1. technology and computing

Cortland County
Coordinated Public Transit
Human Services
Transportation Plan
August 2013
2013 Review Committee: Dan Dineen, Director, Cortland County Planning Department; Jan
Dempsey, Mobility Management Coordinator, Seven Valleys Health Coalition; Jackie Leaf,
Executive Director, Seven Valleys Health Coalition; Michele Gravel, Director of Vocational
Services, J.M. Murray Center; Sara Holl, General Manager, Cortland Transit; Lenore Schwager,
Executive Director, Finger Lakes Independence Center
Approved by Cortland County Transportation Advisory Committee [August 19, 2013]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
Introduction
1
II.
Plan Goals
1
III.
Background Information
A. Federal Transit Programs
B. Mobility Management Program 2010-2013
2
2
2
IV.
Profile of the Region
6
V.
Inventory of Resources and Services
8
VI.
Transit Need Analysis
A. CTAA/LSC Needs Analysis
B. Public Input
C. Needs Summary
21
21
34
39
VII.
Implementation
40
Appendices
A. Super Saturday
B. Cornell Commuter Survey 2010
C. Cornell Commuter Survey 2013
D. County Wellness Day Survey
E. Mobility Visioning Workshop
F. CTAA Focus Group
G. “Let’s Talk Transportation” forum
H. Route Changes Recommendations (June 2013)
44
51
55
62
64
70
73
79
Addendum
A. Taxi services
B. Current Route Information
C. List of Current Projects – Future Projects
81
82
83
I.
Introduction
Cortland County’s Transportation Advisory Committee has prepared the following plan to
provide a summary of previous and current public transit human service coordination efforts
and to provide an outline for future efforts to improve transportation services for the residents
of Cortland County. The Cortland County Coordinated Public Transit Human Services
Transportation Plan, hereafter referred to as the Plan, is prepared to address federal mobility
management goals first established under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU) and continued under the Moving Ahead for Progress in
the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) which was passed in 2012. This 2013 Plan will update the
“Cortland County Transportation Needs Assessment” which was adopted by Cortland County as
the coordinated plan in 2009.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) programs currently being utilized in
Cortland County:
1. Section 5316 – Job Access & Reverse Commute (JARC)
2. Section 5317 – New Freedom (NF)
(JARC and NF for the Mobility Management System)
3. Section 5310 – Transportation for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities
Under MAP-21, Mobility Management initiatives will be eligible activities funded under Section
5311 – Non-Urbanized Formula Grant Program and this will be an important source of funding
for the continuation of Mobility Management. Section 5310 will continue to be an important
source for funding public transit capital improvements.
II.
Plan Goals
The goal of the Plan is to update the coordinated plan currently in effect to better address the
transportation needs of county residents, specifically for persons who are elderly, those with
disabilities and the economically disadvantaged by:
A. Encouraging coordination efforts between providers of transportation and cooperation
between human service agencies that could increase efficiencies in operation and
provide more transportation options.
B. Marketing current and proposed services to the general public and educating the public
and those who work with specialized populations on available transportation services.
C. Working with other counties in the region to create a transportation network not
constrained by county borders.
D. Using available FTA funding to enhance coordination efforts and create new services to
address unmet transportation needs.
The Plan identifies agencies that fund or receive transportation services, current providers of
transportation, and the services they provide. It also identifies unmet transportation needs and
a process to continue efforts at coordination among the transportation stakeholders.
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III.
Background Information
A. Federal Transit Programs
Section 5310 Transportation for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities
Section 5310 funding is administered in New York State by the New York State Department of
Transportation (NYSDOT). Capital assistance, which is used to purchase transit buses for the
county, is provided on an 80 percent Federal basis with the remaining 20 percent provided by a
local match. This will continue to be a source of funding to replace older vehicles.
Section 5316 JARC
The JARC program covers projects assisting low income individuals with transportation services
to access jobs and employment related activities such as child care and training. JARC funds
have been used to support the county’s mobility management efforts, including hiring acting
staff for the Transportation Advisory Committee.
Section 5317 New Freedom
Covered under the New Freedom program are projects encouraging services that address the
transportation needs of individuals with disabilities that go beyond that which is required by
the Americans with Disabilities Act. NF funds have been used to support the county’s mobility
management efforts, including hiring a Mobility Management Coordinator (MMC).
Table 1 Cortland County Allocations for JARC & New Freedom
Federal Program
JARC
New Freedom
2010-2011
2012-2013
$150,000
$100,000
$190,919
$133,196
An application for continued JARC/NF funding was submitted on February 14, 2013 to NYSDOT
for funding a two year period starting 2014. Status of this application is unknown at this time.
B. Mobility Management Program 2010-2013
The Mobility Management Program has focused on five main areas:
Route Changes
Technology
Coordination
Regional Transportation
Education & Marketing
Route Changes - Expanding bus service to evenings and weekends is a prominent unmet need
identified in the Nelson Nygaard study of 2009. A permanent Mobility Management
Coordinator (MMC) was hired in November 2010 and soon thereafter a trial program called
Super Saturdays was created to offer Saturday service on the first Saturdays of February,
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March, April and June of 2011. Service was offered to in-town residents as well as rural
residents in parts of the county that had never had bus service. Marketing was extensive and
included sponsorship by two local festivals scheduled on those Saturdays and 23 businesses
that offered a discount for those who rode the bus. Ridership was average for the in-town
routes but very low for the rural routes.
Winter Route – Two of the unmet needs referenced in the 2009 Nelson Nygaard report are
expanding bus service to rural areas not previously serviced and increasing employment
opportunities at major employers like Greek Peak Mountain Resort by providing bus service to
these locations. In 2011 the County, through Seven Valleys Health Coalition, applied for JARC
funding to expand service to the Town of Virgil and Greek Peak. In order to provide the service
to the Virgil area later in the evening and on the weekend it was necessary to also provide
service in-town and this addressed the transportation needs of the elderly, disabled and lower
income populations within the city. The service was offered from December 1, 2012 through
March 30, 2013. Ridership was lower than expected despite extensive advertising.
A Route Changes committee was formed as a sub-committee of TAC and explored
implementing the recommendations in the Nelson Nygaard study (adopted as Cortland
County’s coordinated plan). These recommendations did not prove to be cost effective, so the
MMC applied to the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) for a technical
assistance grant to help the committee come up with a solution. Cortland County was awarded
a grant in May 2011. The project began in January 2012 and a final report “Coordinating
Transportation Services in Cortland County, NY” was issued in November 2012. With additional
funding provided by NYSDOT the study was expanded. LSC Transportation Consultants was
hired by CTAA to provide a more detailed transit needs analysis, with an inventory of existing
services, estimates of need and demand, an understanding of service gaps, and coordination
strategies and opportunities. Much of their final report is included in this Plan. The full report
can be found at http://www.lsccs.com/projects/cortland/final.htm.
More on CTAA – The CTAA process began in 2012 with a Mobility Visioning Workshop, led by
consultant Charles Rutkowski, which brought together 37 community and human service
agency representatives to talk about unmet needs and a vision for transportation in the
county. At the same time a smaller Focus Group of 10 consumers was brought together to talk
about their experiences with transit in the county. Additional funding was secured from
NYSDOT to do a more detailed study and LSC Transportation Consultants was hired. A.T.
Stoddard from LSC was the principal consultant on their team and made several visits to
Cortland to meet with the Advisory Committee that was brought together for the year-long
project.
To end the project, a “Let’s Talk Transportation” listening session/open forum for the public
was conducted in October 2012. Mr. Rutkowski was moderator of a panel made up of
representatives from transit, county planning, city government, SUNY Cortland, TC3 and the
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MMS. Forty-seven people attended the forum. Information from that forum was posted on the
Way2Go Cortland website.
Technology – From 2010-2011 a Technology sub-committee of TAC researched scheduling and
routing software companies that could help First Transit more efficiently manage their Dial-aRide system. A decision was made to take advantage of one of the piggyback options from
Allegany and Chemung’s procurement and hire HB Software Systems to design and implement
a system that would be compatible with New York State’s Medicaid system, EMedNY. The
system went live in January 2012. Several local long term care facilities are using the system to
book their own trips. Later in 2013, the process of scheduling Medicaid trips will be transferred
to the state’s new designated Medicaid brokerage company. If a volunteer driving program is
implemented at the county’s Area Agency on Aging, the scheduling software could be utilized
to book trips for the volunteer network.
Coordination – The Transportation Advisory Committee has 36 members, 11-15 of those who
regularly attend TAC meetings. Meetings were monthly in 2011, quarterly in 2012, and have
gone to bi-monthly in 2013. All members are emailed updates including minutes of the TAC
meetings. The MMC has met individually with most of the members of TAC to learn more about
their agencies and programs and to explore ways to coordinate services. The MMC has also
initiated conversations with agencies not previously affiliated with TAC such as the Veterans
Mobile Outreach Team, Walden Place (an assisted living center), Elizabeth Brewster House (an
assisted living center), College Suites (a private student residence complex), and the Migrant
Education Outreach Center.
A survey was distributed to transportation providers about the possibility of a vehicle sharing
program and the MMC has facilitated conversations between providers. Shared training
opportunities between providers has been mostly unsuccessful so far, except for a NYSDOT
driver simulator which was utilized by both First Transit and SUNY Cortland drivers in January
2012. School district drivers were invited but did not participate.
Seven Valleys Health Coalition, with funding support from JARC/NF, was instrumental in
working with the Cortland County Mental Health Association to forge a partnership with the
Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County to create a 2-1-1 Information & Referral System
in Cortland County. Starting in 2014 the United Way of Cortland County will partially fund this
service. This service is acting as a one-call center for transportation related information as well
as other human service needs. It also offers a translator service so people with limited-English
proficiency (LEP) can be accommodated. For those calls that need more assistance with
transportation needs the service is referring callers to the MMC. The MMC is keeping a
database of all calls, complaints and questions coming into the office.
The MMC is working closely with the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and the Retired Senior
Volunteer Program (RSVP) to explore the development of a volunteer driving program.
Although in its early stages, this program could eventually provide much needed service to the
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elderly population and would expand the family of transportation services. The scheduling and
routing software currently in use at First Transit could also be utilized for scheduling volunteer
rides. Two other agencies, Catholic Charities and Community Action Program (CAPCO) have also
expressed an interest in the Volunteer Program and attended a meeting at which the MMC
shared information about volunteer driving programs learned at CTAA Expo.
Regional Transportation – The MMC, County Planner, and a representative from Tompkins
Cortland Community College (all members of TAC) have been very active on the client
committee of the Regional Transportation Study, an initiative lead by the Ithaca Tompkins
County Transportation Council. This study, conducted by The Wendel Companies, is exploring
mobility options in the 7 county area surrounding Tompkins County. For Cortland County
residents, the hope is that there will be better options for travel to Syracuse, Ithaca and
Binghamton. The study was completed in April 2013 and the regional coalition under the
direction of Carl Haynes, President of TC3, has met twice since then to explore options for the
continuance of the project.
Education & Marketing
Education - Educating the public as to available transportations options and the training of
both riders and drivers has been an important goal. The MMC participates in several annual
events, Senior Enrichment Day, ADA Celebration, Cortland County Wellness Day, Health &
Fitness Expo, Cortland Blooms, at which there is a table with informational materials about the
MMS. There have also been presentations to various community groups, human service
agencies, and senior centers.
Training for bus drivers on interacting with people with disabilities was held in 2010 and 2011.
Training was coordinated with our local disability advocacy organization, Access to
Independence. A Bus Buddy program was implemented in 2011 and expanded in 2012 with
Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) volunteers introducing new riders to the bus system.
A NYSDOT driver simulator was brought to Cortland County for the month of January 2012 and
drivers from both First Transit and SUNY Cortland participated in the training.
Marketing – the MMS was branded as Way2Go Cortland. A website was created
(http://www.way2gocortland.org) as a one-click center to find all information about
transportation services available to county residents. There are separate categories for Bus, Bus
(out-of-county), Medical Transportation, Student Transportation, Car, Taxis, Ridesharing,
Walking, and Bicycling. News and events are shared on the site along with other features like
the Way2GoCortland Stars. The MMC writes a blog about national, regional and local
transportation related news and also shares this information on a Facebook page and a Twitter
account.
The MMC has become the point person for transportation related inquiries and has been
quoted in the newspaper ten times in the last two years both in feature articles and in news
articles about buses, walking and bicycling initiatives. Print advertising also includes articles
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written by the MMC, newspaper ads for special events or transportation initiatives, display ads
in kiosks, on buses and distributed to agencies. Radio advertising included a radio interview
with the MMC and a radio ad for the Winter Route. A coupon book ad which was distributed to
on-campus students at SUNY Cortland provided free rides to students during the first week of
the fall semester of 2012.
Various events have been created by the MMC to promote transportation initiatives and
promoted by the MMC in partnership with other organizations. Super Saturdays and the Winter
Route were both created to expand hours of transit service while at the same time promoting
the use of public transit. Moving Cortland and Bike/Walk to Work Week were events in
partnership with other organizations which promoted alternative transportation.
A new bus design will appear on four replacement buses in August 2013. The new design aims
to refresh the image of transit in the county and will have space for bus advertising to bring
needed revenue into the transportation system.
IV.
Profile of the Region
This section is an overview of the demographic, socioeconomic, travel patterns and business
trends for Cortland County. Data is based on the 2010 U.S. Census and the 2009-2011 American
Community Survey 3-Year Estimates.
Cortland County had a population of 49,336 in 2010, an increase of 1.5% from 2000. The county
is primarily rural with the majority centered in five population centers. The table below shows
the five centers and the percentage of minority populations represented in each. According to
the 2010 census, 95.8% of the population is white. The largest concentration of minorities is
found in the City of Cortland.
City/Town
Population
% Minority Population
City of Cortland
19,204
7.21%
Town of Cortlandville
8,509
5.18%
Town of Homer
6,405
3.53%
Town of Virgil
2,401
2.99%
Town of Marathon
1,967
2.14%
Rest of Cortland County
10,850
2.46%
Cortland County Total
49,336
3.01%
The 2010 U.S. Census reported that 13.3% of the population of Cortland County is 65 and older,
and 20.6% are under the age of 18.
According to the 2010 Census, 4.3% speak a language other than English at home.
6
From the 2009-2011 American Community Survey 3 year estimates, of the total civilian noninstitutionalized population of 48,823, 11.4% or 5,571 have a disability. Within the age range of
5 – 17 years of age, 5.2% have a disability; 18-64 years, 9.4%; 65 years and older, 34.3%.
People with a
disability
Number
% of County
population
% of Disabled
population
Under 5 years
5 to 17 years
18 to 64 years
65 and older
Total
19
392
3,051
2,109
5,571
.04%
.79%
6.18%
4.27%
11.29%
0.34%
7.0%
54.8%
37.9%
100.0%
Number with
ambulatory
disability
46
1,465
1,441
2,952
From the 2009-2011 American Community Survey, workplace data shows that 77% of the
population drives alone, almost 9% carpool, 7 % walk and almost 5% work at home. 1.4%
reported other means of travel. Only 0.7% use public transportation. Other information is
shown in the chart below:
Cortland County Workplace Data, 2009-2011 American Community Survey
Mode of travel
Drove alone
Carpool
Public transportation
Walked
Other means
Worked at home
Number
21,649
16,660
1,920
143
1,589
300
1,037
Percentage
Commute by Age
16 to 19 years
20 to 24 years
25 to 44 years
45 to 54 years
55 to 59 years
60 years and over
21,649
844
2,836
8,356
5,174
2,143
2,316
3.9%
13.1%
38.6%
23.9%
9.9%
10.7%
Travel Time to Work
Less than 10 minutes
10 to 14 minutes
15 to 19 minutes
21,649
5,260
3,680
3,074
24.3%
17.0%
14.2%
77.0%
8.9%
0.7%
7.3%
1.4%
4.8%
7
20 to 24 minutes
25 to 29 minutes
30 to 34 minutes
35 to 44 minutes
45 to 59 minutes
60 or more minutes
2,056
1,190
2,662
1,385
1,385
952
9.5%
5.5%
12.3%
6.4%
6.4%
4.4%
According to the 2009-2011 American Community Survey, 16.2% of all people in Cortland
County live below the poverty level. The same estimates show a total of 18,120 households of
which 4,802, or 26.5%, have a household income of less than $25,000.
Within the County 31.5% of households have Social Security income, 6% have Supplemental
Security income, 2.7% receive cash public assistance income, and 14.5% of County households
received Food Stamp/SNAP benefits within the past 12 months.
The median income is $57,256 in Cortland County compared to $68,161 statewide.
V.
Inventory of Resources and Services
The following section is taken from the CTAA/LSC 2012 report “Coordinating Transportation
Services in Cortland County,” Chapter III “Existing Transportation Resources.”
INTRODUCTION
Transportation services in Cortland County are offered by a variety of nonprofit, for-profit,
public, and private agencies. Some agencies provide transportation services directly, some
contract service, and some make arrangements with other providers. Additionally, some
services are subject to eligibility requirements from various entities, and others are open to the
general public. Cortland Transit is the largest transportation provider in the area and is open to
the general public. The State University of New York (SUNY) Cortland campus operates the
longest hours of service in the region, but the service is only available for students. Private
contract service providers have a key role in client transportation in Cortland County.
These operators offer a combination of subscription and demand-response services typically
sponsored by a human service agency or unit of local government.
EXISTING SERVICES
Cortland Transit/First Transit
Cortland Transit is a service of Cortland County and is operated by First Transit. Cortland Transit
provides fixed-route service in the urban area as well as dial-a-ride service countywide.
Cortland Transit fixed routes are open to the general public. The central transfer point for
Cortland Transit routes is located in front of the County Office Building at Central Avenue and
Greenbush Street.
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Cortland Transit operates seven fixed routes on weekdays as illustrated in Figure III-1. The four
regular city routes—Routes 1 (East), 2 (West), 3 (Homer), and 4 (Cortlandville Crossing
Shopping Center)—are operated between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays on 30-minute
headways. The three routes that travel outside Cortland—Routes 5 (Rural/CincinnatusMarathon), 6 (Tompkins Cortland Community College), and 7 (Cornell Commuter Run)—are
operated during specific peak hours only. Cortland Transit does not have regular bus stops;
passengers have to flag the driver anywhere along the route to have the driver stop. [Note: The
county office serves as the only official bus stop. The route schedule lists time points instead
of bus stops]. Route deviations are allowed within three-quarters of a mile of the fixed routes
at an additional charge. Deviations must be scheduled in advance. Pick-ups need to be
scheduled one day in advance, but drop-offs can tell the driver as they board that they need a
deviation. [Correction: 24 hours notice is not required for deviation pick-ups].
Popular destinations served by Cortland Transit fixed routes are listed below. All routes serve
the County Office Building, which is also the Greyhound stop for intercity regional bus service.
Figure III-1
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Taxi Services in Cortland County
Taxi services are another transportation option for people living and working in the region. The
following taxi services are available, primarily in the City of Cortland.
American Taxi
American Taxi operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service focuses on the City of
Cortland, but will travel wherever there is a need. [Note: American Taxi is the only taxi provider
authorized to transport Medicaid recipients.]
Cortland Taxi-Silver Star Taxi
A private, for-profit company operates both Cortland Taxi and Silver Star Taxi in Cortland
County. Cortland Taxi and Silver Star Taxi provide more than 30,000 one-way trips annually,
though they do not keep an exact count. These trips include rides called by individuals as well
as through contracts and ad hoc arrangements with Cortland County human service agencies
(such as DSS, Mental Health, etc.), Cortland Regional Medical Center, and Catholic Charities of
Cortland County. Rides within the City of Cortland cost $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens.
Fares are paid by the passenger or a third- party agency requesting a trip on the passenger’s
behalf, including human service agencies.
Dave’s Taxi
Dave’s Taxi contracts through Cortland Taxi and operates from 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Their
former night driver opened Martin’s Taxi. Dave’s Taxi primarily operates in the City of Cortland,
but will travel wherever there is a need.
Gene’s Taxi
Gene’s Taxi contracts through Cortland Taxi and operates from 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Jay’s Taxi
