Because of the dense population in Connecticut, some routes historically were more like "interurban trolley" lines.
Bus service in New Britain and Bristol was eventually assumed by New Britain Transportation Co., operating under contract for Connecticut Transit beginning in 1976.
Connecticut Railway & Lighting Co. had operated the streetcar routes, and the replacement bus service. While various independent operators introduced bus routes where streetcar service did not exist, and those bus routes eventually became part of New Britain Transportation Co.
New Britain Transportation Co. was formed in 1927 by Peter Agostini. Peter Agostini had introduced a jitney operation on Arch Street in 1920, apparently competing with the streetcar route, and possibly explaining why that streetcar route was discontinued one year later. Connecticut Railway & Lighting ceased operations in 1972.
Bristol Traction Co. was one of the few streetcar and later bus operations in Connecticut remaining independent of the Connecticut Co. And remained independent until 1965, when acquired by New Britain Transportation Co.
A few additional routes were introduced at unknown times, operated under contract by DATTCO.
Route 128 became part of Connecticut Transit's "Fastrak" system, in part using a busway which opened in 2015 between Hartford and New Britain. The Fastrak routes are numbered in the 100's.
Discontinued routes are listed at the end of each section.
Route Route Buses Streetcars
Number Name Introduced Discontinued
128 Stanley Street 7/ 7/30
Arch Street 7/14/21
501 Arch Street (bus) 3/ 1/20 Peter Agostini (NBTC)
502 New Britain-Plainville 11/15/36 Interurban
502 Black Rock Avenue 8/ 1/35 Bristol Traction Co.
503 Corbin Avenue ????
505 Burritt Street 1919 Wagner Service Inc. 1952 to NBTC
506 Farmington Avenue 10/10/28
507 Oak Street 5/18/22 Oak Street Bus Line 1969 to NBTC
509 East Street DATTCO
510 South Street DATTCO
512 Berlin Turnpike 9/14/27
Pleasant Street 10/24/31
541 Bristol Local ???? MacDonnell Bros. 1940 to BT
542 Bristol Hospital ????
543 West Street ????
Woodland St. (Bristol) 8/ 1/35 Bristol Traction Co.
Earl St. (Bristol) ???? MacDonnell Bros. 1940 to BT
Terryville (Bristol) 1943 Bristol Traction Co.