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 2019 Gillig BRT 400 series in Danbury | |
| Parent | Housatonic Area Regional Transit |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1972 |
| Headquarters | 62 Federal Road Danbury, Connecticut 06810 |
| Service area | Greater Danbury, and surrounding areas |
| Service type | Local and shuttle bus service |
| Routes | 15 |
| Fleet | 28 fixed route 34 paratransit[1] (2009 figures) |
| Daily ridership | 3,378 (weekday) 1,539 (Saturday) 458 (Sunday)[1] |
| Operator | HARTransit |
| Chief executive | Rick Schreiner (CEO) |
| Website | www |
Housatonic Area Regional Transit, known popularly as HARTransit (formerly as HART), is the provider of public transportation for Danbury, Connecticut and surrounding communities. HARTransit was founded in 1972 as the Danbury-Bethel Transit District by the two municipalities. The name was changed to Housatonic Area Regional Transit in 1979 after the addition of other municipal members. The agency receives funding from municipal contracts, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration and (on a limited basis) the New York State Department of Transportation. Prior to HARTransit's establishment, Danbury had gone without transit service since 1967 when the privately owned ABC Bus Company which had replaced the Candlewood Bus Company a few months before, ceased operations. The first local bus transit operator in the area, Danbury Power & Transportation Company, operated bus services in Danbury and Bethel from 1926 to 1965. HARTransit provides service to a greater number of towns than its predecessors.
In 2009, HARTransit was recognized as the Urban Community Transportation System of the Year by the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA).
The municipalities served by HARTransit are as follows:
- Connecticut: Danbury, Bethel, Brookfield, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Bethel, Redding, and Ridgefield. Norwalk and Wilton also see limited HARTransit service but are served primarily by the Norwalk Transit District WHEELS Services.
- New York: Brewster, Katonah, Lewisboro and Southeast. Brewster and Southeast are also served by PART, while Katonah is primarily served by the Bee-Line Bus System.