DRIVEN
ByPurpose.ByPeople.ByPerformance.
There is no CTtransit without its people. No routes run, no buses roll, without the hands, minds, and hearts that make it happen every day. This truth is the engine behind every page of CTpulse. Every story in this issue comes straight from the people who keep this system moving. They are the heartbeat of this organization, and their work continues to define who we are.
For a public transit agency, that work carries weight far beyond the commute. We dedicate our careers to solving problems in real time, innovating for tomorrow, and keeping Connecticut’s roadways safer today. Our work reduces carbon emissions, fuels economic growth, and builds a more equitable Connecticut. We are people movers. We are CTtransit. And that is what drives us forward.
That drive rests on three things we never lose sight of.
Our Purpose: To provide safe, reliable, and innovative transportation service that connects communities and elevates the quality of life for everyone who depends on us.
Our People: The dedicated workforce that makes it all possible: our operators, technicians, mechanics, cleaners, and administrative professionals who give this organization its character every single day.
Our Performance: How we show up for our communities. Safety above all, customer service always, and the efficient, reliable service our valued customers depend on.
Within these pages, we honor that drive by telling the stories that define who we are. We feature Gregory Tower, Transit Manager of the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Operational Systems and CT Ferry, a key leader in keeping CTtransit moving. We also celebrate CTtransit’s receipt of a 2026 APTA AdWheel Award for Marketing Excellence, awarded to this very magazine. An honor I am especially proud of.
Driven. By Purpose. By People. By Performance.
This is not just a slogan. It reflects who we are. We hope the stories in this issue remind you of the remarkable work happening across CTtransit every day.
Vanessa P. Brooks, MA Viber-in-Chief
TOM TALKS
WherePurposeMeetstheRoad
So much can be accomplished when people are unified by a purpose and laser-focused on seeing it through.
At CTtransit, that purpose is multifaceted: to provide safe, reliable, and innovative transportation to every customer while empowering the people who deliver it.
We are driven by the men and women who make CTtransit go, and by the communities we serve. This issue is a collection of stories illustrating what that drive looks like day to day.
When you are driven to accomplish a goal, you sometimes need to shatter the box. Tom Reed did exactly that when he turned his bus into a warming shelter for New Haven residents displaced by a fire on one of the many frigid days we experienced this winter. Kate Gould, Manager of Training and Organizational Development, rethought how our organization meets state-mandated training requirements, and accomplished the goal with the people, not around them.
Chris DeGrave, Assistant General Manager of the Safety and Technical Training Department, has spent years rethinking how CTtransit approaches safety. That work has paid off. The safety and training department is now the kind of operation other transit agencies look to as a reference point.
That drive is present in our facilities team, which displayed unwavering commitment and professionalism during a demanding winter, ensuring safe and reliable service for our customers. As you’ll see in this issue, our maintenance department, guided by Maintenance Director Eric Fetzer, reinforced rigorous preventative safety standards across every bus that leaves the lot.
The hardworking people behind the publication you are reading embody that drive as well. Our marketing department’s commitment to storytelling earned CTtransit a first-place AdWheel Award from the American Public Transportation Association, a win that reflects the care they pour into this work every issue.
Thank you for reading, and for being part of what moves CTtransit forward. The foundation of our drive is you.
With gratitude,
Thomas E. Stringer Jr. General Manager
“We are driven by the people who make CTtransit go, and by the communities we serve.”
- Thomas E. Stringer Jr.
TOM REED: OfferingBothaWarmBus and a Warm Heart
On most days, a bus moves people from point A to point B. But on a cold February morning, one CTtransit operator showed that a bus can be much more.
On February 24, Professional Operator Tom Reed was driving route 282 as normal, until he received a dispatch call pulling him off the job to assist nearby at an apartment complex fire.
When Reed arrived on the scene, he joined the New Haven Fire Department, the City of New Haven’s Office of Emergency Management, and the American Medical Response to jump into action and help.
“When I pulled up, they still had the ladder out.” Reed said. “I saw at least two floors that were completely burnt.”
To great relief, there were no injured residents or firefighters at the century-old building fire at Winthrop Terrace. Reed commends the emergency response team for this positive result.
“What really sticks out is the amazing job of the fire department,” Reed said. “For them to put their lives on the line to help anybody that was in that building that hit a soft spot for me. I really got a newfound respect for all they do.”
Reed leads with a public servant’s mindset, a main takeaway from this event being a reinforcement of his level of care for our customers.
Reed speaks from experience, and this was not his first time assisting at the scene of an emergency. In early January of 2026, Reed helped similarly at a building fire at the Bella Vista apartment complex.
What stuck with Reed, other than the hard work and bravery of the fire department, was the people and their furry loved ones.
Professional Operator Tom Reed.
“A lot of them were looking for answers,” he said. “I saw a lot of them with pets. The hotel said ‘no, you can’t bring the pets.’ So they had to give up their pets to the animal control officer.”
This hit home for Reed, thinking about his own four-legged family members. “As somebody who has two cats, I can understand how they would feel about that,” he said.
His cats, Blizzard and Moxley, helped him relate to the residents of Winthrop Terrace that day. This is something special about Reed. He seeks to understand and then to be understood.
Helping the New Haven community means “a great deal” to Reed. “It feels like it brings a community together. Maybe something that they remember I said, or how I helped them. Then they’ll tell their friends: Those CTtransit Bus Operators really do care about us.” Reed recognizes how his actions impact those around him, both in his community and the way that people see and understand CTtransit. We are more than a bus company. We move people to opportunity, and sometimes, out of harm’s way.
“A lot of people give us flack,” he said. “You know, we got a tough job. A lot of times it’s a thankless job. But when the community needs us we will be there.”
What does Reed hope for the residents of Winthrop Terrace?
“I hope everything works out for them, that the pets are doing okay, and that they know that CTtransit has the community’s back when it comes down to it.”
We are in safer hands knowing we have Tom Reed behind the wheel along our New Haven routes.
