Free Commuter Bus Passes Available to Staff and Faculty

In an effort to reduce the number of vehicles parking on campus, the College will be offering free Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) bus passes to staff and faculty members. Scheduled to be distributed on or about February 1, the new passes will be printed on the flip side of the College parking permits. The College already offers discounted bus passes to students at a cost of $80 per semester for unlimited rides; that program will continue.

The bus pass/parking permit program is a benefit to staff and faculty as a way to get to and from work free while reducing the operational costs and wear and tear on their personal vehicles, say Robert Holt, director of the Office of Campus Safety, and Lillian Tavelli, Traffic Bureau manager. They note that the program will also have a positive effect on the community by reducing the traffic load on local roads as well as the level of air pollution from exhaust emissions. The College is picking up the cost of the program.

Staff and faculty may use the free bus passes on all TCAT routes, anywhere at any time. Commuters can drive to one of the "park and ride" lots and then use the TCAT system to get to the College. The "park and ride lots are located in Brooktondale, Danby, Dryden, Freeville, Groton, Lansing, Newfield, Slaterville Springs, and Trumansburg, as well as at the Pyramid Mall, Tompkins Cortland Community College, and the county office building on West Hill. A complete system map, with schedules and "park and ride" lot locations, can be found at www.tcatbus.com. A printed map will be furnished to staff and faculty with registration materials when the program is finalized. Copies of the map are now available by contacting TCAT at 277-7433.

More information on the program will be communicated to staff and faculty as the February date approaches. In the meantime, questions may be directed to the Office of Campus Safety at 274-3353 or parking@ithaca.edu.