Connecticut DOT Offers ‘Action Plan’ for Transit Users

May 6, 2022

The Connecticut Department of Transportation recently launched a new initiative to develop a Customer Experience or CX Action Plan for public transportation customers statewide. 

[Above image via the Connecticut DOT]

The agency said that “action plan” – developed using customer feedback and available online at TransitCX.com – would outline future programs, policies, and investments to improve public transportation throughout Connecticut.

Joseph Giulietti. Photo by the Connecticut DOT.

“We are at a pivotal moment in public transportation in Connecticut and across the nation [as] the pandemic has reinforced that public transportation is essential,” noted Connecticut DOT Commissioner Joe Giulietti in a statement.

“Providing equitable access to high quality public transit is vital to the success of our communities and our state,” he said. “This Customer Experience Action Plan ensures we are making customer-focused investments that will position us to meet needs of those we serve and create a better, more connected, reliable, and sustainable public transportation system.”

The CX Action Plan goals include:

  • CONNECT: Connect with customers using public transportation to listen and learn about their transit experiences.
  • UNDERSTAND: Better understand changing customer needs, expectations, and desires for the state’s transit system.
  • VISION: Define a vision for the future of all public transportation in Connecticut, based on customer priorities.
  • ACTION: Create a clear plan that includes actions aimed at achieving the vision and make transit more comfortable, reliable, and efficient for everyone.

“The heart of this effort is the community engagement,” added Alicia Leite, the agency’s customer experience transportation supervising planner. “We are excited to get out there and have meaningful discussions about public transportation service to better understand how we can improve.”

That outreach effort – which Connecticut DOT starts this spring and continues into the fall – includes:

  • Stakeholder interviews, community meetings, and informational town halls.
  • Front-line transit employee engagement.
  • Focus groups with statewide rail, bus, and paratransit/dial-a-ride customers.
  • Pop-up informational tables at bus stops, hubs, rail stations, and community events.
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