Tom Reed’s beloved cats, Blizzard and Moxley.
THE GOLD STANDARD: EricFetzer,RaisingtheBarfor
CTtransit Maintenance
When CTtransit Maintenance Director Eric Fetzer travels abroad, he can’t help but notice the buses.
On a trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast, he watched as two buses carefully maneuvered past each other on a narrow mountain road near Ravello.
“I have a newfound respect for bus drivers over there, because it’s pretty hairy,” Fetzer said. “The traffic, the roads are very tight and narrow.”
Even while on vacation, Fetzer’s attention naturally turns to transit, a reflection of the dedication he’s brought to CTtransit’s maintenance operations for nearly two decades.
Since joining CTtransit in 2008, Fetzer has built a career rooted in keeping buses safe, reliable, and ready to serve the public.
Today, as Maintenance Director, he oversees a department responsible for maintaining the fleet that thousands of Connecticut residents rely on every day. For Fetzer, the mission is simple but critical: make safety and preventive maintenance the top priority.
“Long term, I would like us to be the gold standard,” he said.
In the transit industry, success in maintenance is measured largely through preventive maintenance, known as PM, ensuring vehicles receive inspections and service within strict mileage and time targets. Preserving strong PM compliance keeps buses on the road, prevents breakdowns, and ensures customer safety.
PM is right in Fetzer’s wheelhouse as his interest in mechanical work began long before he joined CTtransit.
Growing up in Plainville, he was surrounded by tools and engine parts. His grandfather served as an aircraft mechanic in the Air National Guard during World War II, and his father worked as a machinist.
Maintenance Director, Eric Fetzer.
“We always had old car parts laying around,” Fetzer said. “When I was a kid, I’d rebuild carburetors on the front steps.”
After high school, Fetzer enrolled in a one-year automotive program at E.C. Goodwin Technical High School, where he studied in the morning and worked in the afternoons. He went on to work a series of mechanic jobs, including nearly a decade at a Honda dealership, gaining valuable experience diagnosing and repairing vehicles.
Looking for stability and long-term opportunity, Fetzer earned his commercial driver’s license and applied to CTtransit.
Over the years, Fetzer has helped guide the maintenance department through major changes, from new technologies to the growing complexity of modern transit vehicles. He has learned a thing or two himself, too.
One major milestone was the introduction of CTtransit’s enterprise asset management system, a computer-based platform used to track vehicles, parts, and maintenance activity.
Fetzer admits he was hesitant at first.
“I wasn’t very computer-oriented,” he said. “But once we started using it, I realized how important it was.”
Another major shift has been the introduction of battery electric buses (BEBs), which require new skills and training for technicians accustomed to traditional diesel engines.
“The BEBs are a whole different animal,” Fetzer said. “But the guys working with them have gained a vast amount of knowledge working with the vendors.”
With a proud smile, Fetzer added, “a lot of them, honestly, might be better than the vendors working on them.”
Fetzer credits CTtransit leadership for supporting professional development and encouraging employees to connect with peers across the industry through organizations such as the American Public Transportation Association and the NorthEast Passenger Transportation Association.
“These opportunities allow us to see outside our agency and share ideas with others in transit,” he said.
But at the core of Fetzer’s leadership philosophy is a simple reminder about the responsibility maintenance staff carry every day.
When speaking with employees, he often asks them to think about the people riding the buses they maintain.
“I tell them, pretend your grandmother is on that bus,” he said. “Your mother, your sister — someone from your family. You want that bus to be safe. You want them to get where they need to go.”
For Fetzer, that mindset reflects the true purpose behind the work happening every day in CTtransit’s maintenance facilities.
“We serve the public,” he said. “We’re public servants behind the scenes. What we do matters.”
Fetzer talking safety with a maintenance team member.
Fetzer works from his office.
ROOTS OF A VISION
From Connecticut Soil
toaNationalLegacy
For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, CT highlighted the state’s connection to the pioneering civil rights leader — a connection that would change the course of history!
Many people know the story of the Rev. Dr. King Jr., the pioneering civil rights leader from Atlanta who transformed society in championing equality for all.
Perhaps a lesser-known element of his life is the time he spent as a young man in Connecticut, which sparked his desire to fight segregation and work toward a free society.
As a teenager in the mid-1940s, Dr. King worked summers at a tobacco farm in Simsbury, Connecticut, one of hundreds of young men recruited from the Southern United States to ease a labor shortage caused by World War II.
During his first summer on the farm, his desire to serve society was born as he spent time in Connecticut free from the segregation he experienced back home in Atlanta.
“After we passed Washington, there was no discrimination at all,” he wrote to his father that summer. “The white people here are very nice. We go to any place we want to and sit anywhere we want to.”
Heading home after his first summer in Simsbury, Dr. King wrote in his autobiography, it was hard for him to understand why he could sit anywhere he wanted to on the train from New York to Washington, but then had to switch to a segregated car for the rest of his journey home to
“After that summer in Connecticut, it was a bitter feeling going back to segregation,” he wrote.
He was only 15 at the time, and that first summer changed the course of history. Four years later, in his application to seminary school, he wrote that his time in Connecticut had given him an “inescapable urge” to serve society.
“I felt a sense of responsibility from which I could not escape.” For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, CTtransit honored Dr. King with posters and pamphlets highlighting his Connecticut ties.
Entitled “Roots of a Vision: From Connecticut Soil to a National Legacy,” the materials noted his
WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS EVENT
Can You Contribute More to Your 401(k)?
Are you contributing as much as you can to your 401(k) plan account? Why not consider increasing the amount? Even a small increase could add over time!
2026 Contribution Limit
• Pre-tax and Roth = $24,500
Age 50 or older? You can still catch up! Catch-up contributions allow you to contribute more as you get closer to retirement. The limit for catch-up contributions in 2026 is $8,000.
Who qualifies for catch-up contributions:
• People age 50 or older
• Under the SECURE 2.0 Act, a higher catch-up contribution limit applies to employees who attain ages 60-63 in 2026 (if your plan allows.) In 2026, this limit is $11,250.
