TRANSPORTATION (GENERAL); SPECIAL DISTRICTS; EMPLOYEES (GENERAL);

SPECIAL DISTRICTS;

Connecticut laws/regulations;

You asked the following questions regarding the Greater Hartford Transit District:

1. the authority under which it exists,

2. how it is organized,

3. how its members are appointed, and

4. whether it has paid staff.

GREATER HARTFORD TRANSIT DISTRICT

The district was established in 1971 under the provisions of CGS § 7-273b et seq. By law, the district has broad authority to acquire, operate, finance, plan, develop, and maintain all forms of land transportation. It may also develop and maintain transportation centers and parking facilities, as it does at Hartford's Union Station. The district receives grants from the Federal Transit Administration, the state Department of Transportation, and other sources for its programs and operations.

The district provides special transportation services for the elderly and people with disabilities in the greater Hartford area. These include a minibus service to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and dial-a-ride service in Hartford, East Hartford, and Wethersfield. A district Website, http: //www. hartfordtransit. org/specialservices/special_services. htm, provides further information about these services. The district leases 31 coaches to four private companies that provide state-supported commuter express service to suburban towns. In addition, under contracts with the departments of Transportation and Social Services, the district provides (1) alcohol and drug testing programs required under federal law for safety-sensitive transportation positions in the public and private sectors, (2) van service to help former welfare clients to get to their jobs, and (3) bus driver training programs for other transit districts and fleet operators. Although the law allows it to do so, in practice the district does not operate fixed-route bus service, as Department of Transportation provides this service in the Hartford area through Connecticut Transit.

The district currently has 16 member municipalities (Bloomfield, East Hartford, East Windsor, Enfield, Farmington, Granby, Hartford, Manchester, Newington, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, South Windsor, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield, and Windsor). The municipalities are represented by a 27-member board of directors. The number of directors representing each municipality is proportional its population. All municipalities get at least one director, but municipalities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 get two directors and municipalities with over 100,000 people get four directors. The municipality's population must be divided by the number of directors representing it and each director may cast the number of voting units which is the multiple of the population he represents.

Directors are appointed by the legislative bodies of the member municipalities. For municipalities in which the legislative body is the town meeting, the board of selectmen appoints the director. A district Website, http: //www. hartfordtransit. org/ghtdprofile/boardofd. htm, has information about the current directors.

The law authorizes the district to hire staff. The district currently has six employees. Its executive director is Arthur Handman.

JJF: eh