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Public Transportation Council opposes fare hikes, points to surge on Shoreline East
Summary
Council leaders urged lawmakers to reconsider fare increases for riders and highlighted sharp ridership gains on the Shoreline East line after a small service investment.
During an informational meeting with the legislature's transportation committee, Connecticut Public Transportation Council Chair Jim Gilday and vice chair Kate Rosen urged caution on proposed fare increases and asked lawmakers to sustain or expand investments in rail service, citing recent ridership gains on Shoreline East.
The message matters because fare policy affects commuters and workforce mobility across the state, and modest investments in service have coincided with substantial ridership increases on some lines, the council said.
"There's 2 bills, 5460 and 7 22, which concern public transportation and fares with regards to high school seniors and veterans," Jim Gilday said, adding that he had read the governor's budget material mentioning a possible increase in bus fares. "Raising fares for them, is certainly a slippery slope," Gilday said, and he warned that higher fares could impede workforce development.
Gilday also highlighted a small, targeted investment in Shoreline East: the legislature secured an additional $5,000,000 for the line, he said, and shortly afterward the branch recorded large year-over-year increases. He gave the monthly comparisons: September saw a 32 percent increase over the previous year, October 58 percent, November 74 percent and December 53 percent. "When given a chance with just 4 trains, we're talking about a 74% increase in ridership in November," Gilday said.
Vice chair Kate Rosen reiterated concerns about fare equity and the administrative hurdles low-income riders face when applying for reduced fares. Rosen also mentioned House Bill 5,461 in relation to "reserve seating on public transportation for people with disabilities" and House Bill 5,061 concerning a study of a commuter rail connection to Bradley Airport.
Committee members acknowledged the ridership data and said the legislature will hold public hearings on related legislation. The committee chair noted the state's prior investments on other branches — for example, a $110 million package for the Waterbury branch and added trains — and said where the state made investments ridership returned to or exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
Lawmakers encouraged the council to submit testimony on pending bills and said they would question the Department of Transportation at upcoming hearings about fare impacts and service-level decisions.
