Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit

"TCAT" redirects here. For other uses of the acronym TCAT, see TCAT (disambiguation).

Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit

Founded	1998 (1998)
Headquarters	737 Willow Ave.
Locale	Ithaca, New York
Service area	Tompkins County, New York
Service type	bus service, paratransit
Routes	34 bus routes
Hubs	Commons (Green St., Seneca St., Albany St.) Cornell University Ithaca Mall
Fleet	54 vehicles
Daily ridership	8,000 (weekdays, Q2 2024)
Annual ridership	2,488,000 (2023)
Fuel type	Diesel, Battery Electric
Operator	TCAT, Inc. (fixed routes) GADABOUT (paratransit)
Website	tcatbus.com

Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit, Inc., usually referred to as TCAT, is a private, non-profit public transportation operator, created by Cornell University, Tompkins County, and the City of Ithaca to serve Tompkins County, New York. The vast majority of TCAT bus routes are based in the City of Ithaca and surrounding urban area. These routes serve Ithaca College, Cornell University, and Tompkins Cortland Community College. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,488,000, or about 8,000 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.

As of 2019, TCAT operates 34 bus routes. Door to door paratransit service is provided by GADABOUT Transportation Services, Inc.

History

TCAT buses on Cornell's campus

Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) was formed in 1998 by consolidating three public transit systems – Ithaca Transit (City of Ithaca), TOMTRAN (Tompkins County) and CU Transit (Cornell University) into a single system. In the 1960s the City and Cornell established independent bus systems which expanded throughout the next two decades. Service was first extended to serve Ithaca's suburbs in the 1970s, and to rural towns beginning in 1982. In 1974, a transit service in Northeast Ithaca (Lansing, Cayuga Heights and the Town of Ithaca) was started by apartment owners contracting with Swarthout Coaches to operate limited service for Cornell students, and as the public demand for service increased, the apartment owners sought assistance from local governments and Cornell University, which became Northeast Transit in 1978.

Tompkins County became involved in supporting suburban routes and in developing rural transit service. The County formed TOMTRAN to extend fixed-route bus service to Dryden, Caroline and Newark Valley in 1982, Groton (1983), Newfield and Ulysses (1985), and Lansing and Danby (1991). In 1999, TCAT initiated bus service to Enfield, the last unserved town in the county. In 1992, the city, Cornell and County built a $5 million transit facility to base transit operations and fleet maintenance including GADABOUT. In 1996, the New York State Legislature adopted a state law authorizing that "the county of Tompkins, the city of Ithaca and Cornell University may jointly provide for mass transportation services in the county of Tompkins.", and on April 1, 1998, the City of Ithaca, Cornell University and Tompkins County established TCAT as a joint venture (public entity) to operate public transit service in Tompkins County, service began in 1999, establishing a unified route and fare system. TCAT re-organized itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, TCAT. Inc. in 2005 with representatives of City of Ithaca, Cornell University, and Tompkins County serving on its board of directors.

In 1976, a consortium of municipalities and human service agencies formed GADABOUT Transportation Services to address travel needs of seniors and people with disabilities and today operates the Federally mandated paratransit service for Tompkins County. Although GADABOUT did not join TCAT in 1998, the two companies are still closely related, with GADABOUT leasing space and maintenance services from TCAT.

Routes

As of December 2019, thirty-six bus routes comprise the TCAT system. Routes are identified by number and are usually indicated on a marquee at the front of the bus, and sometimes on the side as well. TCAT's main hub is Green Street Station, off of the Commons, a two-block pedestrian mall in downtown Ithaca. Most non South Hill routes run through the Cornell University campus; East Avenue and Tower Road near Uris and Statler Halls is considered a secondary hub.