How Your Contributions are Taxed
Due upon withdrawal:
• Taxes on pre-tax contributions and earnings on those contributions*
*You may be subject to a 10% additional federal tax if you take a withdrawal before age 59 ½, unless an exception applies.
Earnings on Roth 401(k) contributions (aftertax) can generally be withdrawn federal income tax free if you meet the two requirements for a “qualified distribution”:
• At least five years must have elapsed from the first day of the year of your initial Roth 401(k) contribution or conversion, if earlier
Please note: Starting January 1, 2026, if your FICA earnings were more than $150,000 in 2025 (a higher wage earner), any catch-up contributions must be made as Roth 401(k) contributions.
• You have reached age 59 ½, unless an exception applies.
• State income tax may vary. Consult a tax professional to determine how your state treats Roth 401(k) distributions.
Transit on the Move is a dynamic interview series spotlighting transportation leaders as they share insights and innovations on the road ahead for our evolving transit landscape. Here we have an excerpt from an interview with Gregory Tower, Transit Manager of CT Operational Systems and CT Ferry, conducted by Executive Director of External Affairs, Vanessa P. Brooks.
VB:
What’s a message that you would like to leave with our audience?
I read a stat recently that less than 5% of U.S. workers commuted by public transportation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. So, my message is: “get out there and use the service, use the system.” It’s huge. I think we don’t do it justice if we can’t promote it. So, I would love to see more people using public transit.
To Read the Full Interview Scan This Code
GT:
Transit Manager of CT Operational Systems and CT Ferry, Gregory Tower.
Manager of Training and Organizational Developement
Kate Gould.
KATE GOULD AND THE DRIVE OF FRIENDLY COMPETITION
When Kate Gould started her new job as Manager of Training and Organizational Development in CTtransit’s human resources department, she had a big task on her plate immediately: ensure all of the organization’s 1,300 employees were compliant with state-mandated anti-harassment training.
With nearly 600 employees across all divisions and in all departments needing to be certified, Gould, who came into the position in early October, had an idea of how she could get it done quickly: make it into a competition. So, after all the 60 or so required administrative staff completed the training in 15 days, she had a proposal for the maintenance department, which had about the same number of employees who needed to be certified.
“I said to the maintenance staff, ‘It took admin 15 days to do it. If you do it in 14, I will get you something, and it will be a really cool prize,’” she said. “Well, maintenance pulled it out.”
Gould presented a trophy to Maintenance Director Eric Fetzer, and smaller trophies to the department’s safety and training supervisors.
The upside to having such a big task to do so soon after starting a new position was that Gould got to know all her new co-workers almost immediately. “I got to meet everybody very quickly, because I needed to meet everybody very quickly,” she said. The training is a two-hour online course that educates employees on what harassment is, how to prevent it, and how to deal with it if it occurs.
“We want people to come into an environment that is welcoming. We want people to feel safe,” she said. “We want people to feel respected, and above all we want people to have a resource to go to if they don’t feel any of those things.”
Harassment can happen in any workplace, she said. “Unfortunately, these situations come up, and we wanted to both give people the knowledge and make sure that people understood what harassment looked like,” she said.
“A lot of times people don’t even know and they don’t even realize that they’re doing it, or ‘it’s just a joke’ or ‘I didn’t mean it like that.’ But those little things add up, and you don’t know how you’re going to make someone else feel.”
CTtransit really “understood the assignment,” she said, and the importance of getting the training done.
“I didn’t have to worry about how hard to twist their arm or how to get this going, it really was, ‘What can we do? How can we do it?’”
Gould enlisted the aid of department leaders, and she had particular praise for Kevin Dudley, Information System Manager in human resources, who came up with a tracking system to monitor progress.
“He made it very simple and easy to track,” she said. But it wouldn’t have been possible without everyone pitching in, she said.
“It really was a team effort. It was people staying late, it was people pulling people off buses. It was people just doing what they had to do to get it done,” she said.
“I am so grateful that we have a team that my second day, not knowing anything about me, not knowing me at all, they were willing to step in and get 600 people trained in four months.”
From the left, Dave Grebens, Brian Dittore, Austin Coppinger, Mike Volpe and Frank DiGristina.
Kate Gould, Manager of Training conducting a training session with the maintenence team.
Multimedia Manager, Isabelle Brown and Executive Director of External Affairs, Vanessa P. Brooks receiving the AdWeel Award.
CTtransit BRINGS THE HEAT:
It’s time for CTtransit to toot its own horn.
CTpulse, the quarterly magazine produced by CTtransit’s marketing department to highlight the people and accomplishments that power the agency, has earned a First Place AdWheel Award from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).
The award was announced on February 24 during the APTA Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience (MCX) Workshop in Savannah, GA, recognizing CTpulse for excellence in transit marketing in the educational print category.
“We are incredibly proud of our marketing team for earning a First Place AdWheel Award from APTA for CTpulse,” said CTtransit General Manager Thomas E. Stringer Jr. “This recognition reflects not only their creativity and strategic vision, but the hard work, collaboration, and passion they bring to telling our story every day.”
Launched in 2024, CTpulse is a full-color magazine published four times a year that shines a spotlight on the people behind Connecticut’s public transit system — from professional bus operators and maintenance technicians to customer service representatives and the administrative teams that keep the organization running.
For Vanessa P. Brooks, Executive Director of External Affairs, the magazine represents the power of storytelling within public transportation.
“As someone who believes deeply in the power of storytelling, I couldn’t be more proud of our team for earning a First Place AdWheel for CTpulse,” Brooks said. “This magazine is truly a labor of love, and elevates the voices of our employees — the heartbeat of CTtransit. This recognition is a testament to the creativity, strategy, and heart our marketing team pours into every issue.”
Isabelle Brown, Multimedia Manager attended the workshop and said it was a great opportunity to connect with transit communicators from across the country and learn from industry leaders.
