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Public and council raise alarms as SmartRide micro‑transit faces June 30 service gap
Summary
Speakers at the meeting warned that SmartRide’s scheduled stoppage on June 30 will leave seniors, youth and other riders with fewer options to reach the new community center; mayor said state funding gaps make an immediate fix unlikely but staff are pursuing options.
Several members of the public and multiple councilors raised transportation access as an urgent concern after state funding for SmartRide, the city’s micro‑transit service, was cut.
Debbie Phillips, a New London resident and active volunteer with the Senior Center, told the council: "After June 30, I will not have public transportation to that facility." She said her alternatives would be Uber, which she estimated would cost about $20 each way, or a longer walk from neighborhoods near Shore and Howard streets. Phillips asked the council to explore transit options so seniors and youth could access the new community center.
Councilors echoed the concern. Councilor Sadi said the loss of SmartRide threatens access for children from lower‑income neighborhoods and urged the mayor to seek a solution. Councilor Hart and others emphasized the importance of maintaining daytime service for seniors' appointments and errands.
Mayor Michael Passaro said he and city staff had discussed the issue with the Connecticut Department of Transportation commissioner. "It’s not going to happen by June 30. The money's just not there," he said, adding that the city believes “there is a way forward in the next few months” but that an immediate stopgap was not available. The mayor said the city will pursue a blueprint to reestablish the micro‑transit system and work with federal and state partners; he described the process as subject to Federal Transit Administration rules for reallocating funds.
The mayor and staff also outlined interim options. The mayor told the council that ADA paratransit service (for eligible riders) can provide a similar service for qualifying disabled residents and noted that some fixed‑route adjustments were planned: staff had altered Route 13 so it will pick up and drop off directly in front of the recreation center. The mayor added that the ridership figure most recently reported was about 4,000 rides per month and clarified that this counts rides — not necessarily unique riders.
Councilors and residents urged wider outreach to inform potential riders about paratransit eligibility and the adjusted fixed route; they also suggested conversations with regional transit partners and local bus companies about interim service. No formal council action was taken at the meeting; councilors asked staff to continue discussions with state and regional partners and to report back.