Jay’s Taxi operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week and will transport patrons anywhere
in Cortland County and beyond if there is a need.
Martin’s Taxi
Martin’s Taxi operates from 6:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 6:30
a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Martin’s Taxi operates 90 percent of the time in the City of
Cortland and does not serve college students. The cost for a ride inside the City of Cortland is
$4. For trips outside the city, the cost is $5. Senior citizens get a $1 discount on the fare.
Rockin Robbin Taxi
Rockin Robbin Taxi operates daily, including holidays. The company would like to be open 24
hours a day, but the hours of operation vary depending on the requests for service and driver
availability. The rates depend on how far the passenger wants to travel. The cost for a ride
within Cortland is $4 or $5, depending on distance. Rates for service outside of Cortland can be
anywhere from $10 to $75 depending on distance.
Steve’s Taxi
Steve’s Taxi operates daily, primarily within the Cortland city limits. Rates are $4 within
Cortland, $5 to Cortlandville, $6 to the Walmart and Homer, and $20 to TC3.
(See Addendum for current rates & hours)
******************************************************************************
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Human Service Agency Transportation Providers & Purchasers
 The updated agency information provided below is taken from the 2012 CTAA/LSC
“Coordinating Transportation Services in Cortland County” final report released in
November 2012.
Agency Service Providers - agencies that own or lease and directly operate vehicles with
dedicated drivers or other staff, and agencies that contract with transportation operators to
provide service for their clients. Source: Nelson Nygaard Needs Assessment Study
Cortland County Department of Social Services
The Cortland County Department of Social Services (DSS) administers key social service
programs in Cortland County, including the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF),
food stamps, Medicaid, child and adult protective services, foster care, and preventive services.
DSS does not directly provide transportation services to clients beyond the Non-Emergency
Medical Transportation Program (NEMT) funded under Medicaid and operated by First Transit.
Department employees use a fleet of 16 vehicles owned by Cortland County for travel
associated with visiting clients, assessing service providers, and other department business. In
addition, DSS purchases Cortland Transit bus tokens/passes or gas cards for individuals on a
case-by-case basis. DSS also coordinates with Greyhound and Trailways intercity bus services
for client-specific needs.
The annual transportation budget for DSS is $40,600 for their fleet of 16 vehicles. Fuel costs are
approximately $23,000 and maintenance costs make up the other $17,600. [Updated figures as
of July 2013 show that the annual budget is $50,700 with fuel accounting for $28,500 and
maintenance $22,200]. DSS also purchases approximately 122 bus passes each month from
Cortland Transit. In 2011, DSS spent approximately $45,000 purchasing bus passes, bus tokens,
and gas cards. DSS notes that enhanced bus service—including operating the bus service in the
evening hours and on weekends—would benefit their clients for employment and other trip
purposes, particularly those living in the rural areas.
Catholic Charities of Cortland
The Catholic Charities of Cortland is a private, not-for-profit organization that provides
social services to nearly 2,000 Cortland County residents with specialized programs designed for
teens, families, and individuals with mental health concerns and/or are in recovery from
substance use. Teen programs include services for at-risk adolescents. Family programs consist
of adoption and emergency assistance services, including a food pantry, prescription drug
assistance, and a utility payment support program. Catholic Charities also provides case
management and residential programs for individuals with mental health concerns. In addition,
residential services for individuals in recovery from substance abuse are available. Catholic
Charities owns eight vehicles—four vans and four sedans. Two of the agency vans are dedicated
to residential sites in the community. The organization also owns a truck that is not used for
client transportation. None of the agency vehicles are wheelchair-accessible. While none of the
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agencies’ clients currently have physical challenges, some clients are aging and/or frail and
these clients are accommodated by using a lower-floor vehicle or requesting Medicaid
transportation services. Although Catholic Charities does have some employees who provide
transportation services, this is very minimal due to budgetary concerns. The majority of
program staff at Catholic Charities are authorized to operate agency vehicles.
Of its nearly 2,000 clients, Catholic Charities estimates that at least approximately 1,000 use
public transportation and 350 use agency-provided transportation. Most of the transportation
supports the agency’s residential programs, including helping clients attend classes, participate
in volunteer and employment activities, and receive services. Other transportation provided in
the agency includes assistance getting to and from medical appointments, entitlement
appointments, and “Wash and Shop” which is scheduled one day a week to assist with grocery
and laundry needs. Catholic Charities also purchases bus tokens and passes for clients that are
able to use Cortland Transit. Catholic Charities does not receive federal funding to support its
transportation. In 2011, the agency estimates it spent approximately $16,500 on gas for
vehicles. This cost includes recreation trips for programs, meetings, and conferences for staff.
The agency also reports $15,000 was spent on wages. This includes wages for staff members
who spend some of their time transporting and also includes staff who, as part of their fulltime
job, may be providing transportation.
Cortland County Health Department (CCHD) - Children with Special Needs
CCHD, together with the Cortland County Board of Health, addresses community health needs
in Cortland County through a wide variety of programming, services, and facilities. CCHD serves
over 5,000 individuals through its different programs and services. CCHD does not directly
operate or provide transportation services for most of its programming. An exception to this
rule is the Children with Special Needs program, which provides special services to help
diagnose, treat, and support children with special health care concerns, including
developmental, physical, behavioral, or emotional needs. The program also supports people
enrolling in the Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus programs. The Children with Special
Needs program contracts with a bus company to transport children participating in the Pre-K
programs to special education preschool programs available at the Franziska Racker Center and
the YWCA. CCHD spends between $170,000 and $200,000 per year on this transportation
contract. The contract period is two years. Cortland Transit is the current service provider.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cortland County
The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cortland County provides a variety of informal, familyoriented education programs and resources, including classes and information on financial
management, consumer issues, housing, food and nutrition, child and family development,
health, safety, and youth development programs. The Cornell Cooperative Extension also funds
the Cortland Fun and Family Resource Center located at 29 Main Street in downtown Cortland.
Up to 10,000 individuals participate in one or more of Cornell’s programs or services annually.
The Cornell Cooperative Extension owns three vans, which are used for agency purposes and
for transportation within Cortland County and to/from Tompkins County. Cornell does not have
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dedicated drivers on staff, but program staff members are trained to drive clients as needed.
Most of the transportation services benefit about 90 clients who are dispersed throughout
Cortland County and rely on the Cooperative Extension for ad hoc transportation needs. The
cost to provide this service is estimated at approximately $10,000 annually.
Franziska Racker Center
The Franziska Racker Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving people with
disabilities and their families through a wide range of individualized programs, services, and
opportunities. Programs are available for individuals at every stage of life, from early childhood
to school age to adulthood. Franziska Racker Centers are located in Tompkins, Cortland, and
Tioga Counties.
In Cortland County, there are approximately 150 individuals receiving services from the
Franziska Racker Centers. Of these 150 individuals, about 40 people have frequent and ongoing
needs for transportation services and another 40 have an occasional need for transportation.
The Cortland County facility has two vehicles driven by agency staff that can be used to
transport clients. The agency estimates it provides about 300 one-way trips per year taking
people to medical appointments, grocery stores, and other shopping trips. They also provide
bus tokens and passes to eligible clients and reimburse staff for use of personal vehicles. The
costs for transportation are estimated at $40,000.
JM Murray Center
The JM Murray Center provides vocational training and community services for persons with
disabilities at its main facility located on NY-13 in the Town of Cortlandville. Individuals living
within a 90-mile service area—including Cortland, Tompkins, Oneida, and Chenango Counties—
are served.
JM Murray provides two kinds of transportation. First, it contracts with Birnie Bus to provide
subscription transportation services for clients unable to use public transportation. Birnie Bus
operates on weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Birnie Bus provides approximately 1,500
trips for the JM Murray Center annually.
The second transportation program involves buying bus passes for clients, although clients pay
for the passes themselves out of their earnings. The JM Murray Center notes that there is a
need for transportation services in the evenings and on weekends to get their clients to
employment.
Six vehicles and six drivers are used by Birnie Bus to provide service to the JM Murray Center.
Birnie Bus is paid a contracted amount of $616,000 for providing the service. Birnie Bus uses
their own vehicles to provide the service and pays for fuel and maintenance costs on the
vehicles. On average, 12 trips per day are provided by Birnie Bus.
TLC Medical Transportation Services, Inc.
TLC provides medical transportation in a five-county area in central New York. TLC provides
both emergency and non-emergency ambulance and wheelchair transportation. In the City of
Cortland and its surrounding areas, TLC is the emergency ambulance service provider. TLC has a
fleet of vans with lifts or ramps for wheelchair clients. TLC also provides non-emergency
13
stretcher transportation in their ambulances and transportation to medical appointments. The
service area for this non-emergency transportation includes Cortland, Onondaga, Oswego,
Cayuga, and Madison Counties as well as the cities of Cortland and Syracuse. TLC is a Medicaid
service provider, and trips are scheduled through Medicaid, not through TLC. The hours for
non-emergency service are 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Occasionally,
TLC can accommodate trips before or after operating hours if a patient calls in advance and a
driver is available. From March 1, 2011 to March 1, 2012, TLC provided 528 non-emergency
trips in Cortland County. The service is open to all Cortland County residents, and TLC will
transport patients to any medical facility. Regular riders include dialysis patients who require
treatment three times per week. The most common trip destination is Saint Joseph’s Hospital
Health Center (dialysis clinic) located at 3993 West Road in Cortland.
Local School Districts
The local school districts in Cortland County all provide some type of transportation service for
some or all of their students. There is also some coordination between districts, particularly
with regard to transporting students with special needs.
City of Cortland School District
The City of Cortland provides transportation for students living in the City of Cortland and
unincorporated Cortland County. For City of Cortland residents, transportation is provided for
elementary school children who live more than 0.9 mile from their nearest elementary school,
and for middle and high school students living more than 1.5 miles from school. Outside of the
city limits, transportation is available for all school-aged children living more than 0.4 mile from
their school. Most of the student transportation is provided as regularly scheduled, fixed-route
bus services operated by the School District. The City of Cortland School District provides
transportation for some students living in the district. For the 2011-2012 school year, there are
12 high school bus routes and 12 elementary school bus routes.
The City School District also provides specialized transportation for children with special
education needs, including to educational facilities outside of Cortland County and to local
regional centers, such as Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). These services
may include daily trips to the Syracuse area, as well as drop-offs and pick-ups for students
participating in residential programs.
Student transportation is provided with a staff of 27 drivers (17 full-time and 10 part-time) and
a fleet of 25 vehicles, plus approximately another 25 vehicles used for staff, buildings, and
grounds, as well as other school district, but non-student oriented use. Of the 25 student
transportation vehicles, 20 are school buses with seating for 44 adults, three are lift-equipped
vehicles, and two are vans. All vehicles used for student transportation, including specialized
transportation, must meet Department of Transportation (DOT) certification standards.
Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES
Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES provides alternative education programs including career
and technical education, special education, alternative education, and workforce preparation
for residents of the three counties. In Cortland, there is an alternative school for middle and
high school students located at 250 Port Watson Street.
14
Homer School District
The Homer School District provides school transportation for all students. The school district
operates independently of the other school districts in the county. McGraw School District
The McGraw Central School District provides student transportation using eight bus routes.
Marathon School District
The Marathon School District provides school transportation for most of its students. All
students in grades K through 6 receive transportation services. Only children in grades 8
through 12 who live more than 1.5 miles from the school or on a road without sidewalks or a
speed limit receive school transportation service. There are 15 regular routes operated in the
district. Marathon Schools also transport children with special needs to Chenango Forks,
Homer, and Cortland. They operate four routes for children with special needs. Marathon
Schools coordinate transportation services with Homer, Tully Cortland, and Whitney Point for
students with special needs. In Marathon there was a large Amish population whose
children did not receive school transportation service, but a recent (August 2012) arrangement
now provides for transportation service to Amish students.
Cincinnatus School District
The Cincinnatus School District provides school transportation for all of its students using
approximately 20 buses.
BOCES (Cortland Alternative School)
This is a regional alternative school for middle and high school students. The students are
transported by school buses from each participating district (Cortland, Homer, Cincinnatus,
Marathon, McGraw, DeRuyter, Tully, Fabius-Pompey, and Lafayette).
SUNY Cortland
SUNY Cortland operates Campus Shuttle bus service for its students—using both demandresponsive and fixed-route services—when classes are in session. Fixed route weekday service
is provided on campus to students on three routes generally from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m.
The service on two of the routes is different on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays than it is on
Tuesdays and Thursdays due to different class start times. The other route operates the same
schedule every weekday. In general, service is provided every five minutes between the oncampus residences and academic buildings and every 10-20 minutes timed to class schedules
from the parking lot and West Campus to the Park Center. The buses to West Campus
operate during the fall and spring semesters only. There is no bus service to West Campus
during the summer (mid-May through the end of August), during intercessions, or midDecember through the end of January. In 2011, the Campus Shuttle operated 56,118 miles.
As noted, the majority of the shuttle service is provided on weekdays timed for class start times
(70-minute classes). However, SUNY Cortland also operates a Late-Night On-Campus Shuttle on
30-minute headways from 10:40 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. on weekdays and from 6:10 p.m. until
3:00 a.m. on weekends. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the Downtown Shuttle operates from
the post office downtown on Main Street back to campus as needed from 11:00 p.m. until
2:40 a.m. The Downtown Shuttle only brings students back to campus from downtown.
15
Also on the weekends, a shopping bus (Week-End Shopping Bus) is operated hourly from 11:00
a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and connects the campus to Price Chopper and Walmart. The Week-End
Shopping Bus operates most weekends from September through mid-December, then again
late January through mid- May. This calculates to about 60 days of service in total. On Sundays,
a parking lot shuttle (281 Lot Shuttle) circulates campus every half-hour from 6:15 p.m. until
10:45 p.m. In 2011, the Week-End Shopping Bus operated 2,926 miles and the Downtown
Shuttle operated 1,716 miles.
SUNY Cortland also provides transportation services for student groups and academic field trips
as the need arises. They estimate that there were 3-7 incidents where vehicles beyond those
used in the regular service are used. The maximum distance allowed for a bus trip is 200 miles.
SUNY Cortland operates service using eight vehicles. Two of the eight vehicles are ADAaccessible. SUNY Cortland is in the process (as of September 2012) of trading vehicle #2 as it is
in poor condition. The new bus that will be purchased will have a wheelchair lift and will be
ADA-accessible. SUNY Cortland is committed to always having at least two ADA-accessible
vehicles in their fleet even though they rarely are required to serve individuals with a disability.
On an average day, five of the vehicles are in service. The vehicle numbers listed in the
utilization chart correspond to the vehicle numbers listed in the fleet inventory. Capital costs in
2011 were listed as $257,486.
SUNY Cortland employs nine full-time year-round drivers and six part-time seasonal drivers.
Drivers are required to be CDL-certified. SUNY Cortland purchases fuel at the state contract
(discounted) price. SUNY Cortland students pay a mandatory transportation fee as part of their
tuition. The transportation department also receives state funds through the SUNY budget in
the amount of $15,000 annually. The annual transportation budget at the college is $1,023,000.
From 2009 to 2011, SUNY Cortland demand-response service operated an average of 13,706
miles of service and served an average of 173 passengers annually. In 2011, SUNY Cortland
operated a total of 74,466 miles (this includes the campus shuttle, demand-response service,
shopping bus, and downtown shuttle). SUNY Cortland reports that there are mobility needs at
the college that are currently not being met by the SUNY Cortland shuttle service. The unmet
needs include the following:
o SUNY Cortland employees commuting for work.
o Student commuters living in the local area.
o Student-teaching transportation to local schools.
o Students who live on campus needing to get to variety of off-campus locations
during weekdays, evenings, and weekends.
o SUNY Cortland has the equipment available to provide improved student
transportation, but no funding for labor and operations.
College Suites
College Suites offers shuttle bus service to both SUNY Cortland and Tompkins Cortland
Community College (TC3) for their residents. One shuttle bus is used to operate fixed routes
between College Suites and the two campuses. Service is provided on weekdays from 7:00 a.m.
16
until 10:00 p.m. SUNY Cortland has on-campus housing adjacent to College Suites, and some
students also use SUNY Cortland transportation services to travel to the campus.
Greyhound Intercity Bus Service
Greyhound intercity bus service connects Cortland with Syracuse to the north and Binghamton
to the south. Connections to other western New York cities can be made in Syracuse and
Binghamton. Greyhound has a stop located in Cortland at the County Office Building (60 Central
Avenue), which is also the transfer point for Cortland Transit and a stop for the Trailways
service. Greyhound makes daily stops in Cortland three times per day in the southbound
direction and three timesper day in the northbound direction.
Trailways Intercity Bus Service
Trailways intercity bus service connects several cities in western New York. Trailways stops in
Cortland at the County Office Building (also the transfer point for Cortland Transit and a stop
for Greyhound service). Trailways operates between Cortland and Syracuse, between Cortland
and Ithaca, and on to Elmira. Connections to cities to the west and east can be made in
Syracuse and connections to cities to the west can be made in Elmira. Trailways connects
Cortland to Syracuse daily with four trips per day and connects Cortland to Ithaca daily with
one trip per day.
Incidental Service Providers - these are agencies that may own or lease a vehicle, or
reimburse staff for using their own personal vehicles for transporting clients. Transportation is
usually provided on an ad hoc basis or for emergency transportation. Source: Nelson Nygaard
Needs Assessment Study
Cortland County Probation Department
The Probation Department is part of the County’s law enforcement function that provides a
range of services associated with Family Court, including investigations, information and
referral assistance relative to Juvenile Delinquency, Persons- in-Need of Supervision,
Custody/Visitation, Child Neglect/Abuse, Family Offense, and Adoption programs. Communitybased supervision of persons sentenced to terms of probation is also provided by the
department, as is the collectionand disbursement of court-ordered restitution to crime victims.
The Probation Department has four vehicles used by staff on County business. The Department
does not provide transportation for clients, except when a client has absolutely no other means
of transportation and the need is serious; e.g., client needs to get to a rehabilitation center or
critical appointment. On average, about 30 such trips are provided per year.
Cortland Works Career Center
Cortland County Employment and Training programs are provided, in part, through the
Cortland Works Career Center located at 99 Main Street in downtown Cortland. The Center
offers youth programs that provide career guidance, evaluation and work experiences for
young people 14-21 years of age, as well as adult programs for unemployed/underemployed
adults and dislocated workers. Moreover, any Cortland County resident may visit the Career
17
Center and use the computer resource room, library, resume service, and job bank facilities.
Workshops for employment and life-skill-related topics are also offered. The Career Center
serves approximately 3,000 individuals annually.
Cortland Works Career Center staff indicates that many of its clients have transportation
issues, including those unable to get to the Center and those who cannot accept a job
placement because they can’t get to the job site. The Center does not provide transportation
services for clients, although it will reimburse staff that use personal vehicles for work-related
travel and, on occasion, provide bus tokens or passes to clients. On average, the Center spends