“Attending the APTA MCX Conference gave me a unique opportunity to network and connect with talented transit communicators from all over the country. It is worthwhile as an emerging transit professional to attend events like this. I learned so much, and we got to come home with a first place AdWheel Award, which is definitely the highlight of my career so far.”
The AdWheel Awards are among the public transportation industry’s most prestigious recognitions for marketing and communications excellence, celebrating campaigns and projects that strengthen connections between transit agencies and the communities they serve.
HISTORIC NEW BUS RAPID TRANSIT PROGRAM MOVES AHEAD
Connecticut’s Department of Transportation (CTDOT) recently presented its plans for a new bus rapid transit program to the New Haven residents who stand to benefit from it. This project has been years in the making.
In a series of meetings in February, CTDOT officials presented details of MOVE New Haven BRT to the public. The project, which builds on a 2019 transit mobility study, aims to develop Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service along New Haven’s four busiest routes: 212, 238, 243, and 265.
Lorena Mesa, CTtransit’s Manager of Planning and Scheduling for the Stamford and New Haven divisions, says the project is “historic.” It’s the second BRT system in the state, she said, but the first of its kind in the region, with innovations that haven’t been implemented there before, such as on-street bus-only lanes.
“We are building the first on-street BRT system in the entire state, and our team has the privilege of shaping it from the ground up,” Mesa told CTpulse. “That is nothing short of amazing. The impact along our highest performing corridors will be transformative, from faster and more reliable travel to significant economic growth and vibrant transit oriented development.”
The bus-only lanes will appear as scattered, short segments along the routes, said Mesa, but will still improve bus speeds and reliability by helping buses move more efficiently through the corridor’s more congested sections. Emergency vehicles will also be able to use the lanes when needed.
Mesa said one of the project’s aspects that she loves most is “it doesn’t stop at the bus stops” but is a “complete streets” approach. Complete streets is a term for transportation policy and design that requires streets to allow safe and convenient travel for users of all ages, abilities, and mode of transportation, whether they’re walking, cycling, riding, or driving.
“[It’s] an investment in the entire corridor to support safe, accessible travel for everyone. A person’s trip doesn’t start at the bus stop; it begins the moment they step outside their door. This project truly embraces that understanding.”
The design includes roundabouts at key intersections to calm traffic, reduce speeds, and shorten pedestrian crossing distances. The improvements should save lives, said Mesa, because slower speeds dramatically increase survival rates in the event of a crash.
Sam Scovill, CTtransit Manager of Operations Planning and Projects, knows first-hand how the project can transform New Haven, because he’s helped develop a new BRT system before: he was a part of the team that launched Oklahoma City’s BRT system, called RAPID, in 2023.
RAPID’s system has a lot in common with the planned New Haven project, said Scovill, including dedicated lanes, increased frequency, and raised stops with special amenities. But there’s a key difference: RAPID outright replaced certain routes, while MOVE plans to keep pre-existing service intact at launch.
RAPID has been a major success and announced its one-millionth ride just two years after its launch, noted Scovill, in a city he said is not the friendliest place to pedestrians and public transit.
“The numbers speak for themselves, as the BRT system has constantly outperformed the former regular bus service,” he said. “The fact that it has been a success in that environment speaks volumes.”
While the public meetings have given future riders details about the project, the engagements were about “so much more” than discussing the project, said Mesa.
“They give us meaningful opportunities to connect directly with the riders and communities we serve,” she said.
The project has become “a powerful teambuilding experience,” said Mesa, who called the MOVE New Haven BRT project groundbreaking for the region, meaningful for the community, transformative for our corridors, and deeply unifying for the team.
“Being part of it is a privilege, and truly inspiring.”
Mesa singled out Barry Diggs, CTtransit’s for his work during the public meetings.
“I’m always amazed by how he commands a room while staying calm as a cucumber, even when the pressure is high,” she said. Public engagement can come with tough questions, she said, because for every thousand things the team gets right, people tend to focus on the one issue they feel strongly about, such as service changes.
“Barry has a remarkable ability to defuse tension, shift energy, and even make a room laugh when, moments earlier, faces were full of frustration. That is a true skill.”
If funded, the proposal is expected to begin operation in 2030, and Scoville is thrilled to be working on it.
“This new system is going to be a fantastic fit for New Haven and the surrounding communities,” he said. “I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to do this all over again.”
Scott Willis, Assistant General Manager of Planning and Scheduling, said what excites him most about the project is what it represents for the communities CTtransit serves.
“The four routes being enhanced already carry nearly half of all weekday riders in Greater New Haven,” he said. MOVE New Haven will deliver faster, more reliable service, he said, and, just as importantly, improve local service so CTtransit is better matching what each community actually needs.
“The turnout and energy at the public meetings tells me the community is ready for this,” he said.
NEW HOME IN NEW HAVEN:
CTtransitcutsribbononupgraded customer service office
CTtransit rang in 2026 by cutting the ribbon on a new customer service outlet in New Haven. Breaking out the giant scissors is always a great way to begin a new year!
The new location on Church Street combines the previous New Haven customer service center on State Street and the New Haven sales outlet that was nearby on Chapel Street on the New Haven Green.
CTtransit customer service employees are excited about the new office, which marks a major improvement over the previous sales location, which had several operational challenges. Work is also underway at the new office to address accessibility concerns.
To say goodbye to the booth on the green, a community event was held in celebration of greener pastures.
A host of officials from CTtransit, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), and the City of New Haven attended the grand opening ceremony, on Jan. 5. Mayor Justin Elicker praised the new location as an improved experience for employees.
CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto highlighted the benefits of a “secure space” for employees, who are now more protected from the weather, as the exterior of the Chapel Street kiosk had deteriorated.
CTtransit General Manager Thomas E. Stringer Jr. said the new call center is a significant upgrade for employees and customers.
“Now that we have a new customer service call center in downtown New Haven, our team members have the ability to work closely in providing support for customers, are in a secure environment that provides greater safety and security and affords them with amenities not offered in the outdated booth that they occupied for so many years,” said Stringer.
