TCAT bus
Public transportation is arguably one of sustainability's greatest allies. Whether in the form of bus, train, or subway, an effective public transit system reduces fossil fuel dependency, hazardous air pollution, traffic, and parking needs. Cornell University has partnered with the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County to equally support a reliable and extensive public transit system - the Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT).
Through the university's Transportation Demand Management Program, faculty and staff are offered fully or partially subsidized bus passes. 25% of faculty and staff use public transit as their primary means of commuting to and from Cornell. Students are offered partially subsidized bus passes, also called OmniRide passes. In the academic year 04-05, 32% of students purchased a bus pass, while only roughly 10% of students purchased a parking permit. The number of students purchasing bus passes has increased 750% since 1990, while the number of students purchasing parking passes has reduced by about 40%
Student Parking Permit and Bus Pass Purchases From 1989 to Present
This increase was primarily due to two different factors: an improvement in the reliability and flexibility of the bus system and a successful marketing campaign. In 1995, the university began pre-selling bus passes to freshmen, and in 2002, parking fees were increased.
Maintaining a safe environment is an important component of building a socially sustainable community and Cornell has used public transportation as one way of protecting students' safety. TCAT provides a free bus service to Cornell students on the campus routes 92 and 93 between 6:30 pm and 2:30 am.
Cornell is a one-third funding partner of TCAT and TCAT's biggest client. In 04-05, the university paid one third of the operating deficit, in addition to funding 2.058 million rides out of a total of 2.765 million rides, for a total of approximately $2.3 million. Cornell's investment in public transportation has many benefits, including:
- saving the university millions of dollars in parking lot construction and maintenance fees,
- improving town-gown relations,
- reducing traffic congestion on and around campus,
- protecting green spaces,
- reducing air polluting emissions,
- and maintaining a safe living environment for students.
Recently, as part of the University Ave. parking lot agreement signed between President Rawlings and student protestors, Cornell committed to issuing free bus passes to all new students. This policy will remain in place until the Transportation Generic Environmental Impact Statement is completed and further recommendations can be made.
For more information, check out the web sites in the sidebar above, or contact David Lieb, Assistant Director for Public Information in the Office of Transportation and Mail Services, at djl5@cornell.edu.
