Estuary Transit District

Governance

ETD is a political sub-division of the State of Connecticut created in 1981 under Chapter 103(a) of the Connecticut General Statutes by the towns of Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook. Each member town appoints one Director to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors sets policies, establishes budgets, and provides general direction for the District. Each Director receives a weighted vote based on the population of the town which he or she represents. The Board of Directors employs an Executive Director to manage the day-to-day operations of the District.

Services

All services are operated under the 9 Town Transit (9TT) name. Services include four deviated-fixed routes and door-to-door demand response transportation. All deviated-fixed routes begin at the Old Saybrook Train Station where free transfers between routes can be made. Deviated-fixed routes will deviate up to 3/4 mile off the published route for pick-ups or drop-offs. Reservations for off-route trips must be made one day in advance. Any trips along the route do not require reservations and can be made by flagging the bus down anywhere along the route. ETD's ridership has more than doubled since 2008, now providing over 107,000 trips per year.

Route 1 - Madison to Old Saybrook

9TT's oldest and most utilized deviated-fixed route. It operates Monday through Saturday along Route 1 between the Old Saybrook Train Station and the Scranton Gazebo in Madison. Route 1 serves such points of interest as Clinton Crossing Outlets, Westbrook Tanger Outlets, Water's Edge Resort, Wal-Mart, four grocery stores, four train stations, Old Saybrook's Main Street shopping and dining district, and the Estuary Council of Seniors. It also provides connections to the CT Transit New Haven Division S-Route bus to New Haven and to Shoreline East Railroad. In December 2010, an additional evening trip was added and the schedule was improved to provide hourly service. In December 2011, Saturday hours were greatly expanded and connections to the S-Route were added.

Route 2 - Chester to Old Saybrook

Route 2 operates Monday through Saturday along Route 154 between the Old Saybrook Train Station and Chester Center. Route 2 serves such points of interest as Bokum Shopping Plaza, Lawrence and Memorial Medical Center, Essex Village, Centerbrook Industrial Park, Essex Steam Train, Deep River Center, and Chester Center. In December 2010, the hours were greatly expanded on weekdays to accommodate commuters, and connections to the Route 1 were improved.

Route 3 - New London to Old Saybrook

Route 3 began July 6, 2010, providing service along Route 1 between the Old Saybrook Train Station and the New London Transportation Center in downtown New London Monday through Friday. It serves such points of interest as the Old Lyme Shopping Center, the Old Lyme Shore, Old Lyme Senior Center, and downtown Norwich. Free transfers can be made to Southeast Area Transit bus service throughout the Norwich/New London region. In April 2012, the hours were extended to accommodate commuters.

Route 4 - Middletown to Old Saybrook

Route 4 began in June 2009, connecting the Old Saybrook Train Station to the Middletown Bus Terminal in downtown Middletown Monday through Friday. It serves such points of interest as the Essex and Chester Park and Ride lots, Chester Center, Higganum center, Middlesex Community College, Middlesex Hospital, and downtown Middletown. Free connections may be made to Middletown Area Transit and CT Transit Hartford bus services. In April 2012, additional hours were added to fill the mid-day gap that had existed.

Route 5 - Madison to Middletown

Route 5 will begin in early 2017, providing service from downtown Madison to downtown Middletown along Route 81. It serves such points of interest as downtown Clinton, Clinton Crossing Mall, Killingworth Village, Higganum and Middlesex Community College. Transfers can be made to the CT Transit S Route to New Haven in Madison, CT Transit Route 55 to Hartford in Middletown and all Middletown Area Transit routes.

Dial-A-Ride

For those traveling in areas not served by routes, ETD offers door-to-door demand response service anywhere within Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Durham, Essex, East Haddam, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook. Service is available Monday through Friday and must be reserved at least one day in advance. Dial-A-Ride is available to the general public with no age restrictions.

Fares

Effective January 2, 2017, cash fares are $1.75 for all bus routes and $3.50 for Dial-A-Ride and off-route trips. Seniors 65+ and people with disabilities pay just $.85 on all routes with a Medicare card or Connecticut statewide reduced fare I.D. Pre-paid fares, such as 10-ride tickets and monthly passes are also available for purchase online, at the main office or at many local supermarkets. Senior citizen residents age 60 and over may ride for a suggested donation of $.85 on-route and $1.75 off-route/Dial-A-Ride by registering with ETD in advance. Transfers to other ETD routes or to connecting bus services are free.

Funding

The district is funded by four main sources, with the majority from the Federal Transit Administration Section and the state of Connecticut Department of Transportation