“We are still improving the New Haven Call Center to ease accessibility for customers to obtain fare media curbside, and I am excited about those renovations as well.”
Elizabeth Peña, a customer service representative, said the new outlet is a major upgrade from the New Haven Green kiosk.
“The old place was just a little box,” said Peña, who has been with CTtransit for nearly seven years. “It’s great. I love it.”
With a kitchen and break rooms, the new location is much more convenient, she said.
Response from customers has been good, she said, and she expects it will be even better once the accessibility improvements are complete. The new location, around the corner from the old one, is taking a little getting used to, but customers appreciate that the lost and found is in the Church Street location, so they no longer have to go to State Street.
“It’s a good improvement,” Peña said.
Our customer service department faces every move that comes their way with grace. The New Haven team alone answered over 11,000 calls in February. They recovered 137 lost and found items, the most of all three divisions for the month.
Providing the team with a comfortable, modern, and united office environment was, frankly, long overdue.
New CTtransit customer service sales outlet storefront.
MAKING SAFETY EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY: HowChrisDeGraveRevampedthe S&TDepartment
Before evolving into the robust safety & training (S&T) department we see today, CTtransit’s safety initiatives were stretched thin across the three divisions.
AGM Chris DeGrave knew what it would take to bring CTtransit to a place of prioritizing safety, and exactly what we needed to get there: People.
“When I was a superintendent in Hartford in 2020, there were three S&T people for Hartford, two in New Haven, and one in Stamford,” DeGrave said.
For safety practices that could make an impact, this was not nearly enough. The team was spread thin, and in need of a vision.
“So, being the leader I was, I said ‘we have to strategically talk about how to develop this department.,” DeGrave said.
DeGrave’s background as a fire chief drives his safety-first mindset each day. He believes that safety transcends industry or department, and he means what he says.
“When we say the word safety, we’re going to put that in the front of our motto,” DeGrave said. “We’re going to continue to live and breathe safety in every department. We’re going to have the hard conversations. We’re going to continue to grow our agency, and to address the changing challenges in the cities and towns we serve.”
So really, everyone at CTtransit is part of S&T if you ask DeGrave and his team. “Safety is everyone’s responsibility,” he said.
When a leader is passionate about creating positive change, it takes good people beside them to turn vision into reality. DeGrave’s restructuring and evolution of the S&T department is built on good people.
“We drive about 16 million miles a year. We handle about close to 3,000 investigations a year. You know, our team works 24/7, 365,” said DeGrave. To manage a systemwide workload like this, it takes people ready to do the work, and efficiency from leadership to keep it flowing.
“Everybody’s got their own skillset,” he said. “Some are better at training. Some are better at observations, input, and coaching. We have a great working group to address our organization’s goals when it comes to safety.”
Chris DeGrave, Safety & Training AGM, takes an important phone call in his office.
Know your people and pour into them – that is how you build them up to be the best they can be, to strive, to care. DeGrave practices this across the S&T team, from operations to maintenance, to our community partnerships.
“We are starting to really build our community partnerships throughout the state,” DeGrave said. “Every new role allows us to expand our reach.”
Listening is the key to safety. This is what has allowed the S&T team’s incident reporting and solutions strategy to grow and evolve.
“One example is, we got feedback that our operator barriers were causing a lot of glare from the buses’ new lighting,” DeGrave said. “So, we tried a bunch of different setups, we got operator feedback on reducing glare, and we landed on the new blue interior lights.”
This collaborative solution led to more than one positive outcome, as it turns out.
“The blue cools peoples’ attitudes, and improves operator visibility,” DeGrave said. “That’s the type of feedback that helps us, through our labor management meetings with General Manager (Thomas) Stringer, the executive team, and the union. We value the opinions that come from this.”
It is this kind of leadership fusion, like the ongoing support of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, that yields meaningful results.
With this many voices advocating for a shared goal, the motto of the S&T team really does have a nice ring to it. Safety first, customer service always.
DeGrave from his days as a Rhode Island firefighter.
Royston Baird works on a bus as DeGrave looks on.
DRIVEN BY POSSIBILITY:
HasanYoungLeadswithSimplicityandEmpathy
When Hasan Young saw a hiring sign for CTtransit in March 2024, he didn’t overthink it. He is always looking ahead to how he can grow and elevate.
“I drove by, seen a sign, filled out an application, and now I’m here,” he said. “That easy.”
Today, Young is a Professional Bus operator in Hartford, driving routes like the 66 and 912, greeting regular customers along the way. But long before he sat in the driver’s seat, he was on the other side of the farebox.
“Prior to driving, I rode the buses,” he said. “So I kind of empathize with all of the customers.”
That experience shapes the way he approaches the job every day. Young remembers what it felt like to watch the bus pull away, even when running to catch it.
For Young, driving a bus is about much more than schedules and stops. It’s about understanding the people stepping through the doors, and leading with kindness. It’s about opening doors.
“Sometimes you may be the last bus and they don’t have another ride home,” he said. “So you’re gonna be a little patient.”
When Young speaks of customers, it’s clear he cares.
He connects with them, shares a smile, and for Young, it’s just that simple.
“Honestly, the best part of the job is the passengers,” Young said. “When I started, I heard passengers sometimes give you a hard time. But they also give you a good time.”
He jokes that his job is simple, just like being kind and patient.
“I’m being paid to open doors,” he said with a smile.
Those words speak volumes. Whether he knew it or not, Young touched on a significant and special part of pursuing a career in transit.
Not only does it open doors for you, but everyone who steps foot on a CTtransit bus.
“We open doors by people getting to their appointment, people getting to their jobs, people going to school,” Young explained. “Sometimes they just wanna get on and ride. It’s a safe place for some people, especially people who are without housing.”
That responsibility is something Young takes seriously. Safety, he says, always comes first.
“My thing is safety first. It’s these passengers making it to their destination safe,” he said.