approximately $1,000 per month (or about $12,000 annually) on transportation.
Family Counseling Services of Cortland County
Family Counseling Services is a private, not-for-profit professional counseling agency that offers
comprehensive treatment to individuals, couples, and families experiencing emotional,
personal, and alcohol or drug-related problems. The agency operates on a fee-for-service basis,
although Family Counseling offers sliding-scale fees based on income to ensure that no one is
ever denied services because of an inability to pay. Clients are usually covered by government
or private insurance. About 1,400 individuals use Family Counseling Services per year.
Family Counseling Services does not directly operate transportation services, but it does
reimburse staff for use of personal vehicles for agency activities. About 20 percent (80 or so
individuals) of the clientele have transportation issues associated with affordability and courtimposed driving restrictions. Whenever possible, the Agency provides bus tokens or taxi fare to
help clients access treatment.
Veterans Service Agency
The Cortland County Veterans Service Agency assists veterans and their family members with
filing claims for all county, state, and federal veterans’ benefits, including registering veterans
for health services, obtaining high school diplomas, and applying for New York State medals if
eligible. There are some 8,000 individuals associated with the Veterans Service Agency (VSA).
The VSA does not provide transportation services, but will direct clients to the Disabled
American Veterans organization.
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization is a private, nonprofit agency that provides
a variety of services to veterans, including transportation. The DAV has two vans based at the
Cortland DAV Club on Owego Street in Cortland. With 48 hours advance notice, one DAV van
driven by a volunteer driver will transport disabled veterans to the Syracuse VA Hospital free of
charge. The Syracuse VA Hospital pays all the operational expenses associated with this
transportation. The second van, also driven by a volunteer, will take veterans to their medical
appointments at the Tompkins/Cortland County VA clinic in Freeville.
Community Action Program of Cortland County (CAPCO)
CAPCO is the lead agency in Cortland County for the Head Start and Women Infants and
Children (WIC) programs, and also operates a Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program
designed to support Medicaid recipients in an aging in- place program. CAPCO provides
weatherization assistance and other family development programs. CAPCO has been providing
18
community services since 1974 and provides services for over 2,100 individuals annually.
CAPCO has operated transportation for their Head Start program in the past, but no longer
operates transportation. CAPCO is looking to sell five of their seven buses as of March 2012.
City of Cortland Youth Bureau Teen Center
The City of Cortland Youth Bureau sponsors a Teen Center located in downtown Cortland at 35
Port Watson Street. The Teen Center provides opportunities for teens to congregate as well to
obtain human services ranging from personal counseling to help with homework. The Teen
Center is open to young persons between 13 and 18 years of age, or attending 7th through 12th
grades. Approximately 20-40 teenagers visit the Teen Center daily and participate in activities.
The Teen Center does not provide transportation to clients using the day programs. According
to staff, a few participants use fixed-route bus service or use taxi services, but most walk to and
from the Center. The Teen Center does have access to a single van that is used primarily for
field trips (approximately 20 trips per year). Annual costs for the transportation service are
estimated at approximately$4,000.
Cortland County Area Agency on Aging
The Cortland County Area Agency on Aging (AAA) provides a wide range of programs and
services for older adults living in Cortland County. These include direct services and other
programs where the AAA acts a resource to help individuals and families deal with a range of
issues concerning older adults. Between 3,000 and 4,000 individuals are associated with one or
more of the AAA’s ongoing programs.
The AAA helps clients with transportation in several ways. First, it offers free bus tokens to
clients who are 60 years of age or older. Each client is eligible for up to 18 tokens per month.
Approximately 3,642 were distributed in 2011, of which 2,916 were used on Cortland Transit
fixed routes and 726 were used on dial-a-ride. AAA estimates that about 59 (unduplicated)
individuals make use of this program.
The AAA also sponsors demand-response service to transport members of the vision support
group to/from their monthly meeting. Finally, AAA will reimburse agency staff that help clients
get to and from agency programming and services. In total, an estimated $4,600 per year is
spent on transportation.
Walden Place
Walden Place is an assisted living facility located at 839 Bennie Road in Cortland. They own and
operate a 14-passenger handicap-accessible bus used to take residents to doctors’
appointments and to recreational activities and shopping. Residents are referred to Cortland
Transit if the Walden Place bus is not available. Walden Place has identified a need for
affordable transportation on evenings and weekends, specifically for when patients are
discharged from the hospital after hours.
Cortland Regional Medical Center
Cortland Regional Medical Center provides transportation only for its Adult Day Care program.
The Medical Center transports program participants from their homes to the Adult Day Care
19
facility. They own two vehicles to support the program, each with 12 seats and two spaces for
wheelchairs. Transportation service is provided Monday through Saturday from 8:00 to 10:00
a.m. and from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The annual operating budget for providing transportation
services for the Adult Day Care program is $138,000. The program transports approximately
30 individuals daily.
Cortland Care Center/Cortland Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
Cortland Care Center is a rehabilitation and nursing care facility with approximately 100
residents and located at 193 Clinton Avenue in Cortland. The Center provides transportation to
medical appointments and recreational activities for residents. The Center owns a 14-passenger
Ford Econoline with a wheelchair lift. The maintenance man for the facility is also the driver of
the bus. Trips are generally made weekdays during daytime hours. The Center provides
approximately 2-3 trips per week for their residents.
Crown Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation
The Crown Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation is a 200-bed facility located on Kellogg Road in
Cortland. The Center is a place for patients to recuperate from joint replacement surgery, a
cardiac episode, or other types of hospital stays. The Crown Center arranges for transportation
services for their patients primarily through TLC Medical Transportation Services, Inc. and
occasionally through Cortland Transit. The Crown Center pays for most of the transportation
provided for their patients.
Contract Service Providers - includes privately owned transportation companies that
provide service to human service agencies or units of local government. Source: Nelson
Nygaard Needs Assessment Study.
Birnie Bus
As mentioned previously, Birnie Bus has one contract in Cortland County with the JM Murray
Center. They also do charter work, but do not operate any fixed routes. Public or private
entities can contract with Birnie Bus on a trip-by-trip basis.
First Transit – see pages 9-10.
Taxi providers – American Taxi Company is the only taxi service in Cortland County that is
authorized to transport Medicaid clients. Other taxi services are used by agencies for transport.
20
VI.
Transit Needs Analysis
A. CTAA/LSC Needs Analysis (Coordinating Transportation Services in Cortland County,
NY – November 2012.)
INTRODUCTION
A key step in coordinating transportation services is a careful analysis of the mobility needs of
various segments of the population and the potential ridership of transit services. There are
several factors that affect demand, not all of which can be forecasted. However, as demand
estimation is an important task in developing any transportation plan, several methods of
estimation have been developed in the transit field. The analysis makes intensive use of the
demographic data and trends discussed previously.
This chapter presents an analysis of the demand for transit services in Cortland County based
upon standard estimation techniques. The transit demand identified in this section was used in
the identification of potential coordination opportunities and the evaluation of the various
service improvements that are presented in Chapter VI. This chapter uses numerous models
and formulas to help quantify different segments of transit need and demand, such as:
• Mobility Gap Methodology
• Small City Fixed Route
• Fixed-Route Demand
• ADA Paratransit Demand
• General Public Demand
• Commuter Demand
• Greatest Transit Needs
• Program Trip Demand
Each of these approaches helps to show the patterns that are likely to arise regarding transit
needs within the area. Estimating demand for services is not an exact science and therefore
must be carefully judged for reasonableness. Across the country, transit use remains a relatively
low proportion of overall passenger travel compared to the use of the personal automobile.
DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
This section presents a brief overview of the important demographic characteristics of the
Cortland County area. There are several national criteria which are used in determining where,
and even how frequently, transit services should be provided. For transit to be both effective
and efficient, it must serve those areas with the highest propensity for ridership. These areas
often include older adult populations (who because of age may be unable to drive themselves),
those with disabilities, households with limited or no access to a personal automobile, and
low-income residents. These data were then used to assess transit need and demand addressed
further in this chapter.
Baseline demographic data were compiled from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey
(ACS) five-year estimates for most of these population groups, except the mobility-limited
population. Because the question on disability was changed in the 2008 ACS data, the 20062010 ACS five-year estimates do not contain information about disabilities or the mobility21
limited population. The five year estimates for disability will, however, be available in the ACS
2008-2012 estimates in the year 2013. Therefore, the mobility-limited information was used
from the 2000 Census and projected to 2012.
While the low-income population was available at the 2006-2010 ACS level, the smallest level of
geographical unit for which information was available was at the tract level. The information
from the tract level was then apportioned to the block group level based on the population of
the block group compared to the total population in the tract level. Table A-1 presents Cortland
County’s most recent information available for zero-vehicle households, older adult population,
mobility limited population, and low-income population. As mentioned before, these types of
data were important to the various methods of demand estimation.
Table A1: Demographic Data: Cortland County Study Area
Zero-Vehicle Households
People who do not own or have access to a private vehicle are also considered transitdependent. A zero-vehicle household is defined as a household in which an individual does not
22
have access to a vehicle. These individuals are generally transit-dependent as their access to
private automobiles is limited. Approximately 11 percent (1,898) of Cortland County’s
households reported no vehicle available for use. The density of zero-vehicle households for the
Cortland County area using the 2006-2010 ACS data is shown in Figure A-2. The highest density
of zero vehicle households is concentrated in the City of Cortland, followed by the Village
of Homer. The high density of zero-vehicle households in Cortland could be attributed to SUNY
Cortland and TC3 students that are included in the ACS data.
Figure A-2: 2006-2010 ACS Density of Zero-Vehicle Households
23
Older Adult Population
The older adult population represents a significant number of the national transit dependent
population and approximately 13 percent of the total population in the Cortland County area.
The older adult population includes individuals 65 years and older. Figure A-3 illustrates the
density of older adults in the study area using the 2006-2010 ACS data. The highest density of
older adults is in the City of Cortland and Cortlandville (especially in the Munsons Corners
community). This is followed by areas in the Village of Homer.
Figure A-3: 2006-2010 Density of Older Adults (65 years and older)
24
Mobility-Limited Population
As discussed above, since mobility-limited information at the census block group level was not
available through the ACS data, the 2000 US Census was used and information was projected to
the year 2012. Figure A-4 presents the 2012 estimated mobility-limited population in terms of
people per square mile density. An individual is classified as “mobility-limited” if they are
between the ages of 16-64 years and identify themselves as having some form of mobility
impairment that restricts their travel outside the home. Persons age 16-64 years are considered
because that age group is more inclined to use transit. Persons over 65 years are considered in
Figure A-4: 2006-2010 ACS Density of Mobility-Limited Population
25
the “older adult population” category. Approximately three percent of the population of the
Cortland County area has some type of mobility limitation. The greatest concentration of
individuals with mobility limitation are in the City of Cortland and Cortlandville (especially in the
Cortland West area). This is followed by southern areas in the Village of Homer.
Low-Income Population
The low-income population tends to depend upon transit to a greater extent than the wealthy
population or those with a high level of disposable income. See Figure A-5.
Figure A-5: 2006-2010 ACS Density of Low-Income Population
26
Low-income population, as defined by the FTA, includes persons whose household income is at
or below the Department of Health and Human Services’ poverty guidelines. The low-income
population used in the tables and GIS maps includes those individuals who are living below the
poverty line using the Census Bureau’s poverty threshold. The highest densities of low-income
population are in the City of Cortland and Cortlandville (especially in the Munsons Corners
community) followed by areas in the Village of Homer. Approximately 13 percent (6,507
individuals) of the population in the Cortland County area can be considered low income. Again,
the high density of low-income population in Cortland could be attributed to SUNY Cortland
and TC3 students that are included in the ACS data.
MOBILITY GAP METHODOLOGY
The mobility gap methodology is used to identify the amount of service required to provide an
equal amount of service to households that have access to vehicles and those that do not. The
National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) provides data that allow for calculations to be made
relating to trip rates. Separate trip rates are generated for various regions throughout the
United States to help account for any locational inequities. Trip rates are also separated by
general density and other factors such as age. This methodology was updated using the
available 2009 NHTS data.
New York is part of Division Two, the Middle Region. The trip rate for zero-vehicle households
in rural areas of the Middle Region was determined to be 3.5 daily trips. For rural households
with at least one vehicle, the trip rate was 4.8 daily trips. The mobility gap is calculated by
subtracting the daily trip rate of zero vehicle households from the daily trip rate of households
with at least one vehicle.
Thus, the mobility gap is represented as 1.3 household trips per day. This mobility gap is slightly
lower than the national average of 1.5 for rural households. To calculate the transit need for
each census block group, the number of zero vehicle households is multiplied by the mobility
gap number. Table IV-2 shows this information broken out by census block group. In total,
2,467 daily trips need to be provided via transit to make up for the gap in mobility.
SMALL CITY FIXED ROUTE
In order to analyze the Cortland Transit fixed-route service and analyze how much ridership can
be expected from such a service, LSC created a fixed-route demand model using the Transit
Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) B-36 project methodology. The small city fixed-route
model used below does not include Cortland Transit’s commuter routes or routes such as the
Cincinnatus-Marathon that operate during specific peak hours. For the College/University
enrollment, it included the total graduate and undergraduate enrollment for State University of
New York College at Cortland (SUNY Cortland).
The formula applied to the existing Cortland Transit service is:
Unlinked Passenger-Trips = 5.77 x Revenue-Hours of Service + 1.07 x Population
+ 7.12 x College/University Enrollment
27
The formula used in this small city fixed-route model demonstrates the importance of transit in
small cities such as Cortland in supporting the local colleges and universities as well as the
amount of service provided.
Unlinked Passenger-Trips (Cortland Transit Service area) = 5.77 x 12,480 +
1.07 x 26,000 + 7.12 x 7,358
Unlinked Passenger-Trips (Cortland Transit Service area) = 160,904
Based on the formula, Cortland Transit should expect to serve 152,200 passenger trips. When
compared to what Cortland Transit actually serves (not including the commuter routes and
routes that operate during specific peak hours), Cortland Transit served 124,753 annual
passenger-trips in 2011. Thus, based on this model, Cortland Transit might expect to increase
its ridership by approximately 20 percent.
FIXED-ROUTE DEMAND MODEL
In order to analyze whether the existing Cortland Transit service is meeting the community’s
needs based on the type of service, LSC created a fixed-route demand model. The model format
is based on household vehicle ownership, average walking distance to bus stops, and frequency
of operation. The basic approach is described in the paper, Demand Estimating Model for
Transit Route and System Planning in Small Urban Areas, Transportation Research Board, 730,
1979.
This model incorporates factors for walking distance, the distance traveled on the bus, and the
frequency of service or headway. The calibrated fixed-route model for Cortland Transit is
presented in Table IV-3. This model reflects the existing population based on the 2006-2010
ACS population estimates and the 2011 ridership. Basic trip rates were adjusted to reflect
the level of ridership for existing services. As shown in Table IV-3, the model generated 510
daily trips and approximately 127,400 annual trips—consistent with Cortland Transit’s current
ridership. This calibrated model did not consider the commuter routes and the rural route that
operates with specific peak hours. This fixed-route model does not include those trips that
would still need to ride the dial-a-ride service due to the FTA’s ADA requirements. The
percentage of households with transit access was determined by the number of households
within a quarter-mile of the transit service. Census block groups located entirely within a
quarter-mile show 100 percent transit access. This fixed-route model may be used to estimate
ridership for any alternate service concepts. The alternate concepts may be incorporated into
the model by changing the percentage of households served by transit, walking distance, and
frequency of service.
ADA PARATRANSIT DEMAND ANALYSIS
Estimating the demand for ADA complementary paratransit service is an important
part of the transit demand process. TCRP Report 119: Improving ADA Complementary
Paratransit Demand Estimation established a demand estimation tool developed from
statistical analysis of transit systems across the country. The model uses the peer comparison
data along with multiple factors to help predict paratransit ridership. The input variables
include population, percentage of households below the poverty line, and fare. The model
28
predicts that 16,668 annual trips will need to be provided within the county to meet the
demand. This breaks down to roughly 67 daily trips. This demand estimate is double of what
Cortland Transit dial-a-ride currently provides. In 2011, Cortland Transit dial-a-ride provided
approximately 7,000 trips (including Medicaid riders).
GENERAL PUBLIC DEMAND
Based on the TCRP B-36 project, a technique for estimating demand for general public, or nonprogram, passenger transportation in rural areas can be calculated based on demographic
characteristics using the following formula below :
Non-Program Demand (trips per year) = (2.20 x Population age 60+) + (5.21 x
Mobility-Limited Population age 18 to 64) + (1.52 x Residents of Households
having No Vehicle)
Table IV-4 shows the estimated Public Transit Demand (TCRP B-36 project methodology)
for the Cortland County area using census tracts. As shown in Table IV-4, the model estimates a
general public demand of 26,000 annual trips, again significantly higher than the observed
demand on the dial-a-ride service.
COMMUTER DEMAND
The demand estimation technique established by the TCRP B-36 project involves applying a trip
rate to the number of workers traveling between a rural county and another place in the
region. The resulting formula is as follows:
Percent Transit for Commuter Trips between a Rural County and Another Place =
0.024+ (0.0056* workers in the central place) - (0.00029* distance in miles) +
0.015 if the central place is a state capital
Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) data were used to determine how
many individuals were commuting between Cortland County and various employment areas in
the region. Table A-6 shows this number with the associated demand estimate.
Based on the demand shown in Table A-6, providing commuter service to any employment
areas outside Cortland County—such as Ithaca and Syracuse—seems viable. The most viable
commuter service that has worked based on this information and based on existing transit
demand provided by Cortland Transit’s Cornell commuter run is service to Ithaca/Cornell
University. Cornell University is located partly within the Ithaca city limits and partly outside the
city limits. Hence, the demand that exists is much higher than that shown for Ithaca in Table A6.
29
Table A-6
TRAVEL PATTERNS
Travel patterns of employees are an important determining factor in the type of service,
amount of service, and connections to different areas. This information is important in
identifying service improvements and route level planning mainly across the Cortland County
geographical area. This travel pattern contains points of origin/residences for SUNY Cortland
employees and Cortland County employees.
Table A-7
Many of these employees work
in the County Office Building
downtown on Central Avenue.
The objective was to identify the
current commute patterns of
SUNY Cortland and Cortland
County employees.
The residences or the points of
origins for SUNY Cortland
employees are shown in Table A7. As shown in the table, the
major origins of SUNY Cortland
employees are Cortland (505
mployees), Homer (113
employees), and Ithaca (71
employees).
30
Table A-8
The residences or the points
of origins for Cortland
County employees are
shown in TableA-8. As shown
in the table, the major
origins of Cortland County
employees are Cortland (364
employees), Homer (94
employees), McGraw (51
employees), Marathon (42
employees), and Cincinnatus
(32 employees).
Table A-9
Table A-9 shows
Cortland County
residents working
specifically at
Cornell. As shown in
the table, Cortland
County residents
working at Cornell
reside in Cortland
(344 residents),
Homer (56
residents), and
Marathon (49
residents).
31
GREATEST TRANSIT NEED INDEX
“Greatest transit need” is defined as those areas in the Cortland County area with the highest
density of zero-vehicle households, elderly population, disabled, and low-income population.
These populations are generally considered to be the individuals that have the greatest need
for public transit services.
Methodology
The US Census and the American Community Survey data were used to calculate the greatest
