Below is an announcement from TCAT to the community:
Persistent labor and parts shortages are forcing TCAT to reduce service for its fall service period Aug. 21, tentatively through Jan. 21.
As with many transit agencies all across the country, TCAT currently has an insufficient number of available bus operators and is experiencing difficulty in recruiting mechanics. International supply chain challenges are also making it difficult for TCAT’s maintenance department to obtain parts to maintain and repair buses.
TCAT’s planners carefully examined all routes and are proposing reductions on low-ridership trips. They are also calling for service cuts to be spread among all routes and route categories, and to end service earlier with last trips departing around 11p.m.
A virtual public hearing (see below) is scheduled 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mon., Aug. 15, to adhere to TCAT’s service reductions policy, which requires public involvement for service reductions of 20 percent or more in a distinct geographical area or corridor.
See all planned route changes for fall service here, but those with proposed reductions meeting the policy’s *20-percent threshold and requiring public input are as follows:
- Route 82 (Cornell Campus) : Reduces frequency to every 30 minutes from every 15 minutes.
- Route 90 (Cornell Campus): Service ends earlier. Last trip departs Seneca St. at 10:38 p.m., and from Robert Purcell Community Center at 10:57 p.m.
- Route 11 (IC/South Hill/Commons):Weekday service runs hourly all day. Eliminates most extra half-hour trips during AM and PM peak have been cut. Last trip departs Green St. at 9:05 pm. Saturday: Service ends earlier. Last trip departs Green St at 10:25pm. Sunday: First (9:08 am) trip cut.
- Route 13 (Fall Creek/Commons): Eliminates several trips due to linked trips being cut. (Note: riders in Northside and Fall Creek neighborhoods can use route 17.)
- Route 20 (Enfield/Commons): Eliminates Sunday service. On weekdays, eliminates the 10 a.m. trip departing Green St. and the 10:28 a.m. trip departing Enfield.
- Route 92 (Cornell Campus): Monday – Saturday: Service ends earlier. Last trip departs from Hasbrouck at 10:30pm and from Schwartz Center for Performing Arts at 10:46pm. Saturday & Sunday: Service starts later in the morning. First trip departs Hasbrouck at 10:00am and from Schwartz CPA at 10:16am.
*(Please note that any reductions on low-frequency route may show a disproportionately large percent change.)
“TCAT and the entire transit industry are grappling with unprecedented worker shortages and are making the painful decisions in order to sustain and maintain reliability with the service we can provide,” said TCAT General Manager Scot Vanderpool.
“We apologize to our riders and promise that, while we await supply chains to return to normal, we are not letting up on recruitment efforts that we began ramping up several months ago,” Vanderpool said. “As always, our aim is to offer optimal levels of service as intended for all of our customers.”
TCAT will begin collecting all feedback immediately or proposals for routes 11, 13, 20, 82, 90 and 92, which with then be forwarded to the entire TCAT Board of Directors to consider well before the virtual public hearing on the Zoom teleconferencing platform as follows:
Zoom meeting
5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Mon., Aug. 15
Go to:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82773380190?pwd=NThqdzR2c1FscjU0YTlaaFJtV1ZRUT09
Meeting ID: 827 7338 0190
Passcode: 171047
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Meeting ID: 827 7338 0190
Passcode: 171047
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The public also may address in writing any comments about the proposed service reductions to the TCAT Board Secretary/Treasurer Frank Proto at the following address: c/o TCAT, 737 Willow Ave., Ithaca NY, 14850 or email tcat@tcatmail.com (please write 2022 Fall Service Reductions” in the subject line. Any written comments will be immediately passed along to the entire TCAT Board of Directors and made part of the public record.
Please contact TCAT for more information and at least (5) five business days in advance to request accessibility accommodations: (607) 277-9388, ext. 560, or email at tcat@tcatmail.com (and write “2022 Fall Service Reductions” in the subject line.) Please see FAQs and check for updates on TCAT’s public feedback page.
NOTE:
TCAT is also urging the public to view or refer job seekers to its careers page. To learn more about how the transit industry is coping with staff shortages see article from the Transit Workforce Center.