For someone who greets people with a friendly ‘Good morning,’ safety and humanity come together naturally.
“I just treat people how I want to be treated. You don’t know what people are going through,” he said. “Sometimes it’s a simple good morning. That may be the only good morning they heard this week, this month, this year.”
Those small moments of connection add up. On his routes, he is recognized, appreciated, and he feels the love.
“I got a lot of good regular customers,” he said. “They just love me.”
Young truly embodies the idea that respect is a twoway street. If you want to get it, you have to give it.
Young admits that some days, positivity comes more easily than others. What keeps him grounded is faith and perspective.
“On harder days, I just find God’s face in it and figure out what is God trying to say to me in that moment,” Young said. “Sometimes it’s like ‘boom’. Other times it’s a little whisper.”
The opportunity to be a small bright spot in someone’s day is something Young never takes lightly.
“We really do not know what these people are going through,” Young said. “Just being able to be a little light in a bunch of darkness.”
For Young, working at CTtransit has also been a great opportunity to fuel his future.
“CTtransit gave me an opportunity to pay my bills and take care of my family,” he said.
But while he’s grateful, he’s also thinking about the future, as he always is.
“This is not my ceiling,” Young said. “Respectfully. This is the next step. I’m grateful for the opportunity. I don’t take it lightly.”
Young describes himself as a goal-setter. Someone who believes imagination and planning can lead to bigger things.
“If you create the steps, you can really get anywhere,” he said. “The sky is really the limit.”
And when asked what truly drives him, his answer is simple.
“Possibility.”
Because at the end of the day, the work is about more than driving a bus. It’s about opening doors for customers, for communities, and sometimes even for yourself.
Hasan Young, Professional Operator standing in front of a Hartford bus.
Director of Planning and Scheduling, Barry Diggs.
TRANSIT EQUITY DAY
Each year on February 4, transit agencies across the U.S. celebrate the courage and impact of Rosa Parks. This year, CTtransit marked the day with a campaign titled: “A Movement Sparked by Bravery: Honoring Civil Rights Pioneers.”
Transit Equity Day 2026 carried special significance following the recent passing of Claudette Colvin in January. At just 15 years old, Colvin refused to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus, nine months before Rosa Parks’ historic act, playing a pivotal, though often overlooked, role in the fight for transit equity.
“We are dedicated to serving the diverse communities of Connecticut!”
- Vanessa P. Brooks
To honor Colvin, Parks, and other civil rights heroes, CTtransit displayed a bright, hopeful tribute poster on every bus on February 4. The poster symbolically reserved a seat not only for Parks and Colvin but for the countless unseen figures who helped shape the civil rights movement.
“Our work drives forward the principles of transit equity every day,” CTtransit Executive Director of External Affairs Vanessa P. Brooks said. “We are dedicated to serving the diverse communities of Connecticut!”
Public transportation has long been at the heart of the fight for civil rights, and CTtransit is proud to recognize and celebrate that enduring connection.
ACTIVIST MATHEMATICIAN
INVENTOR
This February, in honor of Black History Month, we launched “Every Seat Has a Story,” a vibrant, thought-provoking multimedia campaign celebrating the trailblazers who shaped the transportation industry.
From civil rights pioneers to inventors, mathematicians, pilots, and policymakers, we highlighted the remarkable individuals whose achievements turned everyday transit into a story of triumph, innovation, and Black history.
COMMANDER
Women move Connecticut, and the numbers prove it. Every route, every milestone. She’s part of that story.
By the Numbers: Women in Motion shines a spotlight on the impact women have across the transportation world, from leadership to urban planning. Through bold statistics, the campaign both celebrates progress and highlights the disparities that still exist. While 44% of urban planners are women, only 12.1% of commercial vehicle drivers are. The message is clear: progress is real, but the work toward full equality continues.
ONE MILLION STRONG
Women Marched in 1911. Women Ride in 2026.
This International Women’s Day, CTtransit is celebrating One Million Strong, a campaign connecting the origins of the global movement to the streets we travel every day. In 1911, more than one million women marched through city streets demanding fair wages, voting rights, and equal treatment. Today, CTtransit buses move through those same kinds of streets across Connecticut, carrying the modern continuation of that movement.
We’re also honoring the Connecticut women who helped shape our state, including Prudence Crandall, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Ann Uccello, Ella T. Grasso, and Jahana Hayes; leaders who pushed progress forward in education, civil rights, and public service. Because every woman who boards a CTtransit bus today is part of that same story.
TESTIMONIALS: REAL
VOICES THAT INSPIRE US
“
Shout out to the 215M bus driver at 5:25 a.m. She is super proud of her job BEING ON TIME, kind and patient. We all really appreciate you for your dedication. She goes above and beyond just being a bus driver.
“
“Thank you guys for everything! Be safe!”
- Mike Packer
“Thank you for serving the community!”
- Denise Wards
“Thank you for everything you do for us. Also, thank you for bringing us to our destination safe and back home.”
“
Thank you to all the reliable drivers of the 64, 66 and 62!!!! I wouldn’t have an education without your work. Go public transit!!!!!