Urban and Suburban Services: Routes 10 to 17, Routes 30 to 32, Route 51, and Routes 70 to 77

Downtown and West Hill
Route #	Route Name	Terminals			Days of Service
		Outbound		Inbound
13	Fall Creek – Mall – Commons	The Shops at Ithaca Mall The Shops at Ithaca Mall	↔	Ithaca Commons Green St. @ Commons	Monday – Saturday
14	West Hill – Hospital – Commons	Hospital Cayuga Medical Center	↔	Ithaca Commons Green St. @ Commons	Everyday
14S	West Hill – Shopping	West Hill Overlook Apts.	↔	Walmart Walmart	Everyday
15	Southside Shopper	LOOP Ithaca Commons (Seneca St. @ Commons) – Southside — Titus Towers — WalMart — Titus Towers — Southside — Ithaca Commons (Green St. @ Commons)]			Everyday
17	TCAT – Fall Creek – Commons	TCAT TCAT Garage	↔	Ithaca Commons Seneca St. @ Commons	Everyday Irregular Service
				Ithaca Commons Green St. @ Commons
				Cornell Vet School ARR:Vet School DEP:Boyce Thompson Institute
				Hasbrouck Apartments Hasbrouck Apts.
Note: Most TCAT bus routes serve the Downtown Ithaca Commons. Rts. 20 and 21 also serve West Hill. Select Rt. 36 services also serve Fall Creek. See "Rural Routes" section.
Lower South Hill and Ithaca College
Route #	Route Name	Terminals			Days of Service
		Outbound		Inbound
11	Ithaca College – Commons	Ithaca College College Circle Apts.	↔	Ithaca Commons Green St. @ Commons	Weekdays Only
11N	Ithaca College – Commons – Collegetown	Multi-Section Route Ithaca College (College Circle Apts.) – Ithaca Commons (Green St. @ Commons) – Collegetown (Schwartz CPA)			Night Time Only
11S	Ithaca College – Commons – Southside Shopping	LOOP Ithaca College (College Circle Apts.) – Ithaca Commons – WalMart — Ithaca Commons — Ithaca College (College Circle Apts.)			Everyday
Note: Rt. 65 also serves Lower South Hill and Ithaca College. See "Rural Routes" Section
East Hill, Collegetown, Cornell University, Cayuga Heights, the Mall, and Lansing Village
Route #	Route Name	Terminals			Days of Service
		Outbound		Inbound
10	Cornell – Commons	LOOP Ithaca Commons (Seneca St. @ Commons) – Cornell West and Central Campus – Ithaca Commons (Seneca St. @ Commons)			Weekdays Only
30	Mall — Cornell — Commons	The Shops at Ithaca Mall The Shops at Ithaca Mall	↔	Ithaca Commons Seneca St. @ Commons	Everyday
31	Convenient Care – Cornell – Commons	LOOP Ithaca Commons (Green St. @ Commons) – Cornell Central Campus – Convenient Care – Winston Court — Cornell Central Campus — Ithaca Commons (Seneca St. @ Commons)]			Weekdays Only
32	Airport – Cornell – Commons	Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport Airport	↔	Ithaca Commons ARR:Seneca St. @ Commons DEP:Green St. @ Commons	Weekdays Only
		Northwood Apartments Northwood Apts.
51	Eastern Heights – Cornell – Commons	LOOP Ithaca Commons (Seneca St. @ Commons) – Tower Rd. (Cornell) – East Ithaca – Eastern Heights (Skyvue @ Snyder Hill) – East Ithaca – Tower Rd. (Cornell) – Ithaca Commons (Seneca St. @ Commons)			Everyday
70	Mall – Cornell – Commons	The Shops at Ithaca Mall The Shops at Ithaca Mall	↔	Ithaca Commons Seneca St. @ Commons	Weekends Only
72	Airport – Cornell – Commons	Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport Airport	↔	Ithaca Commons ARR:Seneca St. @ Commons DEP:Green St. @ Commons	Weekends Only
		Northwood Apartments Northwood Apts.
77	Warren @ Farrell – Winston Court – Mall	LOOP The Shops at Ithaca Mall (The Shops at Ithaca Mall) – Warren Rd. – Winston Court – The Shops at Ithaca Mall (The Shops at Ithaca Mall)			Saturday Only
Note: Rt. 13 also serves the Mall. See "Downtown and West Hill" section. Rts. 41, 53, and 75 also serve Cornell University. See "Rural Routes" Section. Select Services on Rts. 20, 21, 36, 40, 43, 52, 65, and 67 also serve East Hill and Cornell University, mostly during peak hours. See "Rural Routes" section. Select Rt. 17 services also serve East Hill, Collegetown, and Cornell University. Services are limited and irregular. See "Downtown and West Hill" section.

