Service Changes and Increases 2025 - River Valley Transit

River Valley Transit is proposing a series of service changes and increases.

To provide your feedback you can attend one of our public meetings or fill out the online survey below.

Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SRG6FKJ

Monday March 24th at 5:30pm

Clinton Town Hall Green Room

Thursday March 27th at 7:00pm

Middletown City Hall Council Chamber Room

River Valley Transit is proposing a series of service changes and increases. Proposed changes include Flex Route to Fixed Route service for Routes 640, 642, 644, and 645, Route alignment changes to Routes 582, 642 and 645, and adding Saturday service to Route 644. More details on each of the proposed service changes and increases can be found below.

RVT wants to hear your feedback on these proposed changes! Join us at one of our two upcoming public meetings to learn details about the proposed changes and to give your feedback. The public meetings will be held at the Clinton Town Hall Green Room at 5:30pm on Monday March 24th and at the Middletown City Hall Council Room at 7pm on Thursday March 27th. You can also leave us a comment by filling out a brief survey after reviewing the information below. Service Changes are expected to start Tuesday, May 27th 2025.

Flex to Fixed Route Service

Currently Routes 640, 642, 643, 644 and 645 provide Flex Route service. The other routes in the system provide fixed route service. The major differences between Flex and Fixed route services are that Flex Routes can provide deviations of ¾ mile upon request in advance for an additional fee. While not many riders today use these optional deviations, when they occur, they will often make the bus significantly late. This can have a negative impact on other riders and drivers trying to stay on time.

Another difference is that Flex Routes do not have ADA paratransit service. Switching these Flex Routes to Fixed Routes would also mean that there would be new ADA paratransit service where the deviations used to take place. This means that riders who need deviations due to a disability will still have access to transit.

Route 643 would be classified from a flex route to a commuter service. This would mean no change to how that route operates today other than the removal of deviations.

Route 644 Saturday Expansion

RVT applied for and received money from CTDOT to expand Saturday service for Route 644: Old Saybrook – Middletown. The service will take place from 8am – 6pm and follow the same schedule. We believe this expansion will help expand weekend connections of our riders in Middletown, Haddam, Chester, Deep River, and Old Saybrook. It would also improve the shoreline service to have 5 out of the 6 routes to have Saturday service. This increase will also improve the Old Saybrook Pulse on Saturday which will now include Route 640, 641, 642, and 644.

Route 582: Wesleyan Hills

The proposed changes for Route 582 include the following:

Removal of Stonegate Apartment loop due to demand from property owner
Re-alignment from South Main Street to Highland Ave on Southbound trips. This will result in better access to the Big Y Grocery Store and provide access to Highland Ave both Northbound and Southbound
Addition of new service to Mercy High School and Vinal Technical High School

Route 582 Proposed Updated Route

Route 642: Old Saybrook – Chester

The proposed changes for Route 642 include the following:

Shortening the route to end in Deep River to improve the poor on-time performance of the existing route.
This will result in a new end of the route and turn-around loop involving Spring Street, Union Street, and Bridge Street.
In addition to improving on-time performance, the new alignment will provide more service in Deep River.

No destinations are being lost as Route 644: Old Saybrook to Middletown provides service in Chester to the exact locations being removed from Route 642.

Route 642 Proposed Updated Route

Route 645: Madison – Middletown

The proposed changes for Route 645 include the following:

Removing the loop in Beechwood in Killingworth.

Loop was added last service change based on recommendations. However, there has been very little ridership, and the loop is negatively impacting on-time performance of the route significantly.

Route 645 Proposed Updated Route

To provide any comments on the proposed changes please take this brief survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SRG6FKJ