Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company (also known as C. R. & L. Lines) was a streetcar and bus operator in Bridgeport, Meriden, New Britain, Norwalk, 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. Operations were replaced by service provided by Connecticut Transit in New Britain, Meriden, and Waterbury, Norwalk Transit District (more than ten years later), and Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority.
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 (Prior to the early 1930s, it was a branch operation of The Connecticut Company). However, it did not have a cooperative arrangement with its "non-competitors" (all bus routes had their 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 Connecticut 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. Passengers needing to reach certain areas of Bridgeport and its suburbs that were not served by CR&L had to walk 1-3 blocks average to connect with a competing bus line that did not accept transfers from CR&L (see explanation in next paragraph).
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. Main St. was exclusively for CR&L (also shared by Chieppo Bus to Danbury and Valley Transportation to Waterbury, both of which departed from the bus terminal), while Middle St. and the bus terminal were dominated by all the others. However, John and State Streets were shared by both CR&L and its competing bus lines. All north/southbound buses did not even use the northern downtown sector of Main St. between Congress St. and E. Washington Ave., instead traveling along a barren Housatonic Ave.
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 Inc.
- Trumbull Coach Lines
As noted above, regional local/express bus lines that served Bridgeport included Chieppo Bus Co. of New Haven, Intercity Bus Company (no data found to date- please add to this if known) of Danbury, Connecticut (both of which had served Bridgeport-Danbury corridors, while Intercity Bus once had a Danbury- New Milford-Waterbury regional service), and Valley Transportation Company of Oxford. These bus lines ceased operations of their routes during the mid-late 1970s. A summer-only express bus also ran between Bridgeport's bus terminal and Playland Amusement Park in Rye Beach, NY by Cross Country Coach (defunct) of Milford, Connecticut.
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, and terminated at the northern end of North Benson Rd.- having offered close access (via a 5-min. walk) to both Fairfield Preparatory School and Fairfield University.
#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, and shared bus stops along Barnum Ave. with a competing bus line- Bridgeport Auto Transit's BARNUM-STATE route.
#6 - NOBLE-SOUTH PARK (lower Park Ave., through downtown, East Washington Ave., Noble Ave. to Beardsley Park at Edna Ave.), every 20 min. Also of note: Valley Transportation's Waterbury bus service operated along Noble Ave. as an express- boarding passengers outbound, while only discharging passengers inbound- although transfers were exchanged with CR&L routes where intersected.
#8 - MAIN ST. (between Seaside Park and Thorme St. only; Gray Line Bus had upper Main St.'s territory- and at only 50-60 min. intervals, while #8 ran every 15 min.) Also of note: Chieppo Bus Co.'s DANBURY service ran as an express along Main St. south of Thorme St., but did share local bus stops further north with Gray Line- and exchanged transfers with intersecting CR&L routes (an advantage for bus riders along northern Main St. who could actually travel to other areas served by CR&L without paying a separate fare- but only at certain times of the day).
#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.). Also of note: Gray Line's McKESSON-PLAZA route operated as an express along Park Ave.
#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.) Also of note: the Gray Line's TRUMBULL Via E. MAIN ST. route actually shared bus stops along upper East Main St. with CR&L. Additionally, Valley Transportation's WATERBURY service operated express along Huntington Turnpike- only boarding passengers outbound, and discharging passengers inbound.
#11 - NORWALK/BRIDGEPORT (hourly service via Fairfield Ave., State St., Post Rd./US RT. 1 through Fairfield, Westport, into Norwalk). This route gave people an advantage, as it supplemented local service along Fairfield Ave. and State St. This also supplemented local bus service in Norwalk along the eastern US RT. 1 corridor up until 1970- when CR&L's Norwalk Division service ended operations.
#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. eastbound, Conn. Ave. westbound, into Stratford: Main St. north to East Main St., returning via Reed St.; every 15 minutes). Also of note: bus stops along Fairfield Ave. and State St. between downtown and Hancock Ave. were actually shared with Bridgeport Auto Transit Co.'s BARNUM-STATE route. In addition, Gray Line's LORDSHIP-PLAZA route had to run express along Stratford and Connecticut Avenues to Hollister Ave., only having been allowed to board passengers outbound and discharge passengers inbound.
#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.) This bus was theoretically an express between downtown and East Broadway in Stratford, but did make local stops as a supplement to #14.
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 you remember or have any documentation regarding 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 |