Transportation in Hartford

Hartford's transit scene is small but workable: CTtransit buses form the backbone, running radial routes from downtown's Central Row to the suburbs and Bradley International. They're cheap, accept exact change or the Go CT card, and cover most places you'll realistically need, though service thins after 9 p.m. and on Sundays. For door-to-door speed, rideshares and taxis are the moderate splurge; they're plentiful downtown but increase during weekday rush and any UConn game day. First-timers should grab a Go CT card at the Information Center on Union Place or through the app. It knocks a few cents off each ride and saves fumbling for quarters. Skip the "downtown loop" tour buses, local buses already run the same streets for a fraction of the cost. If you're headed to the riverfront or West Hartford Center, the 60-series routes are direct. Anything requiring a transfer at Asylum Street adds 20 minutes and a second fare. From Bradley International, the CTfastrak bus rapid-transit line is the insider move: it's a straight shot to downtown in about 20 minutes and costs far less than a taxi. The last run is around midnight. Miss it and the taxi queue outside baggage claim is your fallback, just insist on the meter.