Renovated Bus Kiosk Reopens

For the first time in four and a half months, downtown commuters can purchase all-day passes and ask about bus schedules in person — at the upgraded bus ticket kiosk on the Green, which is now back open.

The small enclosed sales outlet is located at the center of the city’s hub-and-spoke bus network, on the northern side of Chapel Street between Temple and Church. 

It’s been closed for repairs since May 7. According to a state Department of Transportation (DOT) spokesperson, the physical renovations — including new walls, lighting, heating, and air conditioning — were completed in August, but ​“some lingering IT connection issues” kept the kiosk closed through most of September.

As of Monday, the kiosk is now back open — with a CT transit employee behind the glass partition, ready to vend tickets and answer questions Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9 to 3.

On Tuesday, the state-run bus system staffer at the newly reopened kiosk was Rosa (she declined to give her last name). 

“They’re happy,” she said about how bus riders have responded so far to being able to buy passes in person again downtown. She said the most frequent bus fares she sells at the outlet are senior discounted tickets and one-day passes. 

Anthony Dixon stopped by the kiosk Tuesday midday — not to buy a pass, but to try to interest Rosa and this reporter and anyone else around in his two poetry books. One, published two decades ago, contains ​“the four powerful P’s”: poetry, politics, prose, and passion.

Independent of his books, Dixon said it’s good news that the kiosk is open again. ​“You can get a bus pass without having to go digital,” he said, in reference to the Token Transit smartphone app, which allows for the purchase of multiple different types of bus passes. He said his phone frequently runs out of battery, as was the case on Tuesday, making it easier for him to buy and hold bus passes in person when possible.