Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit is jointly owned by Cornell University, the City of Ithaca, and Tompkins County. Originally, TCAT was three separate systems, but in the late 1990s, the three systems were combined into one system with a common fare structure, bus stop signage, and fleet. Today, TCAT operates a total of 40 bus routes that serve Ithaca Commons, Lansing, Cayuga Heights, Trumansburg, Dryden, Groton, Newfield, Dryden, Ithaca College, and Cornell University, among other areas. Six routes provide daytime circulator service within Cornell's campus, two are "blue light" routes for Cornell, and two seasonal routes operate between Ithaca Commons, Cass Park, and Taughannock State Park. Many routes have Saturday service and some routes have Sunday and late night service. In 2003, TCAT carried over 2.8 million passengers on its fixed bus routes and paratransit services.

The TCAT bus fleet consists of about 40 buses that are owned and operated by TCAT. Six routes are contracted out to Tioga Transit, which operates those routes using cutaways. The paratransit contractor, GADABOUT, uses 26 buses for its service. The TCAT fleet consists of Orion Is, NovaBUS RTSs, NovaBUS LFSs, New Flyer D40LFs, and a Chance Trolleybus. Some of the Orion Is were originally operated in Utica, NY. TCAT accepted 8 Gillig Advantage diesel buses during the summer of 2006, and will take delivery of 3 Gillig Advantage hybrid buses in early 2007.

In addition to TCAT's services in Tompkins County, both Tioga County and Chemung County operate their bus routes in to Tompkins County, serving both Ithaca Commons and the Cornell University campus. These service are almost all exclusively rush hour services scheduled to bring workers from Tioga and Chemung Counties to Cornell in the morning, and return them home in the evening.

Finally, Cornell University contracts the operation of an express bus service, called Campus-to-Campus from the Cornell campus in Ithaca to the Cornell Club and Cornell Medical College in New York City to Caz Limo, Incorporated of Syracuse. The service is operated with two luxury Prevost motorcoaches that feature 2x1 seating, a galley, hot and cold running water, XM sattelite radio, and wireless internet access. Campus-to-Campus operates at least one round trip a day, six days a week with stops in Ithaca on North Campus, the Statler Hotel, and Oxley Equestrian Center. The New York City stops are at the Cornell Club on East 44th Street between Fifth and Madison, and at the medical college on York Avenue at 68th Street. A one way trip takes as little as four hours and costs 99 dollars for a one way trip, 149 for a round trip (by comparison, a one way trip on Short Line is about 30 dollars). A Cornell connection is required to ride the bus.

FAST FACTS

Official TCAT Web Site: http://www.tcatbus.com
Official Chemung County Transit Web Site: http://www.chemungcountytransit.com
Official Cornell University Campus-to-Campus Bus Web Site: http://www.cbs.cornell.edu/travel/c_to_c.html

TCAT Roster
Year
Model
Unit Numbers
Length
Notes
1985
Orion I
565
35 feet
Former Utica Transit Authority unit, has "RTS style" front door, retired in late 2006
1989
Orion I
119, 130, 387
35 feet
Single leaf front doors, originally purchased and owned by the City of Ithaca, 119 and 387 retired in mid-2007
1990-1991
Orion I
911-914
35 feet
Standard size front rollsigns
1992-1993
Orion I
57-61, 63-68
35 feet
"Hammerheads", originally purhcased and owned by Cornell University, 65 and 66 have flip-dot destination signs that were originally installed on the RTS buses
1996
NovaBUS RTS
961-965
35 feet
Not all currently active
2001
Chance Trolley Replica
73
35 feet
This unit shares its number with the last streetcar to have operated in Ithaca, originally a natural gas unit but converted to diesel
2001
NovaBUS LFS
101-108
40 feet
2002
New Flyer D40LF
201-209
40 feet
2006
Gillig Advantage
601-608
40 feet
These buses have a modified paint scheme, 601 arrived on property July 5, 2006, entered service on July 28, 2006, all buses currently in service
2006
Ford E450 Cutaway
610-612
27 feet
These buses have the modified paint scheme, some are in the possession of Tioga Transit and operate on routes 36, 37, 52, 53, 60, and 65
2007
Gillig Advantage
613-615
40 feet
Hybrid-electric buses, entered service March 2007
2007
Gillig Advantage
701-703
40 feet
Hybrid-electric buses, entered service October 2007



TRANSFER POINT
This train does not continue past this station. In order to continue your journey, transfer to one of the trains continuing past this point, or click "BACK" to take the return trip back to Grand Central.
Orion Is
All Orion Is, including the units from other TAs
NovaBUS RTSs
Providing service on Route 10 and the Cornell Campus Routes
Chance TrolleyBus
The original provider of service on Route 10
NovaBUS LFSs
TCAT's first 40 foot buses
New Flyer D40LFs
Easily found on some of TCAT's busiest routes, including the 10, 30, 31, 32, and 81
Gillig Advantages & Gillig Advantage/HEVs
Ordered to replace the aging Orions and to increase the total fleet size
TCAT Owned Cutaways
Purchased by Tompkins County for TCAT's use
Tioga Transport Cutaways
Providing services to routes 36, 37, 52, 53, 60, and 65
Chemung County Transit
Transit service between Ithaca and Chemung County, operated by First Transit
Campus to Campus
Cornell University's express bus service between Ithaca and New York City.
Grand Central



This line has been in operation since