Dryden residents who depend on TCAT buses may want to come to some public meetings and a public hearing over the next month or so. They're proposing some fairly major changes, including service reductions and fare increases.
The pieces that seem most likely to affect Dryden residents include:
discontinuing out of county service on the Route 52 as Tioga County does not contribute to the service (however TCAT staff is presently in talks with the county to determine if they can offset the cost)...
combining the mediocre performing Routes 53 and 54 in a way that will still enable full coverage...
In addition, for the first time since 2003, TCAT is proposing fare increases for our rural boardings, beginning Jan. 1, 2012, as it obviously costs more in labor, parts and fuel to operate rural routes than our urban routes. We are proposing fares that originate in rural areas (Zone 2) outside the Greater Ithaca Area (Zone 1) to increase from $1.50 to $2.50. Click here for fare increase zone map. The fare for a trip that originates in Zone 1, traveling to Zone 2, will remain at $1.50. Rural trips at $2.50 inbound and $1.50 outbound, result in $4 round trips, up from current $3. (NOTE; In 2007, rural round trips were reduced from $6 to current levels.)
The boundaries for those zones in Dryden are at Kirk Road for routes using 366 and 13, Genung Road for Ellis Hollow Road routes, and German Cross Road for routes using 79. I don't see anything explaining how the combination of Routes 53 and 54 would work, and the changes to 52 all appear to be east of Dryden.
If you'd like to talk with TCAT about these changes, they're having meetings all over the county. The first is this coming Tuesday, October 4th, from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at the Varna Community Center, 943 Dryden Road. They'll have one at Dryden Town Hall, 93 East Main Street, on Thursday, Oct. 13th from 6:00pm to 7:30pm.
They're also having a more formal TCAT Board Public Hearing on November 3rd, from 5:00pm to 6:30pm at the Tompkins County Public Library, Borg Warner Room, 101 East Green Street, Ithaca.
Posted by simon at September 29, 2011 12:17 PM in roads, traffic, and transit