The public transportation system that serves our city, Middletown Area Transit, is proposing steep fare increases and service cuts. This comes on the heels of a proposal to spend $70M to improve commuter service by eliminating stop lights on Route 9.There will be a public hearing this evening:
Wednesday, April 25
5:00PM to 6:30PM
Common Council Chambers
City Hall
The proposed cuts are to times (Saturday and evening service), and to service areas (Westlake, Portland/East Hampton, Mlink, and the Cromwell Walmart).
The Mlink route links Middletown with Meriden, serving its train station and connecting our city to the Northeast rail network. The Meriden train station, which was recently improved, will be a stop on the new commuter rail between New Haven and Springfield, Massachusetts. Its new rail service will be frequent and inexpensive.
While MAT is contemplating cuts to its service, others have pushed for expansion, pointing out that public transportation reduces traffic and improves the roads and life in our city for everybody. Subsidies to public transportation are a tiny fraction of those given to the construction and maintenance of roads for private automobile use.
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