Legislature approves federal transit grants; some legislators urge reallocating mobility‑management funds to prevent TCAT cuts

Tompkins County legislators voted unanimously Aug. 5 to authorize Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5307 grant applications and related allocations for Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT), Gadabout and county mobility management programs, but the decision prompted discussion about funding priorities.

Facilities staff and transit officials said the county is the federal grant prime recipient and must authorize submission of FTA urban formula funds. County staff described a package that includes operating support for TCAT and smaller county allocations for mobility management projects — including an app and a one‑call, one‑click service. Finance and transit staff told legislators some of those mobility‑management funds total roughly $725,000 in the current grant cycle, including about $287,560 for county staff and roughly $437,000 for mobility management services.

Why it matters

Legislators said the mobility management investments aim to expand coordination, travel apps and a centralized ride planning center; other legislators warned those dollars could be directed to operating support for TCAT, which has warned of potential service reductions without additional revenue.

What the meeting record shows

At the Facilities and Infrastructure Committee meeting, Legislator Randy Brown asked whether mobility‑management dollars might be better used to avert TCAT service cuts for rural routes. County transit staff said the funds had been vetted and that the FTA approval process and contractual timelines limit mid‑cycle changes; staff said a de‑obligation and re‑obligation process would likely delay drawdowns until early 2026 if attempted.

Frank Daldo, who presented the mobility management and reporting schedule to the legislature, said the county has established performance metrics for the mobility projects and plans quarterly milestone reporting; he told legislators he would present details to the Finance and Infrastructure committee and to the full legislature so members could assess program outcomes before future allocations.

The s…