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*[[Bridgeport Auto Transit Company|Bridgeport Auto Transit Co.]] |
*[[Bridgeport Auto Transit Company|Bridgeport Auto Transit Co.]] |
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*[[Stratford Bus Line Company|Stratford Bus Line Co.]] |
*[[Stratford Bus Line Company|Stratford Bus Line Co.]] |
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| − | *[[Trumbull Coach Lines |
+ | *[[Trumbull Coach Lines]] |
Regional local/express bus lines that served Bridgeport included [[Chieppo Bus Company|Chieppo Bus Co.]] of [[Wikipedia:New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]], Intercity Bus Company of Danbury, Connectiocut that served Bridgeport-Danbury and Bridgeport-Waterburty and [[Valley Transportation Company]] of [[Wikipedia:Oxford, Connecticut|Oxford]]. Both bus lines ceased operations of their routes during the mid-late 1970s. |
Regional local/express bus lines that served Bridgeport included [[Chieppo Bus Company|Chieppo Bus Co.]] of [[Wikipedia:New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]], Intercity Bus Company of Danbury, Connectiocut that served Bridgeport-Danbury and Bridgeport-Waterburty and [[Valley Transportation Company]] of [[Wikipedia:Oxford, Connecticut|Oxford]]. Both bus lines ceased operations of their routes during the mid-late 1970s. |
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Revision as of 14:59, 26 December 2008
Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company (also known as C. R. & L. Lines) was a streetcar and bus operator in Bridgeport, New Britain, and Waterbury, Connecticut.
The company originated as the streetcar operations of Connecticut Light & Power Company, but the separate name of Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company was adopted for those operations in 1901.
The company also operated some intercity operations, such as Bridgeport-New Haven, coordinated with The Connecticut Company (ConnCo), exchanging transfers with the latter's routes in cities where ConnCo provided local service.
During the period from 1906 to 1920, the company gradually leased out its routes to ConnCo, but in 1936 CR&L resumed operation of those lines when ConnCo failed to make payments on the leases.
Its operations in Norwalk ended in 1970; the rest of the system ceased to operate in November, 1972 and were replaced by service provided by Connecticut Transit.
Bridgeport operations
CR&L Lines' bus operations in Greater Bridgeport, Connecticut- prior to its permanent shutdown in 1972 (which also had ceased its operations in Waterbury, Meriden, and New Britain), was the largest of several public bus companies serving the Bridgeport area. However, it did not have a cooperative arrangement with its "non-competitors" (all bus routes had its own service territory, generally)- as it would not accept transfers from any of them. However, they did exchange transfers with regional bus lines (Chieppo Bus Co., defunct: ran infrequently between Bridgeport and Danbury via Trumbull, Western Monroe/Stepney, Newtown, and Bethel; Valley Transportation Co., defunct: ran infrequent service between Bridgeport and Waterbury via s.e. Trumbull/Nichols, Shelton, Derby, Ansonia, Seymour, Beacon Falls, and Naugatuck; transfers were also exchanged with The Connecticut Co.- now CT Transit, from regional bus routes CR&L ran to Norwalk, Milford, and New Haven from Bridgeport).
Prior to 1971- the year CR&L began reducing service and even eliminating some low-performing bus routes (#7 PATTERSON AVE./Stratford, via Barnum Ave.; service to Ansonia & Derby via State Road 110 and Stratford, as examples recalled), CR&L ran buses to about 66% of the city, as well as to Fairfield, Westport, Norwalk, Easton, Stratford, Shelton, Derby, Ansonia, Milford, Orange, West Haven, and New Haven. Most of its routes throughout the city and into Fairfield and Stratford ran frequently (as often as every 15 minutes along Main Street, E. Main, mid-section of Park Ave., Fairfield Ave., State St., Boston Ave., Stratford Ave., and Conn. Ave.). Main St. and Fairfield Ave. in Downtown Bridgeport was the core transfer point for all CR&L bus routes, with the odd exception of two routes that terminated 2 blocks east, at the former site of the city's railroad depot: #13 SEAVIEW AVE. and #15 NEW HAVEN; these particular buses did not extend into the heart of downtown Bridgeport, forcing many to walk 2 blocks to make transfers.
As for Bridgeport's other bus lines that did not have a cooperative relationship with CR&L Lines, these smaller companies somewhat filled the gaps in service to areas in the city and its immediate suburbs that were not served by CR&L Lines. They all exchanged transfers, but would not do so with any of the regional carriers that did so with CR&L. Also, their main transfer point in Downtown Bridgeport was at the former intercity bus terminal on John St. across from the oddly-named street called "Plaza"- which was actually Middle Street, one block parallel to Main Street. It appeared that while John and State Streets were shared by all bus lines including those of CR&L, Main St. was exclusively for CR&L, while Middle St. and the bus terminal was dominated by all the others.
Bus companies (now all defunct), that operated uncooperatively, yet non-competitively alongside CR&L Lines, included:
- Gray Line Bus Co.
- Chestnut Hill Bus Corp.
- Bridgeport Auto Transit Co.
- Stratford Bus Line Co.
- Trumbull Coach Lines
Regional local/express bus lines that served Bridgeport included Chieppo Bus Co. of New Haven, Intercity Bus Company of Danbury, Connectiocut that served Bridgeport-Danbury and Bridgeport-Waterburty and Valley Transportation Company of Oxford. Both bus lines ceased operations of their routes during the mid-late 1970s.
