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Route 77 corridor redesign survey

Transit authority is choosing between three designs for the main east–west bus corridor; a public survey closes July 25.

Updated Tue, June 30· Decided by: Sound Ridge Transit board
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What is happening

Sound Ridge Transit is redesigning Route 77, the corridor connecting the ferry dock, downtown, and the high school. Three options are on the table: (A) bus lanes with signal priority, (B) more frequent service on the current street layout, (C) a shorter route with a new shuttle loop. An online survey is open through July 25 and will shape the recommendation to the transit board in September.

Why it might matter

Route 77 carries about 1,900 riders a day — students, ferry commuters, and people who don't drive. Option A removes some street parking on Harbor Ave; Option C cuts two low-ridership stops that are the only service for the Westbrook apartments. Survey responses are one of the few formal inputs before the board votes.

What is known

  • Ridership averages 1,860/weekday (April 2026 count, transit authority dashboard).
  • Option A costs an estimated $4.1M; Option B $1.2M/year ongoing; Option C saves $600K/year (corridor study, table 7).
  • The survey had 1,340 responses as of June 30.
  • The transit board votes on a preferred option September 17; construction or service changes begin 2027.

Still uncertain

  • Whether Option A's parking removal would be permanent or peak-hours-only — the study says "to be determined in design".
  • How the shuttle loop in Option C would be funded past its two-year pilot.
  • Whether survey demographics match the ridership (early responses skew toward drivers, per the June 30 memo).

Open questions are listed on purpose. Treat certainty claims you see elsewhere against this list.

Who or what may be affected

Daily riders

Frequency, reliability, and whether their stop survives depend on which option wins.

Harbor Ave merchants

Option A converts ~40 street parking spaces to bus lanes during peak hours.

Westbrook apartment residents

Option C removes their two nearest stops; the proposed shuttle loop would run only at peak times.

Drivers on Harbor Ave

Signal priority (Option A) changes light timing; modeling predicts +90 seconds typical peak delay.

Thoughtful actions available

Take the corridor survey

Official survey · 15 minutes · by Sat, July 25

Ten minutes, and it is the primary formal input. The free-text field at the end is read by planners — say which stops you use and when.

Drop by the July 16 open house

Show up · 30 minutes · by Thu, July 16

Planners will walk through the three options with maps. No sign-up needed; come anytime in the window.

Write to the transit board about the Westbrook stops

Write to decision makers · 15 minutes

If Option C's stop removals affect you or someone you know, a short specific email to the board matters — few people speak for these stops.

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Sources

Demo sources link to placeholders. Live connectors carry real document links — see the Live data page.