Rural Routes (Former TOMTRAN Routes): Routes 20 to 21, 36 to 43, 52 to 67, and 74 to 75

Route #	Route Name	Terminals			Days of Service
		Outbound		Inbound
20	Enfield	Enfield Enfield Highway Department	↔	Ithaca Commons Green St. @ Commons	Everyday
				Cornell Central Campus and Vet School ARR:Boyce Thompson Institute ARR:Dairy Bar DEP:Vet School
21	Trumansburg – Jacksonville	Trumansburg Aubles Trailer Park	↔	Ithaca Commons Green St. @ Commons	Everyday
				Cornell Vet School ARR:Boyce Thompson Institute DEP:Vet School
36	South Lansing	South Lansing Lansing Fire Company #3	↔	Ithaca Commons ARR:Seneca St. @ Commons DEP:Green St. @ Commons	Weekdays Only
		Lansing High School Lansing School		Cornell Vet School ARR:Boyce Thompson Institute DEP:Vet School
				Ithaca High School Lake St. @ Ithaca High School
37	North Lansing	North Lansing Lansing Fire Station #4	↔	Ithaca Commons ARR:Seneca St. @ Commons DEP:Green St. @ Commons	Weekdays Only
		Springbrook Apartments Springbrook @ Farrell
		South Lansing Lansing Town Hall		Cornell Central Campus ARR:Sage Hall DEP:Dairy Bar
40	Groton – Freeville	Groton Groton Express Mart	↔	Ithaca Commons Seneca St. @ Commons	Everyday
41	Etna Demand-and-Response (DAR) Zone	Etna DAR Zone	↔	Collegetown Schwartz CPA	Everyday
43	Dryden – TC3	Tompkins Cortland Community College TC3	↔	Ithaca Commons Seneca St. @ Commons	Everyday
	Groton – Freeville – TC3 – Dryden	Groton Groton Express Mart
52	Caroline – Brooktondale	Caroline Caroline Turnaround	↔	Ithaca Commons ARR:Seneca St. @ Commons DEP:Green St. @ Commons	Everyday
				Cornell Vet School ARR:Vet School
53	Brooktondale – Ellis Hollow – Varna	AM LOOP Ithaca Commons (Green St. @ Commons) – Brooktondale – Ellis Hollow – Varna – Cornell – Ithaca Commons (Seneca St. @ Commons)			Weekdays Only
		PM LOOP Ithaca Commons (Green St. @ Commons) – Cornell – Varna – Ellis Hollow – Brooktondale – Ithaca Commons (Seneca St. @ Commons)
65	Danby – South Hill	Danby Hillview Terrace Mobile Home Park	↔	Ithaca Commons ARR:Seneca St. @ Commons DEP:Green St. @ Commons DEP:Aurora St. @ Commons	Monday – Saturday
				Cornell Vet School ARR:Boyce Thompson Institute DEP:Vet School
67	Newfield	Newfield Newfield Central School	↔	Ithaca Commons Green St. @ Commons	Everyday
				Cornell Vet School ARR:Boyce Thompson Institute DEP:Vet School
74	Groton – Mall	Groton Groton Express Mart	↔	The Shops at Ithaca Mall The Shops at Ithaca Mall	Weekends
				Ithaca Commons Green St. @ Commons
75	Dryden – Mall	Tompkins Cortland Community College TC3 Dorms	↔	The Shops at Ithaca Mall The Shops at Ithaca Mall	Weekends
				Ithaca Commons DEP:Green St. @ Commons

