Norwich — The state Department of Transportation has notified Southeast Area Transit district that it will receive a 2.5 percent increase in funding next year and should not implement service cuts or fare increases.

The General Assembly passed a budget last month that funded transportation at a level that avoided a potential 15 percent reduction to transit districts and other transportation cuts for the upcoming fiscal year, but SEAT had been holding off on finalizing its own Fiscal Year 2019 budget and service plan until it received formal notification from the state of exactly how much funding it would receive.

Many transit districts had told the state that even if they were to receive the same level of funding next year as in the current fiscal year, they would not necessarily be able to maintain their existing level of service, as fuel, labor and insurance costs are rising, SEAT General Manager Michael Carroll said at Wednesday's SEAT Board of Directors meeting.   

Even with the 2.5 percent increase, Carroll said the transit district is projecting a small shortfall in the upcoming year but will follow DOT's direction to not make service cuts or raise fares. With the transit district still awaiting more information on next year's costs, including fuel costs, SEAT will monitor the budget throughout the year.

Carroll said if the deficit appears, SEAT will request that the state fund the difference. If the state denies the request, the board later would make modest service reductions.

Earlier start times, realigned routes

The SEAT board on Wednesday approved next year's budget, which includes service adjustments that will provide earlier morning start times for Runs 2, 5, 12, 13 and 14, and will realign Runs 1/101 and 7.

The board eliminated the St. Bernard's Run 109 and the morning Three Rivers Express bus service, with the intention that earlier start times on the New London and Norwich buses and realigned routes would accommodate both students and members of the general population that need to get to work early, Carroll said after the meeting. The afternoon Three Rivers Express service will remain in place.

Carroll said that most service in New London currently doesn't start until 8 a.m., so the earlier start times would enable a resident with a job that begins at 8 a.m. to ride the bus to work, for example.

The district also is responding to a longstanding request from businesses in the Norwich business park for an earlier start time on Run 5 for their employees to get to work, he said.

Earlier start times are also a recommendation of a SEAT service study, and this is a way to implement the start times with the budget SEAT has, he said.

Under the service adjustments that likely will go into effect about Sept. 1, Runs 1/101 would be realigned from Thames Street and Uncas-on-Thames to New London Turnpike/West Main Street and serve St. Bernard's during bell times, according to the proposal. Route 7 then would be changed from West Main Street/New London Turnpike to Thames Street and Uncas-on-Thames. Run 2, which currently starts at 7 a.m. in Norwich, will instead start at 6 a.m.; Run 5, which currently starts at 8 a.m. in Norwich, will start at 6 a.m.; Run 12, which starts at 8 a.m. in New London, will start at 6:15 a.m.; Run 13, which starts in New London at 7 a.m., will start at 6:20 a.m.; and Run 14, which currently starts at 8 a.m. in New London, will begin at 6:35 a.m.

Carroll wrote in his report to the SEAT board that SEAT also is continuing to work on potential realignments of Runs 8 and 10 and service changes recommended in the service study that would not cost money. 

Also on Wednesday, the board voted to make adjustments to service in Ledyard, as the town is leaving the transit district beginning in the upcoming fiscal year.

Starting July 1, there will be no formal bus stops in Ledyard but people still can flag down buses that are running through the town. Customers of ADA Paratransit Service no longer will get picked up or dropped off in Ledyard.

k.drelich@theday.com