By STEPHEN SINGER Associated Press HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ Eighteen years, three governors and $567 million after a study was commissioned to come up with a way to improve public transportation in central Connecticut, a bus-only corridor is about to open, promising to overtake motorists sitting on traffic-clogged Interstate 84. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, state Transportation Commissioner James Redeker and other state and federal transportation officials gathered Friday to mark the opening of CTfastrak. The bus-only corridor’s first full day of operation will be Saturday. State officials insist the 9.4-mile system between Hartford and New Britain will be a quick, reliable and environmentally friendly alternative to cars. Critics call it a boondoggle that’s taking money from other transportation projects. ___ Q. How is the bus-only corridor different from other types of mass transit? A. CTfastrak, as the bus-only corridor is called, has been promoted by state officials as a fast and efficient alternative to cars and intercity buses. The buses will run on a dedicated course, unimpeded by cars and trucks. For motorists frustrated by traffic jams caused by jackknifed trucks, a route free of other traffic is welcome. Touted as a bus rapid transit system, CTfastrak promises waiting times […]
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