transit need index. The categories used for the calculation were zero vehicle households,
elderly population, disabled population, and low-income population. Using these categories,
LSC developed a “transit need index” to determine the areas with the greatest transit need. The
density of the population for each census block group within each category was calculated,
placed in numerical order, and divided into three segments. Six segments were chosen to
reflect a reasonable range. Each segment contained an approximately equal number of
census block groups to provide equal representation.
The census block groups in the segment with the lowest densities were given a score of 1. The
census block groups in the segment with the next lowest densities were given a score of 2. This
process continued for the remainder of the block groups. The block groups in the segment with
the highest densities were given a score of 6. This scoring was completed for each of the
categories (zero-vehicle households, elderly population, disabled population, and low-income
population).
After each census block group was scored for the four categories, the four scores were added
to achieve an overall score. Table IV-9 presents the rank for each block group in Cortland
County. The scores range from 4 (lowest need) to 24 (highest need).
32
33
Table A-10. Greatest Transit Need Model, Cortland County Study Area
Results
Figure A-10 presents the Cortland County area’s block groups with the greatest transit need,
along with the transit need index. The block group determined to have the greatest transit
need based on zero-vehicle households, elderly population, disabled population, and lowincome population (as illustrated in Figure A-10) is concentrated within the City of Cortland.
Other areas identified with high need for public transportation include Munsons Corner and
Homer followed by areas within Cortlandville and Marathon. By identifying areas with a high
need for public transportation, LSC was able to uncover a pattern for the areas with the
highest propensity to use transit service.
B. Public Input – Meetings, Surveys, Workshops, Forums, Focus Groups
The Transportation Advisory Committee in Cortland County met monthly in 2010 and 2011,
quarterly in 2012, and is currently meeting every other month in 2013. The committee is
comprised of approximately 30 representatives from non-profit organizations, governmental
agencies and transportation providers.
For-profit transportation providers: First Transit
Employment related partners: Cortland Career Works Center, Department of Social Services
Assisted living centers – Elizabeth Brewster House
People with Disabilities - Access to Independence, J.M. Murray Center, Finger Lakes
Independence Center
Senior Citizens – Area Agency on Aging, RSVP
Colleges and schools – SUNY Cortland, Tompkins Cortland Community College, BOCES
Government – Cortland County Planning Dept., Cortland County legislators on the Agriculture,
Planning, and Environment committee, Veterans Affairs, Department of Social Services,
Department of Health
Not-for-profit transportation providers – Catholic Charities, J.M. Murray Center
Not-for-profit organizations providing information and services to low income, seniors and
people with disabilities – CAPCO, Catholic Charities, Seven Valleys Health Coalition
Meetings
a. Stakeholder meetings – the MMC has met individually with stakeholders at least 30
times since November 2010 to gather information about services and assess unmet
needs. Most stakeholders mentioned that they would like to see evening and weekend
bus service, improved bus service including keeping the routes on time, and more
options for their clients including the development of a volunteer driving program.
34
Surveys
a. Super Saturdays – Super Saturdays was a trial service on 4 first Saturdays in 2011
offering service both in-town and throughout the rural areas of the county. Surveys
were conducted on the routes and the results are included in Appendix A.
According to the survey, 73% would not have had the opportunity to make the trip if
bus service had not been offered and 96% would use the bus if Saturday service was
regularly offered.
b. ADA Celebration – The MMC has hosted a table at Access to Independence’s ADA
Celebration for several years. In 2011, a survey was conducted and the results show that
the population of those with disabilities would like to see bus service expanded to
evenings and weekends and service provided to Syracuse. Another issue is that fellow
riders are not always sensitive to the limitations of those with disabilities.
c. Cornell commuters – A survey was conducted in early 2010 by First Transit and SVHC
after a significant decrease in ridership. The survey was given to 76 Cornell employees
who live in Cortland County. The satisfaction level was about evenly split. The main issue
for those who were dissatisfied with the service was the limited frequency of morning
and afternoon routes. The survey summary is included in Appendix B. In 2012 a survey
was conducted among current riders of Route 7 – the Cornell commuter route. Of the
25 who responded almost all were very happy with the current service and would like to
see a second bus. The current monthly pass is $45 and Cornell subsidizes $20 of each
pass. (As of September 1, 2013 the monthly pass will increase to $65). There are a few
days when all seats are full and additional passengers stand. They are overwhelmingly in
favor of keeping the current route and not transferring to TCAT at TC3. The survey
summary is included in Appendix C.
d. Ridesharing for county employees – A survey was conducted at County Wellness Day in
2012. Out of the 34 respondents almost 90% drive a car and 10% walk to work. Only
18% would consider taking the bus and most cited that they needed a car for work or
for children. 67% would consider ridesharing. For those who would not consider
ridesharing, emergencies were cited as the main reason. The biggest transportation
concern was gas prices followed by parking. The survey summary is included in
Appendix D.
e. Vehicle sharing – a survey was sent in 2011 to those stakeholders that have their own
vehicles in hopes of determining the potential for sharing vehicles among agencies.
Liability and insurance issues topped the list of concerns.
Workshops
a. Mobility Visioning Workshop – This workshop, conducted by Charlie Rutkowski of
CTAA, included 37 members of the community representing stakeholders and the
business community. A summary is included in Appendix E.
According to attendees the top three unmet mobility needs in the community are:
1. Evening hours/weekends
2. Expanded service to rural areas
3. Inter-county transportation
35
The top four transportation barriers faced by the attendee or their organization are:
1. Education about services
2. Scheduling issues
3. Cost of services
4. Distance to bus “stop.”
The top three “other” problems with transportation services:
1. Inter-county connections
2. Cost of services
3. Coordination of services
Possible solutions:
1. Advertising/Marketing
2. Education
3. Coordination/collaboration across agencies
4. Volunteer programs
5. Ridesharing/vanpooling programs
6. More funding
7. More direct/shorter routes
Focus Group
a. CTAA focus group – In January 2012 CTAA conducted a focus group comprised of ten
consumers of transit services. A summary is included in Appendix F. The transportation
barriers that were cited included:
1. Reliability of bus service
2. Mobility/disability issues
3. Overcrowded buses on certain runs
4. Buses not on time
5. Lack of communication and education (drivers/riders) (transit/public)
Forum
a. “Let’s Talk Transportation” forum – In October 2012 CTAA conducted a “Let’s Talk
Transportation” open forum. A panel comprised of the MMC, County Planner, First
Transit reps, reps from SUNY Cortland and TC3, the Deputy Mayor of Cortland, and the
Chief of Police answered questions from the attendees. 48 people were in attendance.
29 questions addressed topics including security at bus shelters, transfers between
Cortland Transit and TCAT, taxis, inter-county travel to Syracuse and Ithaca, safety on
buses, vanpooling, sidewalk issues, Cornell commuter route, impact of Medicaid
brokerage system, need for a multimodal center, lack of options for those with
disabilities, lack of funding for transportation, and the need for a volunteer driving
program. Appendix G.
Outreach – the MMC or a representative from SVHC has attended several events each year
such as Health & Fitness Expo, ADA Celebration, Enrichment Day (for senior citizens), Racker
36
Resource Fair at which time there has been interaction with the public and comments have
been elicited about transportation needs in the community.
Some unmet needs have been addressed or are in the early stages of development:
Evening/Weekend service – Super Saturdays expanded bus service on 4 Saturdays in 2011.
Routes included both in-town and rural service. The numbers were disappointing especially in
the rural areas where bus service had not existed.
The Winter Route trial initiative lasted from December 1, 2012 to March 30, 2013. This initiative
provided bus service evenings and weekends in-town and to the Virgil/Greek Peak area. There
was extensive advertising and an extended period of time that the service was offered. The
ridership numbers were too low to sustain all of the extended hours so service was decreased
in February and March.
In-Town
Virgil/Greek Peak
December
233
37
January
368
58
February
130
6
March
120
11
Coordination – Instead of implementing a one-call center, SVHC partnered with the Human
Services Coalition of Tompkins County to form a Tompkins Cortland 2-1-1 center. Tompkins
County volunteers are staffing a call center and have access to a Cortland database which was
developed by SVHC. Transportation calls that cannot be answered by the call center staff are
being referred to Way2Go Cortland.
The Transportation Advisory Committee meets regularly as well as the sub-committees for
route changes and education/marketing. The MMC has attempted to institute a vehicle sharing
program and shared training opportunities with limited success.
Education & Marketing
a. Driver Training – Two special trainings on dealing with riders who have disabilities,
conducted by staff at Access to Independence, have been conducted with First Transit
drivers. Both SUNY Cortland and First Transit drivers took advantage of the driving
simulator that was loaned by NYSDOT to Cortland Transit during January 2013.
37
b. Branding – We borrowed the Way2Go name from Tompkins County (with their
permission) and branded our mobility program, Way2Go Cortland, with a unique logo.
All of our materials have this name and logo.
c. Website – To fulfill a goal of providing a one-click center for transportation information,
we designed and launched a Way2GoCortland website where the public can find out
about all transportation issues in Cortland County.
d. Social Media – The MMC has been blogging and using Facebook and Twitter to reach
out to the public on transportation issues.
e. Rider training – Using RSVP volunteers, the MMC launched a “Bus Buddy” program to
help new riders become comfortable using Cortland Transit.
f. New Bus Design – Four replacement buses arriving in June 2013 will have a dramatic
new design with a green base and white lettering.
g. Bus Advertising - There will be space available for advertising on the sides of the new
buses. This will help advance the image of transit in the community. An RFP was issued
by the county for a marketing firm to handle the transit advertising. No bids were
submitted and SVHC is looking at starting the program in-house.
Ridesharing – Several counties surrounding Cortland have implemented their own ridesharing
programs. Cortland was waiting to see what might arise out of the Regional Transportation
Study, which recommended that counties may want to look into using the state DOT 511
ridesharing site.
Inter-county travel – We have heard from many residents that getting to Syracuse and Ithaca
has been a huge obstacle. The MMC and the Cortland County Planning Director have been
members of the client committee for the Regional Transportation Study and have been
investigating the potential of inter-county routes, especially to Syracuse. This is one of the
recommendations from the RTS study and we will need to explore inter-county agreements and
find the funding to make this possible.
Volunteer driving program – There are many county residents, especially the elderly, who find
that current bus services do not meet their needs. Instituting a volunteer driving program will
help those who need another option to get around. The Area Agency on Aging and RSVP are
exploring this since transportation has become a more central focus of their federal funding.
Route Changes – The need for improving the current bus routes was outlined in the Nelson
Nygaard study in 2009. Their recommendations proved to be too costly. An application was
sent into CTAA for a technical assistance grant to help with this process. The TAC route changes
sub-committee started working on a plan after the CTAA/LSC study was completed and in June
2013, the committee presented its proposal at public hearings.
Appendix H for recommendations
See Addendum for current route information
38
Technology – Cortland Transit previously used an online spreadsheet to schedule Dial-a-Ride
customers. In late 2010 and early 2011 the technology committee met with several technology
companies to explore purchasing scheduling and routing software for use at Cortland Transit to
improve efficiencies of operation. HB Software Systems was selected as the vendor and the
software was installed and operational in 2012. Several nursing homes and long term care
facilities are also using the software to book trips for clients.
Transit Coalition – A Transit Coalition was formed in March 2013 based on a recommendation
from the CTAA/LSC study. Fifteen members of the community have volunteered to be part of
the coalition. There is representation from the human service community, SUNY Cortland, the
business community, police department, and transit consumers. The coalition will be exploring
issues and making a decision as to which activities or issues it wishes to address.
C. Needs Summary
The needs gathered through meetings, surveys, workshops, focus groups, and forums are
summarized under the following categories:
1. Communication, Education & Marketing
 The public needs to be made aware of transportation options through the use of print,
online, radio, 2-1-1 call center, and outreach opportunities.
 Travel training should be more readily available including programs for special
populations (those with disabilities and the elderly).
 Training for drivers (bus, human service agency drivers, taxi drivers) should be ongoing.
 A new bus design which should help change the image of transit in the community
should be incorporated into the entire fleet of county buses.
 A bus advertising program will help to bring revenue into the system and help to
mitigate the “special needs” perception that the public has of public transit in this
county.
 A Mobility Management Coordinator with strong marketing and communication skills is
vital to carry out these tasks.
2. Regional Coordination
 There is a significant unmet need for travel to Onondaga County/Syracuse, Tompkins
County/Ithaca, and Broome County/Binghamton for work, education and medical trips.
 Trips by bus are one option but may not meet all needs. A ridesharing program and a
volunteer driving program would help meet the unmet needs.
 Many have expressed a need for medical trips that are not covered by Medicaid to
facilities in neighboring counties.
 Increased coordination with neighboring counties’ transit providers is needed.
 Mobility managers are important to the work of regional coordination and need to be
funded to continue the work of regional coordination.
39
3. Coordination
 Coordination between human service agencies, local colleges, and public transit should
continue in order to improve and expand services to all.
 Public transit services need to be sustained, improved and maintained at a reasonable
cost to consumers.
 A mobility manager working with the County’s Transportation Advisory Committee
provides a key element in working to bring about changes to the transportation system.
4. Technology
 There is a need for new technology to facilitate coordination and to help make the
transit easier and safer for riders. New technology can also attract new riders to the
system whether in use for buses, ridesharing or a volunteer driving program.
5. Service Development & Funding
 Replacement of overage buses will continue to be a priority
 If the bus system is curtailed due to the new Medicaid brokerage system, taxis may
become a more important option. Oversight may need to be strengthened and
incentives offered to bring taxi service up to a higher level of standard.
 There is a need for a handicapped accessible taxi to transport persons with disabilities
when bus service is not in operation.
 Non-profit agencies need to replace the vehicles used for client transportation and are
finding that they may not have sufficient funding to do this.
 The need for expanded evening and weekend bus service and service to other areas of
the county not currently serviced is always mentioned as a top priority.
 Inter-county travel (non-Medicaid) is currently difficult, time-consuming and expensive.
 Funding for expanded services is currently not available to meet these needs.
 Other programs such as a ridesharing program and a volunteer driving program may
need to be implemented and added to the family of services.
 A Mobility Management System with a Mobility Management Coordinator as staff to
TAC is integral to bring agencies, organizations, businesses, and governmental entities
together to address unmet transportation needs in the community.
VII.
Implementation
The Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) continues to address the needs of the
community identified in the Plan. It has been discovered through our Route Changes proposal
process that it may be beneficial to petition the county legislature to make the TAC group a
more formal committee of the legislature so that TAC has more authority. A mobility
management coordinator (MMC) is a strategic position and warrants continued funding to
implement and coordinate the various programs and projects. A MMC is also vital to be the
face of mobility management and to act as an advocate for the consumers of transportation
services in the county. The 2-1-1 call center (in partnership with Tompkins County) will continue
40
to be the first contact for many individuals and Way2Go Cortland (MMC) can provide more in
depth assistance. Implementation of the new Medicaid brokerage system will likely impact the
public transit system in the county and TAC and the MMC will need to continue to be strong
advocates for the consumer.
Goal 1: Communication, Education & Marketing
 Continue to partner with Tompkins Cortland 2-1-1 to provide information to consumers
about transportation options and services. Increase awareness and use of the 2-1-1
service to act as our current one-call center with the possibility of transitioning to a
consolidated scheduling and dispatch center in the future. Market the call center to
those with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).
 Continue to manage, advocate, and track complaints & questions that come to the
MMC.
 Work with Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and other appropriate agencies
with special needs clients to continue to offer and market the “Bus Buddy” travel
training program.
 Expand personal outreach to the public by the MMC utilizing events, workshops, talks,
and displays.
 Expand marketing of Way2Go Cortland using website, print, radio, social media, video,
and any other resources that become available.
 Look for additional opportunities to provide training for transportation providers such as
bus drivers, human service agency drivers, taxi drivers and potential volunteer drivers.
 Continue to adopt the new bus design on the replacement buses in order to enhance
the image of transit and increase ridership.
 Assist the transit agency in the design and printing of new schedules/maps keeping in
mind universal design to accommodate those riders with disabilities. Also, assist with
design and placement of new bus signs.
 Develop outreach program to SUNY and TC3 students.
 Develop bus advertising program and partnerships with local businesses.
 Ensure that the Mobility Management Coordinator has strong communication and
marketing skills.
Goal 2: Regional Coordination
 The MMC and County Planner will continue to be active members in the Regional
Transportation Coalition and will work to find ways to improve options for inter-county
travel, especially to the cities of Syracuse, Binghamton, and Ithaca.
 Work to develop ridesharing as another option for many commuters. If the 5-1-1
ridesharing service becomes the platform choice for the region, market the service
within the county.
 Advance the initiatives of the Regional Transportation Study by renewing funding of the
MMC in Cortland County and mobility managers throughout the region.
 Continue the dialogue and efforts to coordinate services between adjacent counties.
41
 Work with AAA/RSVP and other agency partners to develop a volunteer driving program
that can transport people to neighboring counties.
 Share materials/schedules/maps from neighboring counties with Cortland County riders,
both online and in printed form.
Goal 3: Coordination
 The Transportation Advisory Committee will continue to meet regularly to address the
transportation needs of the general population as well as special populations such as
the elderly, low income and persons with disabilities. A request to the county
legislature to make TAC a formal sub-committee will bring legislators to the table and
will enhance TAC’s legitimacy.
 Continue to facilitate the Transit Coalition in its advocacy mission and work towards the
independence of the group. The new coalition (2013) which has a broad based
membership is currently reaching out to partner with agency and community groups to
address pedestrian and taxicab issues but will explore other issues as it evolves.
 Work with stakeholders to develop and implement route changes to increase the
efficiency of the routes and provide more service/options.
 Sustain the Mobility Management staff position to carry out the coordination efforts
directed by TAC.
Goal 4: Technology
 Search for the most cost-effective technology solutions, such as an electronic fare card
system and bus locator app that will improve the efficiency of operations and improve
service, and potentially increase ridership.
 Seek ways to utilize the current scheduling software outside of the transit agency (i.e.
volunteer driving program).
Goal 5: Service Development & Funding
 In partnership with AAA, RSVP and other agencies, develop a Volunteer Driving Program
to serve individuals who cannot be accommodated in other transportation modes.
 Research, explore and potentially implement new funding streams for transportation
services, such as funding agreements with stakeholders and other potential funding
partners to sustain the MMS and public transit. Advocate for city and county funding
which might include instituting a percentage of the mortgage receiving tax for
transportation. Form a Sustainability sub-committee of TAC to address these issues.
 Work with SUNY Cortland to coordinate or possibly consolidate SUNY bus service with
public transit, which might include an increase in the student activity fee to fund public
transit rides for students.
 Improve taxi service in the county by strengthening regulations overseeing taxi
companies and/or by offering incentives to companies who commit to higher standards.
Explore a taxi voucher system using federal funds to help lower income workers get to
their jobs.
42
 Work with a non-profit or taxi company to determine the feasibility of acquiring a
handicapped accessible van to provide taxi service for persons with disabilities when bus
service is not available.
 Develop bus advertising program to help fund transportation projects.
 Explore the potential for a transit center located in Cortland County, creating an
advisory group to oversee a transfer center site selection study.
 Explore the potential for an improved transit maintenance and administration facility.
 Continue to work with the transit company to improve the routes, creating bus stops
and signs where appropriate within the city and identifying locations for bus shelters.
43
Appendix A – Super Saturdays Surveys
February 5th, 2011
Super Saturday Survey Summary
1. Where were you picked up?
 COB (32)
 Wal-Mart (5)
 Friendship House (4)
 Riverside Plaza (3)
 Tompkins Street (3)
 Kmart (2)