“
DECEMBER
NEW HAVEN STAMFORD
Henry Whaley #553 - 21 years accident-free
Thaddeus Harris #587 - 17 years accident-free
Breon Mills #728 - 14 years accident-free
Kenneth Evans #731 - 11 years accident-free
Robert Benton #739 - 11 years accident-free
Nuno Silva #748 - 11 years accident-free
David King #775 - 8 years accident-free
Michel Boiteux #781 - 8 years accident-free
Kiede Bowden #114 - 7 years accident-free
Monique Mitchell #6028 - 4 years accident-free
Reginald Napoleon #6109 - 3 years accident-free
Jean Ostagne #6114 - 2 years accident-free
John Harrison #6136 - 2 years accident-free
Cecilia Boaduwaa #6139 - 2 years accident-free
Jaron Grier #6193 - 1 year accident-free
Joseph Altine #6194 - 1 year accident-free
Daniel Isabella #1948 - 3 years accident-free
Roger Bouzy #1989 - 3 years accident-free
Shanta Grant #2150 - 3 years accident-free
Jennifer Sellers #2148 - 2 years accident-free
Charles Jenkins #2160 - 2 years accident-free
Angella Burton #2162 - 1 year accident-free
Sharlett Washington #8008 - 1 year accident-free
HARTFORD
Reginald Rice #11569 - 28 years accident-free
Dennis Minott #11751 - 20 years accident-free
James Dale #11822 - 20 years accident-free
Paul Francis #11821 - 18 years accident-free
Juan Carpio #11861 - 18 years accident-free
Lorenc Nallbani #11816 - 17 years accident-free
Niko Kocaqi #11888 - 17 years accident-free
Edgar Perez #11883 - 17 years accident-free
Arnaldo Lemus #13071 - 14 years accident-free
Jesse Puglisi #11764 - 14 years accident-free
Thoma Lapa #13029 - 13 years accident-free
Michell Fernandez #13138 - 11 years accident-free
Luan Zotaj #13222 - 10 years accident-free
Marc Nazaire #13223 - 10 years accident-free
Davon Hardeman #13203 - 10 years accident-free
Nastassia Smith #13145 - 9 years accident-free
Marcus Franklin #13310 - 8 years accident-free
Paul Bailey #11870 - 8 years accident-free
Otis Morgan #13303 - 8 years accident-free
Jose Rodriguez #13065 - 8 years accident-free
Jose Morillo #13307 - 8 years accident-free
Claritza Ortiz-Alvarez #13376 - 7 years accident-free
Stacy Turner #13300 - 6 years accident-free
Brandon Dillon #13413 - 6 years accident-free
Aundre Ritchie #13417 - 6 years accident-free
Dwayne Cohen #13353 - 6 years accident-free
Barrington Wright #13432 - 5 years accident-free
Antonio Martinez #13329 - 5 years accident-free
Mikey Vasquez #13357 - 5 years accident-free
Umar Jalloh #13102 - 5 years accident-free
Eugene Rivers #13055 - 4 years accident-free
James Eaton #13438 - 4 years accident-free
Jacqueline Rodriguez #13447 - 4 years accident-free
Gavin Allwood #13328 - 4 years accident-free
Andre Daniel #13486 - 3 years accident-free
Quinton Robinson #13539 - 2 years accident-free
Almeda Ewen #13518 - 2 years accident-free
Kimberly Odoms #13545 - 1 year accident-free
Erica Patterson #13574 - 1 year accident-free
NEW HAVEN STAMFORD
Rigo Torres #744 - 10 years accident-free
Lenora Parks #769 - 10 years accident-free
Clarissa Dominic #6012 - 6 years accident-free
Kontour Keitt #6070 - 4 years accident-free
Jose Ciprian-Jimenez #6086 - 4 years accident-free
Debra Neepaye-Reese #6110 - 3 years accident-free
Jose Logan #6115 - 2 years accident-free
Justin Burch #6134 - 1 year accident-free
Ruben Negron #6203 - 1 year accident-free
Hector Jacinto #1976 - 5 years accident-free
Edric Walker #2114 - 1 year accident-free
Arturo Lundi-Jimenez #8014 - 5 years accident-
HARTFORD
Barrett Devon #11695 - 24 years accident-free
Rolandi Sheno #11804 - 20 years accident-free
Milagros Garcia #11839 - 18 years accident-free
Gregg Johns #13002 - 16 years accident-free
Martin Pernoi #11898 - 16 years accident-free
Carmen Cotto #13020 - 15 years accident-free
Erica Zayas #13095 - 12 years accident-free
Ada Lopez #13024 - 10 years accident-free
Luis Vega #13240 - 9 years accident-free
Emmanuel Hart #13118 - 9 years accident-free
Robert McCormick #13155 - 9 years accident-free
Peter Williams #13135 - 8 years accident-free
Jonathan Hakian #13284 - 7 years accident-free
Garrett Brown #13162 - 7 years accident-free
Louise O’Bright #13103 - 6 years accident-free
Sharonica Courtland #13330 - 5 years accident-free
Deon Isaac #13305 - 5 years accident-free
Giordahno Ainzuain #13318 - 5 years accident-free
Abner Franco #13113 - 5 years accident-free
Valeryn Perez #13462 - 4 years accident-free
Sunanda Walpola #13453 - 4 years accident-free
Bertram Stephens #13454 - 4 years accident-free
Evelyn DeJesus #13402 - 4 years accident-free
Ymer Merja #13412 - 4 years accident-free
Michael Stevens #13500 - 3 years accident-free
Jamaa Parks #13503 - 3 years accident-free
Ramon Sierra #13611 - 1 year accident-free
Amber Streete #13612 - 1 year accident-free
Styvens Orphe #13613 - 1 year accident-free
Sharaunda Pitt #13614 - 1 year accident-free
Francisco Sanchez #13615 - 1 year accident-free
Brenda Villafane #13616 - 1 year accident-free
Ladimir Zeqo #13617 - 1 year accident-free
Ashley Harris #13593 - 1 year accident-free
Fountain Kiwan #13610 - 1 year accident-free
HARTFORD
Jaroslaw Krol #11886 - 18 years accident-free
Moises Fonseca #11880 - 18 years accident-free
Shantay Williams #11892 - 17 years accident-free
Miguel Galvez #13173 - 11 years accident-free
Tyquan Ellison #13097 - 10 years accident-free
Harold Smith #13236 - 10 years accident-free
Oneil Chase #13204 - 1 year accident-free
Luis Feliciano #13114 - 9 years accident-free
Ricardo Rivas #13238 - 9 years accident-free
Denis Xhania #13312 - 9 years accident-free
Kelvin Khemraj #13239 - 9 years accident-free
Grantley Nelson #13339 - 8 years accident-free
Ismael Hernandez #13348 - 8 years accident-free
Wilbert Skeete #13281 - 8 years accident-free
Sulejman Veshi #13144 - 8 years accident-free
Wayne Sampson #13153 - 8 years accident-free
Henley Solomon #13208 - 7 years accident-free
Brendy Bridgers #13363 - 7 years accident-free
Norris Clahar #13313 - 7 years accident-free
Norberto Pagan-Roman #13418 - 6 years accident-free
Mohammed R Khan #13406 - 5 years accident-free
Tianna Reeves #13451 - 4 years accident-free
Clifford MacCrae #13132 - 4 years accident-free
Gloria Padilla-Hernandez #13505 - 3 years accident-free
