Driving growth
New CT Transit central bus route called a link for workers and jobs
“This opens the opportunity for people to see industries they might not have had the opportunity to see before.” — Michelle Rosa, chief financial officer of AVNA
CT Transit’s new route, 511, is dubbed the Career Corridor for a reason: When the buses start rolling this weekend, central Connecticut residents will be able to reach retail and manufacturing jobs that were never before available to transit riders.
Business leaders, municipal officials and the state transportation department spent two years trying to map out an efficient way to link prospective workers from
New Britain and Meriden with employers in Berlin who are eager to fill jobs at small factories, stores, restaurants and other businesses along the Berlin Turnpike and nearby.
“When running, this will connect to three transit hubs: Ctfastrak in New Britain, the Berlin bus station and the Meriden train station, with careers in the middle,” said Chris Edge, Berlin’s economic development director.
“More importantly, this line will provide access to opportunities at two family-owned car dealerships, two locally owned bus companies, seven manufacturers and two major telecommunications firms including Comcast,” Edge told local and state officials Friday morning at a news conference announcing the new service.
Central Connecticut has had a surge in apartment construction in the past several years, with 1,500 to 2,000 new units either built or planned in New Britain, Meriden and Berlin, Edge said.
Many are clustered around Ctrail or Ctfastrak stations so tenants can use transit to get to work; state transit planners also want to offer local bus service to provide a convenient route to jobs that aren’t on the rail line or near the busway.
“This opens the opportunity for people to see industries they might not have had the opportunity to see before,” said Michelle Rosa, chief financial officer of AVNA, a New Britain-based manufacturer of medical devices that operates an innovation center in Berlin’s Spruce Brook Industrial Park.
The new 511 route will run hourly along the northern end of the Berlin Turnpike and into Spruce Brook through New Park Drive.
“Right in this industrial park there are several manufacturing companies along with other industries that now people will be able to get into and be able to build their careers and their lives,” Rosa said. “This is an opportunity when you live here to also have a career here right in your own community.”
Route 511 will originate at the New Britain Transit Center, travel through Berlin to the Berlin train station, then on to the Spruce Brook Industrial Park before reaching the Meriden Transit Center, where Ctrail and local bus connections are available.
The 511 line is just one of a series of new bus routes that will start Sunday, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz announced.
“Connecticut Transit will start oper
ating four new bus routes serving New Britain, Berlin, Meriden, Plainville and Southington,” Bysiewicz said. “This is going to increase the bus frequency at night in Greater New Britain and Bristol.”
A similar new route is starting in and around Stamford this weekend.
“This is going to unlock employment opportunities, support economic growth and protect our environment. This helps us take cars off the road and reduce our carbon footprint,” Bysiewicz said.
Berlin Mayor Mark Kaczynski praised Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration for funding expanded bus service, saying “I don’t think there’s a business in town — a restaurant or a manufacturer — that’s not looking for more employees. This is going to hopefully open some new jobs and careers for folks in the surrounding towns, and help our manufacturers and other businesses stay successful.”