Willet (2)
McGraw (2)
Port Watson Street (2)
Tops (1)
Homer (1)
Homer Ave (1)
2. Where did you go or where are you planning to go?
 Friendship House (2)
 Wal-Mart (11)
 Home (2)
 Winter fest (8)
 South Ave (2)
 Homer (6)
 Lamont Circle (1)
 COB (5)
 Port Watson Commons (1)
 Tops (4)
 Plaza Theatre (1)
 Riverside Plaza (4)
 Northcliff Rd (1)
 Price Chopper (3)
 Port Watson Apts (1)
 Sav-A-Lot (3)
 C’ville Crossing (1)
 Kmart (2)
 Thrifty Shopper (1)
 Verizon Wireless (2)
3. Would you have been able to make this trip if not for the bus service?
 Maybe (2)
 No (52)
 Yes (4)
4. If bus service was regularly offered, would you use the bus?
 Occasionally (1)
 Yes (55)
 No (2)
5. Do you prefer flagging or having designated bus stops?
 Either (10)
 Designated Stops (28)
 Both (4)
44
 Flagging (16)
6. What is your age range?
 18-60 (38)
 60+ (20)

7. How was your experience riding the bus?
 Confusing schedule
 Good (20)
 Easy
 Very Good (3)
 Pleasant
 Saved on cab fare (3)
 Ok
 Regular Rider (2)
 Likes the bus
Additional Notes:




59 Surveys Total
58 Usable
o 1 Duplicate
Reported children (3)
Reported bus for work (2)
March 8, 2011
Super Saturday Survey Summary
1. Where were you picked up?