Cornell University Campus Services (Former CU Transit Routes): Routes 81 to 93

Route #	Route Name	Terminals			Days of Service
		Outbound		Inbound
81	A Lot – Vet School via Central Campus or Judd Falls Rd.	Cornell Vet School ARR:Dairy Bar ARR:Boyce Thompson Institute DEP:Vet School (Early Morning)	↔	Cornell Parking Lot A A Lot – Lower Stop	Weekdays Only Early Morning and Peak Time Only
		Cornell Vet School Dairy Bar (Peak Hours)
82	Hasbrouck – East Hill Plaza via Central Campus and Tower Rd	East Hill Plaza East Hill Plaza	↔	Cornell Parking Lot A A Lot – Lower Stop (Except Morning Peak)	Weekday Only
				Hasbrouck Apartments Hasbrouck (Morning Peak Only)
83	North Campus – Central Campus via Cradit Farm Dr	LOOP Hasbrouck Apartments (Hasbrouck) – North Campus – Central Campus			Weekday Only
83W	West Campus – Central Campus via Campus Rd	LOOP West Campus (Stewart @ University) – Central Campus (Uris Hall Across Street)			Weekdays Only Morning Peak Only
90	Collegetown – North Campus	LOOP Collegetown (Schwartz CPA) – Central Campus – North Campus (Robert Purcell Community Center) – Cradit Farm Dr. – Central Campus – Collegetown (Schwartz CPA)			Everyday Night Service Only
92	North Campus – Collegetown – East Hill Plaza via Tower Rd	LOOP Hasbrouck Apartments (Hasbrouck) – North Campus – Thurston Ave – West Campus – Collegetown (Schwartz CPA) – Tower Rd – Maple Ave – East Hill Plaza (East Hill Plaza)			Weekday Night Time; Weekends
93	North Campus – Collegetown – Eastern Heights via Hoy Rd	LOOP Hasbrouck (Hasbrouck Apartments) – North Campus – Thurston Ave – West Campus – Collegetown (Schwartz CPA) – Maple Ave – East Hill Plaza – East Ithaca – Eastern Heights (Skyvue @ Snyder Hill)			Everyday Night Time Only
Note: Day time only, Rts. 52 and 53 also serve the East Ithaca community. See "Rural Routes" section.

Fleet

TCAT operates a mix of fifty-one 35 ft and 40 ft transit buses and three small 14-seat buses. All TCAT buses are wheelchair accessible. The fleet is composed of vehicles manufactured by Gillig, Nova Bus, New Flyer Industries, and Orion Bus Industries.

Current fleet

A TCAT Advantage T40 bus

A TCAT LFS bus

Fleet Number(s)	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Notes
204,206,208	2002	New Flyer	D40LF
601–608	2006	Gillig	Advantage T40
610–612	2006	Ford	E450
613–614	2007	Gillig	Advantage T40 Hybrid
701–703	2007	Gillig	Advantage T40 Hybrid
901–902	2009	Gillig	Advantage T40
1102–1103	2011	Gillig	Advantage T40 Hybrid
1104–1106, 1108–1109, 1118 (Formerly 1107)	2011	Gillig	Advantage T40
1110–1114, 1116	2011	Orion	VII Next Generation Bus
1501–1502	2015	Gillig	Advantage T40
1601–1605	2016	Gillig	Advantage T40
1801–1811	2018	Gillig	Advantage T40
1901–1909	2019	New Flyer	XD40
1910–1912	2019	Champion	DF350

Fares

TCAT charges an adult fare at $1.50 for all trips. Cash customers are entitled to one free transfer upon request. Seniors and those with disabilities pay half-fare, as do children under 18. Additionally, up to three children, aged five or younger, travel free with an adult.

Historical images

• 
  Ithaca Transit Patch
• 
  TOMTRAN Bus 1991
• 
  TCAT Facility (Depot)
• 
• 
• 
  TCAT scheme at night

External links

• Official website