Archive: Around Town

The Tompkins County community turned out in full force Thursday, June 30, to celebrate TCAT’s recognition as the best public transit system of its size in North America.

TCAT was recently named the 2011 Outstanding Public Transportation System in North America by the Washington, D.C.‑based American Public Transportation Association (APTA). TCAT won in its category (under 4 million annual trips) and the award was based on both quantitative and qualitative data it submitted in April to APTA for 2008, 2009 and 2010.

In 2010, TCAT reported record ridership for the fourth year in a row with 3.58 million trips. Year to date data as of May shows that TCAT’s ridership is up by 13.1 percent.

“This validates something we all know and have known and that is we have an amazing transit system,” said Dan Lamb, district representative for U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D‑22, one of nine speakers addressing a community celebration at TCAT’s headquarters in Ithaca.

About 100 people, including TCAT veteran passengers and community leaders, celebrated along with TCAT passengers, TCAT’s Board of Directors, TCAT employees and the United Auto Workers Local 2300, the bargaining unit that represents the bulk of TCAT employees.

Both TCAT Board Chairman Hank Dullea and General Manager Joe Turcotte attributed the win to TCAT’s hard working, dedicated and professional bus operators, mechanics, bus handlers, and custodial and administrative staff. They also applauded the relationship and partnership TCAT has with its three principal local funders, Cornell University, Tompkins County and the City of Ithaca, whose transit systems consolidated beginning in the early 1990s to eventually become TCAT, Inc., and a not‑for‑profit corporation in 2005. Turcotte said TCAT is fortunate to have a board of directors comprised of individuals represented by the three entities. “Our board members are always there, and we always seem to get through the hard times.”

Turcotte also praised Gadabout Transportation Services Inc., which provides paratransit services to the community through a contract with TCAT and with whom it shares space at the Willow Avenue Ithaca Tompkins Transit Center. Turcotte said that his colleagues in the industry leaders are stunned to learn that Gadabout provides 2.77 rides per hour – an incredible feat for a system its size. Gadabout’s unique ability to attract and retain volunteer drivers has translated into enormous cost savings, Turcotte said.

Gadabout’s Executive Director Judy Willis, talked about Gadabout’s humble origins as a purely volunteer organization that started in 1976 by “a group of folks who cared about how elderly and disabled residents of Tompkins County get around.”

“They applied to the Empire State for a little bus that could help,” she said. “And now here we are with our expanded office space, 27 accessible buses, 25 volunteers, 10 paid drivers, carrying 64,000 trips a year,” Willis said. “(We are) hopeful of living happily ever after.”

Speaking on behalf of the United Auto Workers Local 2300 was union steward and veteran TCAT mechanic Eric Evans who said TCAT’s and the UAW’s emphasis on labor‑management harmony, strong preventative maintenance and workforce training have enabled TCAT to make great strides over the years. He noted that through aggressive maintenance, TCAT now has an inspection pass rate of 93 percent with the New York State Department of Transportation.

Tompkins County Administrator Joe Mareane passed along congratulations from the Tompkins County Legislature for the “incredible” award, which he said was due to TCAT’s “very engaged board and staff.” “This national recognition is a reflection of all your hard work,” Mareane said.

Andrew Brady, legislative aide to U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna, (R, C, I ‑24), also spoke and brought with him a congressional proclamation citing TCAT’s “forward‑thinking and commitment to excellence.” He told TCAT employees that Hanna, who sits on the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and other congressional leaders are working to soon roll out a long‑term surface transportation bill that will help inject new capital into TCAT and other transit agencies across the country to update their aging fleets and address their other infrastructure needs.

Dullea noted that TCAT relies on federal money for 80 percent of its capital projects and he praised federal stimulus money that has helped TCAT replace 15 outdated buses. He also praised Hinchey for securing federal earmarks that have enabled TCAT to refurbish its Seneca Street bus shelter as well as open the new Green Street Station in downtown Ithaca. Dullea noted that it is important for the community to know just how heavily public transportation is subsidized, which enables it to provide an important service that is critical to the local economy, the environment and the community’s overall well being.

Ithaca City Acting Mayor Eric Rosario, who also happens to be a veteran Route 11 TCAT rider, said TCAT’s achievements over the year prove that an organization can still be small but “effective, innovative and responsive.”

Joe Lalley, Cornell University Senior Director of Facilities Operations, gave a special thanks to TCAT’s bus operators as those on the front lines day in and day out and who do their work “with a smile and with the patience of Job.”

Scott Montani, a federal mediator with the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Services and who previously worked with TCAT in his former position as UAW International representative, said TCAT has earned the recognition due to its  “sense of community” and emphasis on customer service.

The celebration, followed by a barbecue, also included the music of popular Ithaca‑based band “Radio London,” who tailored their music to bus‑related themes and incorporated the TCAT name into their lyrics – much to the joy of the audience.

The celebrations aren’t over yet. TCAT will be honored at the APTA Annual Meeting/EXPO in New Orleans in early October

Said Board Chairman Dullea: “We are just delighted with the national recognition of being the best public transit system of our size in North America. Fantastic.”

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