  The optical properties of quasi-one-dimensional metallic LaTiO$_{3.41}$ are
studied for the polarization along the $a$ and $b$ axes. With decreasing
temperature modes appear along both directions suggestive for a phase
transition. The broadness of these modes along the conducting axis might be due
to the coupling of the phonons to low-energy electronic excitations across an
energy gap. We observe a pronounced midinfrared band with a temperature
dependence consistent with (interacting) polaron models. The polaronic picture
is corroborated by the presence of strong electron-phonon coupling and the
temperature dependence of the dc conductivity.
