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Norwalk Transit District

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Not to be confused with Norwalk Transit (California), an unrelated transit agency.
Two Norwalk Transit District buses (2019 Gillig BRT 35)
Founded1978
Headquarters275 Wilson Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06854
LocaleSouthwestern Connecticut
Service areaNorwalk, Westport, Greenwich, Stamford and nearby communities
Service typeLocal bus service
RoutesLocal fixed route, paratransit and microtransit services in Norwalk, Greenwich, Stamford and Westport, CT, and regional connections to Stamford, Danbury, Wilton, Bridgeport, and Milford, CT
HubsNorwalk Hub
(for Norwalk Fixed Route) South Norwalk RR Station (Norwalk Commuter Shuttles), Westport RR Station, Greens Farms RR Station (Westport Service), Greenwich RR Station (Greenwich Commuter Shuttles)
Fleet79[1]
Daily ridership2023: 5,610 (weekday); 1,769 (Saturday); 837 (Sunday)[2]
OperatorNorwalk Transit District
Chief executiveMatthew Pentz (Chief Executive Officer)
Websitewww.norwalktransit.com

The Norwalk Transit District (NTD) is the primary provider of public transportation services in Norwalk, Connecticut, United States, and surrounding communities. The local Norwalk fixed-route bus transit system, is the primary service of the district linking Norwalk and its immediate suburbs. The agency also operates regional bus service as far east as Milford (with GBT and Milford Transit District) and commuter shuttles to Metro-North stations.

Wheels2U microtransit services operate in Norwalk and Westport.

Paratransit door-to-door services are available for residents in the service area unable to use regular transit services or, on a limited basis, are age 65 or older. Norwalk Transit contracts with local transportation service providers to perform some of the door-to-door services, and is also the provider of public transit for the Westport Transit District.

The city of Norwalk founded the Norwalk Transit District in 1978, seven years after the Connecticut Company ceased operations in Norwalk outside of their route linking Norwalk to Stamford (which continues as Connecticut Transit Stamford Route 341).[3] It was a pioneer in the operation of microtransit in Connecticut,[4] with services rolling out in 2018 and expanding in 2024. The district receives municipal, state (Connecticut Department of Transportation) and federal (Federal Transit Administration) funding.

Routes

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Norwalk Transit operates public bus services throughout Norwalk, Westport and Greenwich, CT. A "pulse-point" system is used with all Norwalk routes meeting at the "WHEELS Hub" in downtown Norwalk to facilitate instant transfers between local Norwalk routes and regional connections such as CT Transit Route 341.[5][6] Passengers on WHEELS routes 11 and 13 can transfer in shared service areas along U.S. Route 1. Fares as of 2024 are $1.75 (US) for 90-minute unlimited rides as well as other pass and contactless fare options. A substantially revised route structure will be implemented in 2025.[7]

Core bus routes

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Eight fixed route services, all in the city limits of Norwalk, run as bidirectional loops from the transit hub, starting at approximately 5am and ending at 8pm weekdays. Weekend services operate from 7am to 7pm. Only Routes 3,7,9,10,11,13 run on Saturdays

  • 1 - Ponus Ave / New Canaan Ave
  • 3 - Main Ave / Glover Ave (Skips Glover Ave on Saturdays, bus turns around at Walmart Route 7)
  • 4 - Wilton Center / West Rocks
  • 7 - East Norwalk RR Station / Calf Pasture Beach
  • 9 - Norwalk Hospital/ South Norwalk
  • 10 - South Norwalk RR Station/ Wilson Ave
  • 11 - Crosstown to Norwalk Community College (NCC)
  • 13 - NCC via CT Ave

Evening and weekend shuttles

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Two shuttles operate in the evenings after core services cease, and all day Sunday. Operating hours are Monday - Friday 7pm - 10:30pm, Saturday 6:30pm – 9:30pm, and Sunday 8:30am – 7:30pm.

  • Connecticut Ave Shuttle: Goes to South Norwalk MTA Metro North RR Station and Norwalk Transit District offices and to NCC via Connecticut Ave.
  • Main Ave Shuttle: Goes to Woodward Ave and to Main Ave / Route 7 to Walmart where the bus turns around.

Regional connections

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  • Route 7 Link: Danbury-Norwalk via Route 7 . Operated by Housatonic Area Regional Transit (HARTransit). Formerly a joint route operated by both HARTransit and NTD.
  • Coastal Link: Norwalk to Milford via Route 1. This route is operated by Norwalk Transit District in partnership with Greater Bridgeport Transit and Milford Transit District.
  • Transfers with CT Transit Route 341 at the WHEELS Hub

Norwalk commuter shuttles

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Three Commuter shuttles that operate during rush hour (7am - 10am and 3:30pm – 6:30pm) from the South Norwalk RR Station to their respective destinations.

  • Norwalk Hospital/Belden Avenue
  • Merritt 7/Glover Avenue
  • 1020 Westport Road/Wilton

Wheels 2U

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Wheels 2U is a microtransit ridesharing service operated with small vehicles. The ride is booked and the $2 fare ($6 for groups) is paid through an app similar to that used by Uber or Lyft.

  • Wheels 2U Norwalk is available to any origin or destination within the City of Norwalk. Service operates Monday - Wednesday 7am - 7pm, Thursday-Friday 7am - 11pm, Saturday 1pm - 12am, and Sunday 1pm - 9pm.
  • Wheels2U Westport is available to and from Westport residential and commercial areas and the Saugatuck and Greens Farms MTA Metro-North RR Stations. Service operated weekdays 5:45am - 10am and 4pm - 9:30pm.

Greenwich commuter shuttle

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The Central Loop Greenwich Commuter Shuttle operates weekdays 7am - 9:30am and 3:50pm - 6pm. The shuttle serves the Greenwich MTA Metro-North RR Station, Greenwich Hospital and municipality's central business district.

Door-to-door services

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Norwalk Transit directly operates and contracts with a number of local operators to provide Complementary ADA Paratransit (for its own fixed route services and CTtransit Stamford) and Senior dial-a-ride services. These programs operate in Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Weston, Westport and Wilton as well as portions of NY State.

References

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  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]
  3. ^ "Bus Line in Connecticut Will Halt Service Today". New York Times. October 10, 1972. p. 49.
  4. ^ https://www.thehour.com/news/article/Norwalk-rolling-out-Uber-like-bus-service-this-13218404.php
  5. ^ Norwalk Transit - Wheels Hub(Google Maps)
  6. ^ CT Transit Stamford (Route 341 Map)
  7. ^ https://www.thehour.com/news/article/norwalk-bus-study-future-system-transit-district-18591612.php
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