, and downtown hotels.” As a result, the connecting service is poor except at Hartford Union Station. It currently does not stop at or close to the city’s current local bus hub, called “Central Row” near the Old State House, or with CT Fastrak. In the future, Hartford Union Station is poised to become a regional transportation terminal, however, with more efficient connections for all types of services.
For University of Connecticut Students, the Dash can be an especially efficient method to travel between campuses. The Dash stops at the Connecticut Convention Center and on Arch Street (1 and 2 on the map) are not a far walk to UConn’s Hartford Times Building — and the stop on Columbus Boulevard on the corner of Kinsley Street is right around the corner from Constitution Plaza, including UConn’s Graduate Business Learning Center.
Of course, Express Route 913 from the main campus brings a lot of students to Hartford, stopping at Union Station.
The Dash is a hidden gem, and did I mention free? Hopefully you can save some time, save your walk and save a little money in downtown Hartford by taking it.