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Tompkins County transit agency reports service and staffing improvements but warns of funding uncertainty

Tompkins County Legislature · March 1, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

TCAT reported improved service reliability and staffing hires in 2024, ridership up about 20% from 2023 but still down 27% from pre-pandemic levels; the agency warned of continued dependence on federal and state grants and the risk posed by federal policy changes.

Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) reported to the Tompkins County Legislature on Feb. 4 that service reliability and management stability improved in 2024 but the agency remains dependent on federal and state grants and faces uncertainty about ongoing operating assistance.

Deborah Dawson, immediate past chair of TCAT's board and a county legislator, said TCAT is an independent nonprofit underwritten by Tompkins County, the City of Ithaca and Cornell University; the 2024 operating budget was roughly $20 million and…

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