CR&L had the following bus routes operating shortly before its demise in 1972:
#1 - TUNXIS HILL/MAIN & FAIRFIELD (via Fairfield Ave., State St., Howard Ave., North Ave. into Fairfield- Tunxis Hill Cutoff, Knapps Hwy., Black Rock tpk., Stillson Rd.); this route ran every 20 minutes.
#5 - DEVON or MILFORD/BRIDGEPORT or LAFAYETTE ST. or BLACK ROCK (only limited service west to Black Rock, which ran out Fairfield Ave. to Gilman St., occasionally extending to Riverside Dr.- which paralleled Post Rd. in Fairfield; also ran limited service south of downtown via Lafayette Blvd. into Lafayette St. toward University Of Bridgeport; on the eastern end, limited service ran onto Rivercliff Dr. or just east of Naugatuck Ave. via US RT. 1 in the Devon section of Milford; the main trunk of this route was from Bridgeport via Crescent Ave., Noble Ave., Barnum Ave. into Stratford's Main St., East Broadway, Ferry Blvd./US RT. 1 into Milford/Devon, via Naugatuck Ave. and branching off along various streets along the west shore before reaching Milford Center's Broad St., looping via Gulf St., W. River St. in returning to Bridgeport; this route ran as often as every 30 minutes.
#6 - NOBLE-SOUTH PARK (lower Park Ave., through downtown, East Washington Ave., Noble Ave. to Beardsley Park at Edna Ave.), every 20 min.
#8 - MAIN ST. (between Seaside Park and Thorme St. only; Gray Line Bus had upper Main St.'s territory= and at only 45-60 min. intervals, while #8 ran every 15 min.)
#9 - EAST MAIN ST./STRATFIELD or NORTH PARK AVE. (2 branches on both ends, main trunk of route was via Park Ave. from North Ave. to State St., then to Lafayette Blvd., Fairfield Ave., Stratford Ave., East Main St., Boston Ave., Palisade Ave., Granfield Ave.; eastern branches to either Pearl Harbor St., loop via Success Ave. back to Granfield Ave. - or Granfield Ave. into Stratford: Canaan Rd., Henry Ave., Stonybrook Rd., Broadbridge Ave. to Kenyon St.; western branches ran either down North Ave. from Park Ave. to Clinton Ave., then north into Fairfield: Stratfield Rd. to Sport Hill Rd. at the golf course - or continiung further up Park Ave. to Capitol Ave. The main trunk route ran at 15 min. intervals, while branches ran every 30 min.).
#10 - NORTH BRIDGEPORT (not a good destination sign, since this route actually goes to the Nob Hill section in the northeast portion of Bridgeport: Main St. to North Ave. into Boston Ave., East Main St., Huntington Tpk., Broadbridge Ave. to Greystone Rd.; this route ran every 30 min.)
#11 - NORWALK/BRIDGEPORT (hourly service via Fairfield Ave., State St., Post Rd./US RT. 1 through Fairfield, Westport, into Norwalk.).
#13 - SEAVIEW AVE. (from the old railroad sta. at Water St. and Fairfield Ave., onto Stratford Ave. to Seaview Ave. south to edge of footbridge to Pleasure Beach at Central Ave.; this bus ran every 30 min. averaging 10 passengers most trips.)
#14 - FAIRFIELD/STRATFORD (Fairfield Center: from No. Pine Creek Rd. via Post Rd./US RT. 1 into Bridgeport via Fairfield Ave., State St., Lafayette Blvd., Stratford Ave., Conn. Ave. westbound, into Stratford: Main St. north to East Main St., returning via Reed St.; every 15 minutes.)
#15 - NEW HAVEN/BRIDGEPORT (from the old Bridgeport Railroad Sta. on Water St.: via Stratford Ave., Conn. Ave, westbound, into Stratford via Stratford Ave., Main St., East Broadway, Ferry Blvd. into Milford via US RT. 1- detouring along Bridgeport Ave., Broad St., Daniel St., W. River St., and Cherry St. into US RT.1/Boston Post Rd. through Orange into West Haven via Orange Ave./US RT.1 into New Haven- making local stops along Davenport Ave. toward Downtown New Haven; ran every hour.)
Some other routes are recalled, having been eliminated by 1971, such as #7 - PATTERSON AVE., #18 - MELVILLE AVE., #22 STONYBROOK, #???- ANSONIA-DERBY-SHELTON, #??? EASTON; there were likely some other bus routes that once existed. If any of remember or have any documantation on Bridgeport's transit history, please add your information to this, thank you.
Acquisitions
- CL&P acquired several companies before becoming CR&L:
- Central Railway & Electric Company, acquired 1899 (leased to ConnCo 1906-1936)
- Norwalk Street Railway, acquired 1899 (leased to ConnCo 1906-1936)
- Waterbury Traction Company, acquired 1899 (leased to ConnCo 1906-1936)
- CR&L over the years acquired a number of other companies:
- Bridgeport Traction Company, acquired 1900 (leased to ConnCo 1905-1936)
- Derby Street Railway, acquired 1900 (leased to ConnCo 1906-1936)
- Milford Street Railway, acquired 1900 (leased to ConnCo 1906-1936)
- Shelton Street Railway, acquired 1900 (leased to ConnCo 1906-1936)
- Meriden Southington & Compounce Tramway Co., acquired 1902 (leased to ConnCo 1906-1936)
- Cheshire Street Railway, acquired 1904 (leased to ConnCo 1906-1936)
Changes from streetcar to bus operation
The last streetcars in each division were replaced by buses as shown in the following table:
| Division | Year last streetcar was replaced by buses |
|---|---|
| Bridgeport | 1937 |
| Derby | 1937 |
| New Britain | 1937 |
| Waterbury | 1937 |