County Office Building
Harford
Friendship House
South Main
Fairfield Drive/Tompkins
Fisher Ave
McGraw
Port Watson Commons
(26)
(6)
(4)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)






Other:
On Route 13 by Fire station C’ville
Budget Inn
Pomeroy Street Apartments
Walmart
Groton Ave
Green Briar








TC3
Home
Homer Ave
Port Watson Commons
Greenbush
Homer
Broadway/Tompkins
45
2. How did you hear about Super Saturday?



















Paper
Told by Bus Driver
Word of Mouth
Senior Center
Take bus all the time
JM Murray Center
Sign on Bus
On the bus
ATI
From last time
Work
Hotel Office
Radio
COB
Info at TC3
Ride Bus
Got a schedule
Super Saturday
Didn’t
(15)
(10)
(8)
(7)
(3)
(3)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
3. Where did you go or where are you planning to go?




















Walmart
Kmart
C’ville Crossing
Price Chopper
Tops
Homer
County Office Building
Downtown
Frank & Mary’s
Blue Frog
A&W
Salvation Army
Willet
Kwik Fill
Pinewood Trailer Park
Ride the Bus
Plaza Theatre
Tompkins/McLean Rd
Cortland St., Homer
51 Port Watson
(14)
(8)
(6)
(5)
(3)
(3)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
46






Library
281-FHN
P&C
Home in Cortland
Doctors’ Appointments
Planning to go to Cincinnatus but could not make it to the County Office building in time
for Route 5 bus (leaving at 8am) because in-town bus did not begin until 9:30am
4. Would have you been able to make this trip if not for the bus service?





No
Cab (more expensive)
Yes
Maybe
Easier & Cheaper
(38)
(10)
(5)
(3)
5. If bus service on Saturdays was regularly offered, would you use the bus?



Yes
If it was going where I needed to
Not unless gas got to $5.00
(52)
(1)
(1)
6. Do you prefer flagging the bus driver or having designated bus stops?




Flagging
Either
Designated Stops
Both
(17)
(16)
(13)
(6)
7. What is your age range?



60+
18-60
Under 18
(28)
(27)
(1)
8. How was your experience riding the bus today?












Good
Missed connection, Harford bus late
Excellent
Great
Very Good
Fine
Enjoyable
Love it
Ride it all the time
Fun
Like it
So far, so good
(24)
(6)
(3)
(3)
(2)
(2)
47
 Very disappointing
9. Other Suggestions and/or comments:
 Start later in the morning and go later in the afternoon
 No smoking in bus shelters
 Not enough time in town
 Other places to hang flyers: COB, Post Office, Banks, Laundry Mats
 Bus shelters very important
 Would be very happy if bus was offered every Saturday
 Drivers good to me
 Was standing at the Homer Fire Dept – half a block. There wasn’t anything in the
brochure that said the rural route would turn on Cayuga , otherwise I would have been
standing on Cayuga.
April 2, 2011
Super Saturday Survey Summary
1. Where were you picked up?






Kmart
Senior Center, Church St.
Tops
Riverside Plaza
Park Apts.
Pomeroy Apts.
1
1
1
1
1
1






Other bus rider
News
Don’t Remember
Announced at “House”
Access to Independence
Flyer at senior center
1
1
1
1
1
1
3. Where did you go or where are you planning to go?
 County Office Building
 Maple Festival
18
 Aldi’s
 Walmart (one for work)
15
 To get taxes done
 Price Chopper
6
 To work
 Tops
4
 Homer Center for Arts
 Burger King
2
 Riverside
 Kmart
2
1
1
1
1
1
1






County Office Building
Harford
Friendship House
Homer Ave
SUNY Cortland
Kwik Fill
29
6
4
2
1
1
2. How did you hear about Super Saturday?







Newspaper
Flyer on bus
Bus Driver
Regular Rider
Harford Senior Center
Word of Mouth
Bus Schedule
14
9
8
6
6
3
2
48
4. Would you have been able to make this trip if not for the bus service?



No
Yes
Yes w/ Cab
34
8
4


Not sure
Probably not
1
1
5. If bus service on Saturdays was regularly offered, would you use the bus?




Yes
No
Probably
100%
44
2
1
1
6. Do you prefer flagging or having designated stops?




Either
Flagging
Designated Stops
Both
18
10
5
1
7. What is your age range?



18-60
60+
Under 18
26
19
3
8. How was your experience riding the bus today?















Good
20
Fine
5
Great
2
Really Good
Usually Good
Can’t afford taxi
Liked going to Maple Festival
Happy to go to Maple Festival
Driver did not stop at Virgil Town Hall.
Wonderful. Wish it was every Saturday.
Very Good. I got to where I was going on time.
One rider also had one child under 5 (child not included in survey results)
Enjoyed it. Very nice to get out on a Saturday due to bus, otherwise would be home.
Rides the bus to work daily on weekdays. Also works every other weekend and would
love to be able to take the bus then as well.
I ride transit 3 times a week for work at Walmart. Without Saturday bus service I would
have to walk or take a cab. Bus service is good.
9. Additional Info

41 Surveys collected total
49

Represents 49 riders
June 4, 2011
Super Saturday Survey Summary
1. Where were you picked up?
 Broadway/Tompkins
 County Office Building
7
 13
 Owego Street
2
 Walmart
 Kmart
2
 Downtown
1
2. How did you hear about Super Saturday?
 JM Murray Center
 Bus Driver
6
 Channel 2
 Flyer on Bus
3
 Work at TC3
 Word of Mouth
2
 Sara
 Sign in Bus Stop
1
3. Where did you go or where are you planning to go?
 Walmart
6
 Kmart
3
 Riverside Plaza
2
 Burger King
2
 Fisher Ave/Northview
2
 Grant Street
1
4. Would you have been able to make this trip if not for the bus service?
 No
10
 Cab
3
 Yes
2
5. If bus service on Saturdays was regularly offered, would you use it?
 Yes
15
6. Do you prefer flagging the bus driver or having designated stops?
 Flagging
8
 Either
4
 Designated Stops
3
7. What is your age range?
 18-60
10
 60+
5
8. Additional Information – 13 Surveys collected representing 15 people
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
50
Appendix B – Cornell employees survey - 2010
Introduction
In early 2010, the Cortland/Cornell bus route operated by Cortland Transit had a significant decrease in
ridership numbers. To better understand the perspectives of the Cortland residents who work at Cornell,
specifically as they relate to the Cortland/Cornell bus, the University asked Cortland Transit to conduct a
survey. Cortland Transit partnered with Seven Valleys Health Coalition to construct the survey
instrument, record and analyze the data, and prepare it for public consumption. The survey was created
using the website generator Survey Monkey, then sent to specific recipients designated by Cornell
University. Upon review of the responses, SVHC found that the survey proved helpful to the commuter
route’s cause, illuminating nuances in the target audience’s attitude both expected and unforeseen.
Survey Group
The survey data was collected over a period of four weeks from 76 Cortland residents who work at
Cornell, which represents a significant proportion of that particular population. Not all respondents
answered every question, and as such, rates given are a percentage of the respondents to each particular
question. SVHC believes the data garnered from the sample group accurately reflects the attitudes of the
entire population, having been presented with no reason to believe otherwise.
Key Findings
Questions were directed to both people who have ridden and those who have not ridden the
Cortland/Cornell bus. The information gained from the “have ridden” group is valuable; however, SVHC
believes that the information from those who have not ridden should not be dismissed, as it represents a
great opportunity to explore the perspectives of a currently untapped customer base. Of the information
gained from the survey, SVHC feels that there are ten major findings, which have been outlined below.
1. In total, 39.5% (30 of 76) of the respondents indicated that they have previously ridden the
Cortland/Cornell bus.
2. 61.9% (13 of 22) of the respondents who have ridden the Cortland/Cornell bus indicated that they
no longer ride the bus because of a previous negative experience.
3. 57.8% (26 of 45) of the respondents have never ridden the bus because pick-up times are not
convenient.
4. The overall satisfaction level of current riders was evenly split with 48% being either very or
somewhat satisfied (15 of 31) and 51% being somewhat or very dissatisfied (16 of 31).
5. Aspects riders are most satisfied with are pick-up and drop-off locations, and bus driver
attitude/courtesy.
6. Riders are most dissatisfied with timeliness/punctuality.
7.
Riders were mostly satisfied on the aspect of bus accommodations, comfort and cleanliness, with
57% (16 of 28) being very or somewhat satisfied and 43% (12 of 28) being somewhat or very
dissatisfied.
8. Most riders are satisfied with the frequency of morning routes, with 53.5% (15 of 28) being
somewhat or very satisfied and 46.5% (13 or 28) being somewhat or very dissatisfied.
51
9. Riders were not satisfied with the frequency of afternoon routes, with only 42.8% (12 of 28)
being somewhat or very satisfied and 57% (16 or 28) being somewhat or very dissatisfied.
3) If you have NEVER ridden the Cortland to Cornell bus, why not? Please select all that apply:
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
I prefer to drive my own automobile
24.4%
11
I am in a carpool
4.4%
2
Childcare needs
17.8%
8
Need my car for errands
11.1%
5
Pick-up times are not convenient
57.8%
26
Pick-up and drop-off locations are not convenient
15.6%
7
It takes too long to ride the bus
26.7%
12
Have heard too many bad things about the bus
11.1%
5
Other
26.7%
12
16
If Other (please specify)
answered question
45
skipped question
31
10. Preferred pick up times are 7:15 am and 7:00 am from Cortland, and 4:45 pm and 4:30 pm from
Cornell.
Detailed Findings
Sample of Comments:
 Have heard a few bad things about reliability of bus
 Didn't know it existed. The website doesn't list it. I ride Cortland Transit to TC3 and transfer to
TCAT.
 I'm not sure whether I would be able to get on the bus on an "as needed" basis or if I would have
to commit to riding every day. There are days where I would just need a one-way ride TO work.
Also not sure where the Cortlandville pick up is located. And my work hours can vary. I can't
always leave at 4:30 so then I'd be stuck without my own car.
 Pickup locations are not adequately known by ANYBODY.
 There are NOT enough busses from Cortland to Cornell just one bus is not enough.
4) If you have ever ridden the Cortland to Cornell bus but stopped, please indicate why. Please select all that apply.
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
I prefer to drive my own automobile
0.0%
0
I am in a carpool
13.6%
3
Pick-up times are not convenient
27.3%
6
Pick-up and drop-off locations are not convenient
9.1%
2
It takes too long to ride the bus
18.2%
4
Bus fare is too high
0.0%
0
Previously had a bad experience with this bus
59.1%
13
Other
54.5%
12
16
If Other (please specify)
answered question
22
skipped question
54
Sample of Comments:
52


Consistent lateness of drivers; uncomfortable bus (cold/hot); bus breaking down, having to
stand up on smaller bus
I rode the large red bus which had an alarm that would go off when the bus overheated which
became every day. Also there was no air conditioning in the summer or little heat in the
winter. It's pick up time became very inconsistent especially after Bill left. Some bus drivers
were unstable and some listened to the radio loud. It seemed liked First Transit did not care
about the safety and needs of its customers so I was just couldn't take it any longer and left. I
would come back with new bus and consistent time schedules.
5) Please indicate how much each of the following factors would increase your likelihood of riding the Cortland to Cornell bus:
Answer Options
Convenient pick-up times
Convenient pick-up locations
Bus being on time
More route options/more frequent runs
Positive testimonials from frequent riders
Bus accommodations, comfort, and cleanliness
Bus driver safety record
Other
If Other (please specify)
Very much
Somewhat
Not at all
55
40
53
49
29
39
35
8
10
19
6
9
17
14
14
1
3
3
3
5
7
3
4
2
Response
Count
answered question
skipped question
68
62
62
63
53
56
53
11
16
69
7
Sample of Comments:
 flexibility (daily passes, one-way only, later times)
 most definitely need more busses running to/from Cortland/Cornell
 Signs at pickup locations
14) What improvements to the Cortland to Cornell commuter bus would you like to see:
Answer Options
Response Count
43
Sample of Comments:

You should drop off and pick up on North Campus, and the drop off location in Cortland is
horrible for me. I have to walk too far to get to the bus. I want to be picked up near Wilson
Farms on Main St. Also you website is horrible and hard to navigate what route I need. TCAT
has a much better website, talk to them.

More ads... When looked for service earlier this year due to car issues... I didn't find it.

I would most definitely ride the bus again if I could count on it being on time in the morning and
evening. And if I felt safe, the old bus (maroon and white) I felt very unsafe. I currently ride the
TCAT out of Dryden, I feel safe and my arrival and depart times are great. Arrive at Cornell at
7:48 depart at 4:36. If these improvements were made I would go back to Cortland Transit. The
cost is very reasonable.

I am currently very pleased with our driver and the punctuality of the route with this driver.
However, I understand that he might not be our driver forever and that concerns me. Does route
53
7 have to have the same driver in the morning and the afternoon? If the previous driver was late
because of a bad route combination can that be changed?

I would like to see more runs throughout the day. There is NO WAY I would take the bus being
only 1 bus run.

I doubt I'll be able to take the Cortland-Cornell bus because I work overnights (11pm-7:30am),
but if there is any possibility of offering late night service from Cortland to Cornell (and then
catch a 7:45a or 8:00a bus back to Cortland) that would be great!

