Connecticut Transportation

Glaciers carved valleys in Connecticut running north to south; as a result, many more roadways in the state run north to south than do east to west, mimicking the previous use of the many north-south rivers as transportation.[citation needed] The Interstate highways in the state are I-95 (the Connecticut Turnpike) running southwest to northeast along the coast, I-84 running southwest to northeast in the center of the state, I-91 running north to south in the center of the state, and I-395 running north to south near the eastern border of the state. The other major highways in Connecticut are the Merritt Parkway and Wilbur Cross Parkway, which together form State Route 15, running from the Hutchinson River Parkway in New York State parallel to I-95 before turning north of New Haven and running parallel to I-91, finally becoming a surface road in Berlin, Connecticut. Route 15 and I-95 were originally toll roads; they relied on a system of toll plazas at which all traffic stopped and payed fixed tolls. A series of terrible crashes at these plazas eventually contributed to the decision to remove the tolls in 1988.[29] Other major arteries in the state include U.S. Route 7in the west running parallel to the NY border, State Route 8 farther west near the industrial city of Waterbury and running nearly parallel with U.S. 7, and State Route 9in the east. See List of State Routes in Connecticut for an overview of the state's highway system.

Between New Haven and the New York City, I-95 is one of the most congested highways in the United States. Many people now drive longer distances to work in the New York City area. This strains the three lanes of traffic capacity, resulting in lengthy rush hour delays. Frequently, the congestion spills over to clog the parallel Merritt Parkway. The state has encouraged traffic reduction schemes, including rail use and ride-sharing.[30]

There is an extensive commuter railway network connecting New York City to New Haven on Metro North Railroad with spurs servicing Waterbury, Danbury, and New Canaan. Further commuter service to is provided to New London via Shore Line East. These commuter services are heavily utilized during weekday rush hours. Regional rail service is provided by Amtrak, which makes regular stops in Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven, and Hartford. There are plans to operate commuter trains from New Haven to Springfield on Amtrak's New Haven-Springfield Line.[31]

Statewide bus service is supplied by Connecticut Transit, owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, with smaller municipal authorities providing local service. Bus networks are an important part of the transportation system in Connecticut, especially in urban areas like Hartford, Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport and New Haven. Construction is about to begin on a busway from New Britain to Hartford.[32]

Bradley International Airport is located in Windsor Locks, 15 miles (24 km) north of Hartford. Regional air service is provided at Tweed-New Haven Airport. Larger civil airports include Danbury Municipal Airport and Waterbury-Oxford Airport in western Connecticut. The Westchester County Airport in Harrison, New York serves part of southwestern Connecticut.

Map of Connecticut showing major highways