CONNECTICUT TRANSIT ROUTES

STAMFORD

CONCISE HISTORY

The Connecticut Transit routes in Stamford were identified with letters until 2002, when route numbers were adopted. Between 2014 and 2017, Connecticut Transit implemented a route numbering system for the rest of the state, with no duplication of numbers. And effective 8/14/2016, the Stamford routes were renumbered into the 300's. And some routes were renamed, with the older names in parentheses.

Many routes consisted of two portions, connected through downtown. Effective 8/31/74, several routes were assigned new letters, with revisions in pairing of route segments. And numbers following the letters identified the route segments.

Because of the dense population in Connecticut, some routes historically were more like "interurban trolley" lines. Interurban railway routes generally did not have letters. In the bus era, surviving interurban routes were assigned letters. The Connecticut Railway & Lighting Co. (CR&L) was leased by the Connecticut Co. from 1905 to 1936. In 1936, after the Connecticut Co. was failing to make its lease payments to Connecticut Railway & Lighting Co., the courts allowed Connecticut Railway & Lighting Co. to repossess the leased lines. And several interurban bus routes became jointly operated, with companies alternating with runs. Some interurban bus service was discontinued after Connecticut Railway & Lighting Co. ceased operations in 1972. But most such service was eventually restored.

Not listed are certain recently created express and shuttle bus routes.



Route   Route                Bus Letter         Streetcar     Streetcars    Buses
Number  Name                 Before 1974 After  Route Letter  Discontinued  Introduced

311 11 Port Chester                F                                1927           1927
312 11 West Main St.               F                                1927           1927
313 13 West Broad St.              G      J2                    New Bus
321 21 West Avenue                                              New Bus      After 1980
324 24 Fairfield (Old Greenwich)   C      O       G              9/ 6/27
324 22 Southfield Ave.             B      H1      H              5/15/30
       Summer St.                  B      B       H              5/15/30
326 26 Pacific St.                 A      H2      A              7/18/31
327 27 Shippan Ave.                C      S       D              7/25/31
328 43 Cove Road                   D      A2      C              7/25/31
331 31 High Ridge Road             E      E                     New Bus      Acq.  1963
333 33 Newfield (Strawberry Hill)  J      J1                    New Bus
334 34 Hope Street                 A      A1      A              7/18/31
335 35 Washington Blvd.                                         New Bus            2014
336 32 Long Ridge Road             L      L                     New Bus      Acq.  1963
341 41 Norwalk                     F      F                     11/11/33     Interurban
342 41 East Main St.               F      F                     11/11/33
344 42 Glenbrook Rd. (Darien)      G      G                     New Bus         7/11/21
       Middlesex Rd.               H                            New Bus            1943

Route to Norwalk historically included operation over Norwalk Division from Darien to Norwalk, leased from Connecticut Railway & Lighting Co. (CR&L) from 1905 to 1936.

The Summer St. route was discontinued after 1980, as redundant to routes on Long Ridge Road and High Ridge Road. Those routes were acquired from the Long Ridge & High Ridge Bus Co. in 1963.

The Middlesex Rd. route was discontinued 8/31/74.

Route 11, later 311, evolved from an interurban railway operated by New York & Stamford Railway. Interurban trains were replaced with buses in 1927, operated by subsidiary County Transportation Co. From 1957 to 1969, the route was operated by West Fordham Transportation Corp. And from 1969 to 1972, the route was operated by Connecticut Co. as route F. In 1972, route was sold to Valley Transportation Co., which operated the route a few years longer.

With the 2016 renumbering of routes into the 300's, route 312 became a short turn variation of route 311. And route 342 became a short turn variation of route 341.


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