The driver that has been assigned recently is great! Punctual and friendly and safe. As far as
improvements, I'd love to see more than one scheduled route. Maybe a 6:30 and 7:00 in the
morning and a 4:00 and 4:30 at night. Thanks

A second route that is earlier - on that leaves the last Cortland stop by 6:45pm instead of 7:15am
and absolutely leaves the last Cornell stop by 4:15pm, not 5:00pm like it is doing many days right
now. P.S. Thank you very much for asking for our input. I will return to riding the bus if the
routes were more reliable and if there was a second route than ran earlier than the current route.

Here at Cornell we work a 39 hour week. It would be nice to see an earlier pickup schedule on
Fridays. Also, I have fellow workers that commute from Syracuse; it would be nice to see a
CENTRO Bus connection. We lost a lot of riders just because of the time issues, 2 bus runs
would be great! then they would return. Other than that, just reliability.

Adjust locations and times. Cover the cost of the fares with my staff ID, just like with the TCAT
fares that get me across campus. (pipe dream?)
Pickup location at/near Cortland Memorial Hospital or Wheeler Ave. Getting from smith
elementary school to riverside, county office building, or even smith corona takes 1520min; adding to that, enough time to be early for the bus, and I could be most of the way
to work in that time. that makes it impractical.

o
Pickup time at 7:15am is impractical and impossible for me, since I have childcare
constraints that keep me in town until 8:10 and sometimes 8:20 or even 8:30am.
o
The return bus leaves Ithaca before I even get out of work at 5 or 5:30; and I sometimes
have to stay until 6:30pm.
I am very happy with the Cortland-Cornell bus route right now, but I didn't always feel that way.
The current bus driver is wonderful & is very prompt, which is great. Some of the bus drivers
we've had in the past haven't been as reliable as far as being on time, especially with picking us
up at the end of the day. The new bus is a relief after riding the unsafe "Queen Mary," which had
no heat, air conditioning, and very uncomfortable seats. The only improvement that I would
possibly like to see is more runs during the day--maybe a later one leaving for Cornell in the
morning, in addition to the current 7:12 a.m. time and another one going back to Cortland at the
end of the day, maybe at 3:30, in addition to the current time. I know this is a long shot, because
there probably isn't enough ridership to justify the extra runs, but I just thought I'd mention it.
Thank you.
Upon review, this survey provides a good deal of information about the perspectives of both people who
have and have not ridden the Cortland/Cornell bus. Like any good marketing research, it suggests where
Cortland Transit can improve its services, at least in the eyes of its customers; in this case, Timeliness and
Convenience of pick-up times are the two areas that seem to merit the primary focus. For more
information, please see the original data report.
54
Appendix C – Cornell commuter route riders self-survey – 2013
Cortland – Cornell Bus Riders
Survey May 16, 2013
Survey conducted by a group of bus
riders. Total responses: 29
1. What is your opinion of the proposed elimination of the direct bus
route from Cortland to Cornell University?
I am opposed
I am in favor
I am indifferent
2. If you are opposed, what are your reasons?
answered question: 28
skipped question:1
Longer trip
Changing bus in Dryden
Difficult connection to East Hill Plaza offices
All of the above
Other (please specify)
Response
count
Response
percent
29
0
0
100%
0%
0%
Response
count
Response
percent
18
16
1
11
64.3%
57.1%
3.6%
39.3%
• By this elimination, I will be required to change to three busses and also, most
likely be standing due to overcrowding.
• Is there free park and ride space at TC3 at the bus exchange stop for people who
would drive there? Would the TCAT 43 bus be able to accommodate 28 more people
to its current load?
• Increase in commuting costs, increase in number of people on 43 Express
• Minimizing my time away from home is very important to me. Eliminating this bus
route will add as much as 15 - 30 minutes going to and returning from work, should I
continue to use Cortland Transit.
• The trip, with lots of extra stops, would make it hard to fit in with both the work
schedule and having any time with family during the week. Changing buses in
Dryden would exaserbate this as there would be time waiting for the next one to
55
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
arrive. There will be no perfect alignment of these buses.
Other than our current driver, Kevin, my experience with Cortland Transit has been
that the buses are not timely, and notification is last minute if at all. This has not
meant that we don't get home, just that we get home late, which is bad enough. If
we are being asked to catch TCAT buses to complete our communte, this could be a
huge problem for the "28" of
us who rely on this transportation to get to and from work. Commuters using your
services to get to Walmart will not have to deal with the potentially severe
consequences that the "28" of us will have to deal with if and when this happens.
Perhaps placing more importance on supporting the needs of the employed in
Cortland County (and surrounding, I live in Cayuga County) will better serve the
County as a whole.
We have been willing to pay more for this service.
My day is long enough already and after a lot of thought the reason I originally signed
up for the bus was that it was a direct trip in with no stops.I also have great concerns
about the TCat being able to accommodate the additional 28 riders.
Leaving home half an hour earlier to take bus 6 is problematic, and I can't drive in
winter in the dark due to poor eye sight.
what happens if Route 6 is late and we miss TCAT 43. How long do wait until
there is another bus, if any?
Even 1 transfer is a significant inconvenience, but I would have 2 transfers to get
to work, which would no longer make sense for me.
Convenience
I have doubts that TCAT could carry us all and my daughter needs my car to get to
work to help pay for college.
3. What will you do if the direct route to Cornell is ended?
answered question: 24
skipped question: 5
Continue with bus adding time to my day
Car pool
Drive to Dryden
Drive to campus
Other (please specify):
Response
count
Response
percent
2
7
14
16
8.3%
29.2%
58.3%
66.7%
• I'm not sure yet. I drove to Cornell for years and was tired of it, so I was thrilled
when they started the Cortland-Cornell run. While I'm all for public transportation, I
am not looking forward to an already long day being even longer because of the
proposed change for us to switch buses in Dryden. The TCAT buses going back to
Dryden in the evening are already packed with commuters so how are they going to
56
•
•
•
•
•
accommodate an extra 30 people?
I hope there is a lot of parking available. Trying to get seats on Route 6 with TC3
students will be hard. Right now in order to get to work on time, there is only one
TCAT connection.
I am an occasional rider. I car pool on a daily basis but sometimes need to take the
bus in one direction or another.
The bus will become too complicated and time consuming to continue.
The current round trip is 1.5 hours. Increasing that really affects family life.
Undecided
• Drive to campus and park in A lot for free. Dryden doesn't have enough parking to
handle more people who could pick up TCAT route 43. Nor does the 43 have
enough seats.
• The 43 bus will be overloaded if we all decide to catch the bus at TC3 or downtown
Dryden.
• Unless the new Route 6 / TCAT combination would fit my scheduling needs.
• not sure
• I am not sure what I will do, all options are bad for some reason or another
• I will do a combination of all, depending on work schedule and others
interested in carpooling.
• Not sure yet.
• I will probably try to carpool when possible, and otherwise drive to Dryden or to campus.
• Depends on whether TCAT option is feasible. Even if it is, I will probably drive once
my daughter goes back to college because the alternative bus schedule won't
match well with my work schedule.
4. Would you be willing to pay an additional fee if that meant leaving
the bus service to Cornell as it is?
Answered question: 29
Skipped question: 0
Yes
No
5. If you answered yes to the previous question, what additional fee
w ould you be willing to pay?
answered question: 25
Response
count
Response
percent
26
4
89.7%
13.8%
Response
count
Response
percent
4
16.0%
skipped question: 4
$5 a month
57
$10 a month
10
40.0%
$15 a month
15
60.0%
Other (please specify): 7
• I would be willing to pay more to keep service as is.
• The route cost has not been increased in almost 10 years. An increase is
reasonable.
• Whatever the cost is.
• If the timing of the run fit my scheduling needs, $15 additional would not
be too much to pay.
• $25 a month - still can't drive for that amount!
•
Not sure why we'd HAVE to pay more. If we were on welfare and dialed a ride from
Cincinnatus, they'd drive all the way out to get us to take us to WalMart for
prescriptions. All that distance for one person that isn't even contributing to Cortland
County tax roles. Cornell employees riding the Cortland to Cornell bus pay every
month, all year long whether we ride or not... AND ... there's a waiting list to get on the
Cortland to Cornell bus.
• $40
6. Please feel free to enter information or comments you would like to share.
•
I sincerely hope the Cortland-Cornell route 7 bus run can remain in service.
There were so many problems with the run when it first started, but Cortland
Transit worked with us to resolve all of the problems and we appreciate that.
Now that we are over that hump and the run is operating just about perfectly,
they want to do away with it. What a shame. Were our opinions even taken
into account after we completed the survey sent to us by Helen Steh on behalf
of Jan Dempsey in June 2012 on this very topic? It doesn't appear so. People
will not take a bus to Dryden if it leaves Cortland any earlier than our current
route 7 bus does and if we have to pay the same fare we are now paying to ride
all the way to Cornell. I would be happy to have our fare increased, however, if
route 7 remains as it currently is. I would like more details about how cutting
the route 7 bus will help keep the other busses running on time. I see busses
from other counties (Tioga, Chemung, etc) dropping off and picking people up
at Cornell and we want Cortland county to remain on that list of counties that
provides public transportation for students and employees to and from Cornell.
I look forward to attending the public hearings in June.
•
Will there be parking available at TC3 for Cornell University Employees? 2. How
58
will you get this information out to SUNY Cortland Faculty, Staff and Students
that reside in Ithaca that use the Cortland Route 7 to get to SUNY Cortland? 3.
Because Cortland Transit is a subsidized at 90% by the Federal Gov't. Any
decreased funding by the Gov't will hurt all transit systems. Cornell's run
weather we ride or not is making more money than the busses driving around
Cortland with no riders. This will be more evident when the Federal Gov't
subsidizes per rider instead of $32,000.00 per month as is currently being
funded. You are cutting off your nose to spite your face.
• Was the grant for additional busses made specifically to acquire busses for a Cornell
run? If so, how can the grant money/busses be allocated differently? I understand and
agree with the need to beef up the public transportation system in Cortland for current
and anticipated needs but in addition to the current ridership on the Cornell run, I
understand there has been a waiting list and expect there would be a greater interest if
there were more busses or more runs so there is a definite need for this and if a grant
was provided to serve this need, it should be honored without additional cost and
inconvenience at least to current riders.
• Please keep this bus run. It is for hard working citizens of Cortland County. I do not want
to detour to TC3. It is out of the way and would cause a longer work day. Why do you
want to hurt the working class? I see many of the First Transit bus runs empty, this bus
is not. This makes no sense in my eyes. Sincerely, Cindy Ryan , Cortland County Tax
Payer
• The Cortland-Cornell bus route is a good thing for those who use it and would use it. I
think if Cortland Transit made full use of the two busses they purchased with State
subsidies for this route, they would be able to make money with this route. There are
10 or more people on the waiting list. Advertise the route and more will citizens will
use it. As far as I know, nothing has been done in the past two years to increase
ridership.
• I like the fact that I can take the bus especially in the winter so that I don't have to worry
about the roads and we have the BEST driver we could ever hope to have. He is on time
and pleasant!! this is a nice bonus especially if you have had a long bad day!!
• I drove to campus for 19 years and it was wonderful when Cornell added this service. I
have loved riding the bus for 6 1/2 years and I don't want it to change. I don't want to
add extra commute time when it's already an hour each way. It doesn't make sense to
pay a fee just to ride TC3 to change buses. TCAT route 43 is not big enough to handle
30 more people. I don't want to stand for 10 miles from TC3 to Cornell. Route 13 is a
dangerous road and I prefer not to drive it to work. This service eliminates the risk of
59
an accident. Please, please do not eliminate or change the existing Cortland/Cornell
route.
• This took me by total surprise. Please let me know if I'm wrong, but I thought this bus
was available over grant money for the purpose of going from Cortland to Cornell
and back Monday - Friday.
• I stopped riding the bus a few months ago because the timing did not work for me. I
have to pick my son up from pre-school by 5:30 at the very latest, and the bus does
not get to Cortland in time for me to do that. I would not mind using the Route 6 /
TCat combination if it does not add significant time to what is a 35 minute trip if one
drives, and if it offers flexible scheduling that would allow earlier commute in the
morning and afternoon.
• This route works well because it's easy and does not add a lot of time to our day since it's
a direct route. I know it sounds minimal but when your day is already 7 - 5:30 when
you add 15 minutes on both ends of the day make a huge difference. I have been
riding this bus for 5 years and have heard that it doesn't make any money since I
started riding. The riders have been telling 1st Transit to up the rate to cover it. We all
appreciate the fact that gas has skyrocketed and even if they increased the fee, if they
keep the service was the same it would be worth it. Not only does it benefit people
going to Cornell to work but there are always riders going back to Cortland. This is a
service that benefits Cortland County residents and the county itself and I would really
hate to see it disappear. My other concern is that the TCAT Rt 43 is often full so adding 25
additional people to that route is going to be a huge problem. Incoming isn't as full as
outgoing but most nights there are no seats and many people standing. It just doesn't
seem like it will work.
•
I don't understand how our bus interfers with the additional runs during the day. I
want to understand why we have to give up the run when the "new businesses" are
not even up and running yet. Also what about the buses purchased through the
stimulus grant.
•
Forcing people to leave home at 6:30 to get on the small bus 6 at 6:45 with the risk of
missing the connection is what made people drive to Cornell in the first place.
Returning to that system for 30 people does not make sense. We are going back to not
providing good transportation options for Cornell workers. Cortland County used my
tax money to pay a consultant $95.000 to legitimize its decision to take my ride to work
away from me. Nice job! And what about the federal grant money obtained to provide
bus service to Cornell, which by the way subsidizes it? What about that commitment?
60
•
This change has been decided without any input from the Cornell riders, which does
not seem very fair.
•
Is Cornell working with Cortland Transit and TCAT to help resolve this issue? Or are
they indifferent?
•
This route is consistently heavily utilized. If they need to cut back, they should cut
back on routes that are poorly utilized.
•
I feel that it is a total lack of commitment from the bus company. I paid in cash for my
bus pass for January 2013 through December 2013. I paid for the full year in good faith
and I expect the bus company to honor their commitment. I wonder how full the buses
are that travel to Walmart and just how many runs are needed in a day. Can shoppers
be as "inconvenienced" as Cornell workers who rely on transportation back and forth
to work.
• I do not understand what the Route 7 bus to Cornell has to do with the Route 4 bus going
to Walmart. Jan Dempsey stated in the Cortland Standard dated May 10th that the
Route 4 bus going to Walmart has the most problems with tardiness. What does the
Route 7 bus have to do with that? It makes two runs to Cornell a day, one very early in
the morning and one later in the afternoon. This has nothing to do with the other
buses being tardy! How will eliminating the Route 7 bus improve service for the larger
population? It makes no sense at all!
• I'm not clear on what inpact our bus route has to other transportation concerns in the
county when it is gone first thing in morning and end of day in afternoon. Isn't this
route guaranteed monies to Cortland Transit whether or not we are on the bus? i need
more of an explanation in order to comment.
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Appendix D – Cortland County Wellness Day Survey (5/16/12) - Ridesharing
1. What modes of transportation have you ever used to get to work?
Response
Car
Walk
Taxi
Bus
Bike
Total
2. What is your primary mode of transportation?
Response
Car
Walk
Total
3. Would you ride the bus if it came near your house?
Response
Never
Occasionally
Rarely
Regularly
Total
4. If the answer to #3 was "rarely" or "never," why not?
Response
Other
Need car for kids
Need car for work
Takes too long
Live too close to work
Uncomfortable
Total
5a. Have you ever carpooled with someone?
Response
Yes
No
Total
5b. Would you consider carpooling?
Response
Number
35
19
2
6
2
64
Percentage
54.69%
29.69%
3.13%
9.38%
3.13%
100.00%
Number
33
4
37
Percentage
89.19%
10.81%
100.00%
Number
6
15
9
3
33
Percentage
18.18%
45.45%
27.27%
9.09%
100.00%
Number
1
4
9
3
1
1
19
Percentage
5.26%
21.05%
47.37%
15.79%
5.26%
5.26%
100.00%
Number
25
9
34
Percentage
73.53%
26.47%
100.00%
Number
Percentage
62
Yes
22
66.67%
No
10
30.30%
Maybe
1
3.03%
Total
33
100.00%
6. If you answered no to question 5b, what are the reasons?
Response
Number
Percentage
Need car for work
3
20.00%
Live too close to work
1
6.67%
Quiet time
2
13.33%
Errands
3
20.00%
Enjoy radio station
1
6.67%
Emergencies
4
26.67%
No trust
1
6.67%
Total
15
100.00%
7. If the county agreed to have reserved spaces for those who carpool, would that be an incentive that would
make you consider carpooling?
Response
Number
Percentage
Yes
18
54.55%
No
15
45.45%
Total
33
100.00%
8. What are your biggest transportation concerns? Ranked from 14-70.*
Response
Number
NOTE
Gas prices
16
Parking
35
Poor Road Conditions
46
Lower numbers
Pollutions
50
represent bigger
Lack of public transit
63
concerns.
9. What is your age range?
Response
Number
Percentage
18-30
5
14.71%
30-45
11
32.35%
45-60
14
41.18%
60+
4
11.76%
Total
34
100.00%
10. Other comments…
Response
Live in Marathon and work at solid waste office
Poor road conditions increase difficulty for poor people to maintain their car repairs to get them to work - public transit need to be extended in to evenings and rural areas.
Need bus to Virgil
*These numbers represent concerns ordered by importance. Each survey participant ranked concerns
from 1-5, with total scores ranging from 14-70. The lower numbers represent greatest importance.
63
Appendix E – Mobility Visioning Workshop
Community Transportation Association of America
Mobility Visioning Workshop – Cortland, NY
January 5, 2012
Summary Results of Conversation and Activity
37 Attendees
1. Needs - What are the unmet mobility needs that you see in the region?