Olympia Marcano #13506 - 3 years accident-free
Dana Brathwaite #13508 - 3 years accident-free
Carlos Montoya #13314 - 3 years accident-free
Rondel Bourne #13540 - 2 years accident-free
Abdiel Bigio-Lebron #13541 - 2 years accident-free
Ilir Roumano #13544 - 2 years accident-free
Oneil Brown #13485 - 2 years accident-free
Jesenia Velez #13496 - 2 years accident-free
Muhammad Irshad #13527 - 1 year accident-free
Neville Whitley #13547 - 1 year accident-free
Everton Scott #13577 - 1 year accident-free
NEW HAVEN STAMFORD
Anibal Guzman #139 - 5 years accident-free
Alexander Diosa #585 - 23 years accident-free
Barry Smith #591 - 23 years accident-free
Andres Diaz #628 - 21 years accident-free
Felipe Torres #656 - 17 years accident-free
Eleuterio U Perez #660 - 15 years accident-free
Cynthia Beall #695 - 8 years accident-free
Ashley DeJesus #142 - 7 years accident-free
Barry Carothers #716 - 10 years accident-free
Wilfredo Zayas #726 - 12 years accident-free
Andres Gonzalez #735 - 8 years accident-free
Calvin Tillman #761 - 12 years accident-free
Jermaine Mattis #786 - 10 years accident-free
Daira Gomez #796 - 10 years accident-free
Brandon Harris #6020 - 4 years accident-free
Carmen Brown #6037 - 4 years accident-free
Keneth Kee #6045 - 4 years accident-free
Bertram Burton #6196 - 1 year accident-free
Krist Taylor Johnson #6206 - 1 year accident-free
Veronica Chavers #1938 - 34 years accident-free
Stacey Vaughn #1966 - 33 years accident-free
VANESSA P. BROOKS, MA
Viber-in-Chief / Executive Director of External Affairs
Vanessa is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in marketing, communications, and community engagement. She is dedicated to achieving measurable results and has expertise in customer experience management, public affairs, sponsorship development, and performance leadership across multiple disciplines. She is passionate about promoting sustainable transportation solutions and enhancing the overall transit experience for Hartford and surrounding communities. Vanessa spearheads innovative marketing campaigns, formulates comprehensive communication strategies, and cultivates robust relationships with key stakeholders to support CTtransit’s mission and vision. Vanessa’s academic background includes a Master of Arts in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
ISABELLE BROWN
Head Vibes Strategist / Multimedia Manager
Isabelle is a 2020 graduate of the University of Hartford with a Bachelor’s in Communication with a double emphasis in Advertising & PR and Media Strategies. She began her professional journey working for a nonprofit organization specializing in paratransit, vanpools, and commuter benefits programs. Her career move to CTtransit shifted her focus from vans to buses. In her work as CTtransit’s Multimedia Manager, Isabelle is responsible for digital communications through our social media platforms and website. Isabelle loves writing, crocheting, exploring nature throughout Connecticut, coffee, and animals.
KENNY FACEY
Vibe Views / Videographer / Photographer
Kenny is a proud Jamaican who packed up and moved to the USA to turn his entrepreneurial dreams into reality! By day, he's a passionate cinematographer with nearly five years of experience capturing life’s most memorable moments on film. By night (or whenever the party calls), he's spinning tunes as a DJ with his own wedding company. When not behind the camera or the decks, you’ll find him outside, fishing, playing soccer, and soaking up everything nature has to offer!
LUKA BETSEY
Designer of Vibes / Creative Services & Graphic Designer
Luka is a talented graphic designer and Hartford native who received a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design from Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). Luka has a passion for design and has worked in various work-study roles across several CCSU departments, developing skills in visual communication. Luka's expertise moved to LAZ Parking, where more impactful designs were created. Passionate about aesthetics and storytelling, Luka brings innovation and love to every project. Outside of design, Luka adores Sassy, a 16-year-old cat who has been a beloved companion through the years.
CRAIG HUNTE
Vibes Specialist / Marketing Specialist
Craig is enrolled at the University of Hartford pursuing a degree in business. He has spent a lot of time working with people, whether helping students as a teacher assistant or as a customer service representative. As vice president of his school’s business club, he helps plan events and connect members with the community. Craig is also big on baseball, hiking, and volunteering, which keep him active, adventurous, and involved with his community.
DANIEL
MACEACHERN
Scribe of Vibes / Copy Editor
Daniel has joined CTtransit after a nearly 30-year journalism career that took him all over his native Canada. After growing up in the Canadian North, he spent nearly two decades as a reporter and editor at newspapers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Daniel then joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing work for the public broadcaster’s radio, television and digital platforms. He recently moved with his wife to Stamford, where they’ve enjoyed all that Connecticut and the northeastern U.S. have to offer, from restaurants to hiking to Broadway shows and NHL games.
HENRY CHISHOLM
Art, Graphics, and Vibes / Brand and Communications Manager
Henry is a lifelong storyteller with close to two decades in journalism and public relations. As a reporter, Henry covered everything from local sports to the Connecticut Sun and New York Yankees. After leaving journalism, Henry transitioned to nonprofit and later legislative public relations where he planned press conferences, wrote press releases and produced social media content. Throughout his career, Henry has remained passionate about telling human interest, people-centered stories. Away from work, Henry enjoys talking about basketball with his father, playing video games with his son, and laughing at funny YouTube videos with his wife.