Evening hours/ weekends (21)
Expanded service to rural areas (18)
Cross county (inter-county) transportation (7)
Expanded routes and times (3)
More bus shelters (4)
Better communication/information (4)
Other:
-Emergency transport to work when car breaks down
-Night shift
-Car repair services
-Coordination among providers
-Social
-Scheduling better on time stops
-Time of trip to center of town
-Time frames to outlying area
-Handicap access
-Handicap access needs at bus stops
-Passengers unable to walk to bus stop
-Transportation to medical appts. for seniors
-Medical transportation from and to rural areas
-Affordable door to doctor transportation
-Public transportation to larger medical centers (i.e. Syracuse)
-Shopping trips
-Youth need an expanded schedule
-Youth employment transport
64
-One evening or Saturday afternoon service from rural areas
-No centralized bus station -- County office building not adequate
-Reliability
-Ridesharing program
-Cortland to Cornell times are not convenient for riders
-Shorter more frequent busing to large employers
2. Where are people that use transportation going to?













Cortland (9)
Cortlandville stores (10)
Medical appointments & hospital (7)
Virgil & Greek Peak (6)
Syracuse (6)
Ithaca (5)
Binghamton (3)
TC3 (3)
JM Murray Center (3)
Cincinnatus (2)
DSS and other services (1)
Entertainment, events, restaurants (3)
Others:
-Work
-Employment venues
-Rural areas
-tourism spots
3. Where are people using transportation coming from?












Cortland (10)
SUNY Cortland (1)
Cortlandville (2)
Senior housing (3)
Homes and apartment complexes (5)
Rural areas (5)
Cincinnatus area (7)
DeRuyter/Cuyler (2)
Homer (2)
TC3 (2)
Virgil/Harford/ (2)
Other:
-From Cortland, Dryden, Marathon (Employers)
-Treatment settings
-Long-term care settings
65
-Tompkins county- Groton, Dryden, etc
-Moravia
-Grocery store
-Convenient care center
4. When do people need to travel—times of day and week


Evenings and weekends (7)
Other:
-Monday through Friday 6am to 11pm, Sat Sun 7am to 10pm
-6pm to 1am especially weekends
-7 days 5pm to work 10pm return
-Everyday, jobs include weekends, 6am to 9pm
-6am to 10pm 7 days
-M-F 6pm to 11:30 pm, Sat. Sun. 6:30am-11:30pm
-Every day and weekends 6am to 9pm
-Every day 6am to 9 pm
-Shift times 7am-3pm, 3pm to 11pm, 11pm tp 7am, ½ hr before, ½ hr after
-Weekdays 8-5, Weekends a.m. and p.m.
-M-F 6am to 6pm, Sat and Sunday 8am to 10pm
-6am to 9pm all week
-Evening hours BOCES
-Mon-Fri 6-9pm
-6am-6pm Monday thru Friday
-Arrive Cortland 7:30-8AM, Leave Cortland 4-6:00pm Mon-Fri
-Arrive Cortland 7:30-8AM, Leave Cortland 4-6:00pm Mon-Fri
-Weekdays 8-5 for appts.
-8-5 Mon-Fri
-Work daily
-Saturday Arrive Cortland 11-12:00, Leave Cortland 4-6pm
-Mon-Sat work shifts, at least Sat. morning
-Mon-Saturday early AM through evening
-Thanksgiving, Christmas
-Holidays (when you have off from work)
-More service 7-9am
-Morning rush
-Monday thru Friday 8-5, Sat. Sun. 4-10pm
-6am to Ithaca by 8am
-Shopping 1x/week
66
5. How often do people need to travel


Daily/7 days (9)
Other:
-6 days/week
-Faculty/staff 5-6 days/ week
-Twice a day—to work, home from work
-Depends on individual needs—work daily, appointments less frequently
-Once a week to 5x/week
-Occasionally to daily
-Students 2-3x/week, varieties of hours
-3x/week
-Shopping 1-2x/week
-Once weekly shopping and pharmacy
-1x/week
-Religious services on Sunday
-Medical- Once a month
-Knowing a definite schedule would allow people to make appointments
-Sporadic, when car breaks down
6. Purpose -- for what purpose are people traveling?







Employment (19)
Medical appts. (15)
Shopping (16)
Entertainment/recreation (5)
Socialization (4)
School (2)
Other:
-Independence and life
-One way trips –Have a ride unable to get back
-Appointments
7. Barriers-- What are the transportation barriers that you or your organization face?



Education about services (13)
Scheduling issues (8)
Cost of services (6)
67





Distance to bus “stop” (6)
Accessible bus stops and shelters (2)
Advance notice for Dial-a-Ride (3)
Stigma of riding bus (4)
Language barrier (2)

Other:
-Have never used public transportation - uneasy with using for first time
-No bus station
-No availability
-No service
-Hours of operation
-Connection with surrounding counties
-Unplanned events
-Older age frailty
-Back of bus discomfort
-No wheelchair accessible taxis
-No other options
-No sidewalks
-Not enough light
-Higher gas prices in Cortland County
-Financing for used cars
-America’s love affair with the automobile
-Dependence on neighbors
8. Problems - other problems with current transportation services




Cross county (inter-county) connections (3)
Funding for services (3)
Lack of coordination among agencies (2)
Other:
-Lack of natural (volunteer) supports
-Bus service staying in business (as a potential problem)
-High cost of gas compared to national average
-Lack of rural runs
-No night or weekend routes
-Need bus station
-Getting the first time rider on the bus
- Door-to-door service aside from Cortland transit
-Taxis--- smoking, no patience, bad driving
-America and Upstate NY not prepared for “graying” of America
9. Solutions - possible solutions to problems described, additional services
68







Advertising/Marketing (8)
Education (7)
Coordination/collaboration across agencies (3)
Volunteer programs (3)
Ridesharing/vanpooling programs (6)
More funding (3)
More direct/shorter routes (4)

Other:
-Inventory –Agency vehicles, -Availability, -Capacity, -Drivers
-Housing bus in rural area- where that bus can loop to pick up local residents
-Evaluate and update policy, legal barriers, and limitations
-Business sponsorship
-Delivery services
-Traveling doctors/nurses
-Grocery/prescription delivery services
-Grocery stores to subsidize shopping trips
-Increase times and schedules
-Update transit website
-One-stop-shop for transportation (could be a website)
-Safe street crossings and better sidewalks
-Connect to adjacent counties
-Bus station downtown
-Rent-a-wreck
-Seek option of passenger rail service
-Nonprofit public transit company
-Enforce smoke-free taxis
-Greater need around starting shift times
69
Appendix F – CTAA Focus Group
Transportation Focus Group
Cortland, New York
January 4, 2012
In attendance:
Anita: works at Cortland Co. Historical Society, on the Board of Retired Senior Volunteer Program
(RSVP), Bicycle Rider
Chuck: occasional bus rider, wife rides regularly, teaches AARP program including info on alternative
transportation for seniors, uses Way2Go website often.
David: uses Dial-a-Ride regularly to come in to work at Royal Motors from Preble.
Dorothy: consumer of public transit
Jessica: represents Wellness Recovery Center for mental health consumers
Laurie: uses Route 7 to Cornell
Phyllis: works at Access to Independence, is a consumer of public transit
Rosalie: relies entirely on public transit for transportation to get to work at Tyler Cleaners.
Ruth: advocate and consumer of public transportation
Heather: represents Wellness Recovery Center, consumer of public transit
1. How many here use transit? How do you currently get around?
 Most use public transit
 Dial-a-ride (3)
 Walking (3)
 Bus (5)
 Scooter (1)
 Cab (1)
 Car (3)
 Cornell Bus
 Bike (2)
2. What are your specific transportation needs?
 Rosalie: Work 8a-3p (standing dial-a-ride reservation)
 Anita: Cortlandville Crossing shopping, to Homer, grocery shopping
 Phyllis: Work, medical appointments, stores, Employment Connection, Ithaca, Syracuse
70







Laurie: Cornell Bus to Work, non-Cornell employees riding, some drive to Dryden and
pick up TCAT
Dorothy: Work, medical appointments, five days a week
Check: Wife takes Route 5 bus from Marathon to the County Office Building often
Ruth: Meetings, stores, medical appointments (can’t always make routine
appointments), issues with parking for special events, coordination of campus and
public transit, safety, busy cabs, public information, lack of local cab drivers due to long
trips
Heather: Grocery store, laundromat, medical appointments. Issues with times,
reliability, rude drivers
Jessica: transportation to Recovery Center, Center times not aligned with bus
transportation
David: work, issues with evening hours and Saturdays
3. What are the transportation barriers you face? What are other problems you see with current
transportation services?
 Rosalie: reliability (even after standing reservations), occasional rude dispatcher,
normally drivers are great
 Anita: Bottom step is rather high, makes it difficult to get on to bus
 Phyllis: Have to cross the street to get to bus from her apartment complex (Port Watson
Common), 72 apartments in complex and many have mobility issues, bus will not pull
into complex to avoid left turns, need better communication between driver and
dispatcher, bus is unreliable and often late.
 Laurie: Not enough time alternatives on Cornell Route, bus is getting crowded (have a
wait list and sometimes standing room only), driver is great and usually reliable (they
have developed a text message list for when the bus is running late), would like
expanded Cornell service
 Dorothy: Bus often overcrowded from Murray Center, Route 4 very full, many riders will
not share seats, bus is sometimes late or will drive by, good bus driver makes a big
difference, bus monitor may help
 Chuck: buses don’t stick to schedule in outlying area, no bus shelters, have to get there
very early because driver doesn’t wait until scheduled departure times, drivers unsafe
(ex. tailgating and speeding 70 mph), unreliable, time pressure, depends on driver but
he sometimes fears for his wife’s safety
 Ruth: No one listens to bus drivers’ suggestions, drivers underpaid, underappreciated,
and overworked, First Transit cannot cover for late or missed routes, not on time,
difficult to change routes based on new/closed businesses (ex. Marietta, need expanded
service, ex. Route to Little York Park), only transportation for emergencies is cab (not
dial-a-ride), can’t latch on to other trips (ex. Inter-county)
 Heather: Times and reliability, bus not always accommodating for those with mobility
issues (ex. standing and waiting in cold), little service in rural areas
 Jessica: Difficult for those with social anxiety issues, fear of something new, kids running
around on bus, times, reliability, changes in schedule need to be better publicized,
difficult to take groceries on bus, lack of control/safety issues, construction making bus
late, language from drivers/riders.
 David: Happy with bus, drivers underpaid, is often alone on Dial-a-Ride
71
4. What are some possible solutions to the problems you’ve described?
 Pay drivers more
 Safety: Seatbelts, car-seats, drivers trained to properly restrain wheelchairs
 Make schedule more reliable
 Wait for scheduled departure times
 More realistic schedule
 Hold drivers accountable/ offer incentives
 Develop a process to tell riders when bus is going to be late
 Better customer service
 Post number for First Transit on bus/ in bus shelters
 Re-route bus to larger complexes and businesses
 Put bus schedules on the bus and publish in newspaper
 Letter to the editor
 Coordination with other transportation services, ex. taxis
 Increase bus times
5. What are the top transportation priorities of those mentioned?
 Get more people on the bus - advertise
 Communication (2)
 Better schedule (2)
 Safety
 Evening & Weekend Service (2)
 2nd Cornell Run
 Inter-county transportation
 Improved driver skills and customer service skills for transit staff
Other Notes
Dial-a-Ride stops at county lines unless it’s Medicaid
Non-Cornell bus riders on Cornell run
Need better coordination between Cortland Transit and SUNY Cortland to special events on campus
Need better coordination with taxi companies, taxis are sometimes busy transporting folks out of the
county
The crosswalk at the Hess Station on Port Watson Street is very short – perhaps 10 seconds
Family Health Network on Route 2 has to call Cortland Transit when a patient is done with their
appointment. Driver is supposed to pull in on their next run but sometimes that doesn’t happen and the
patient is stranded.
Would like to see a Cortland Repertory Theater route in the summer.
No service on Clinton Ave between Greenbush and Pomeroy
72
Recovery Center (part of Catholic Charities) already has a Bus Buddy-like program in place.
There was an accident with the bus because the bus driver was tailgating. No bus came along for 1.5
hours
Sometimes David is picked up in a minivan as part of Dial-a-Ride
Cortland Transit should tell riders who call in if their bus is running late
Appendix G – Let’s Talk Transportation Public Forum
Notes from the “Let’s Talk Transportation” Public Forum/Listening Session
October 18, 2012
6-8 pm, Cortland Elks Lodge
Introduction of Mobility Management System & Way2Go Cortland by Jan Dempsey, Mobility
Management Coordinator at Seven Valleys Health Coalition.
Introduction of CTAA, Charlie Rutkowski from CTAA and panel (Jan Dempsey, Chief Mike Catalano from
Cortland City Police, Linette Mowers from SUNY Cortland, Tova Sturmer from TC3, Deputy Mayor Ken
Dye from the City of Cortland, Sara Holl and John Hartzog from Cortland Transit, and Dan Dineen from
the County Planning Dept.
Questions were submitted on index cards – panelists responded, attendees commented.
#1 – Route 6 to TC3 doesn’t follow its normal route through the SUNY campus during the summer. How
was I supposed to know this? Shouldn’t the bus always stick to the publicized schedule?
SH – All routes should stick to the schedule. If a bus ever goes off the scheduled route, the rider should
call Cortland Transit. (This could have happened when some streets through campus were closed when
the students were coming back to campus or during Jets camp.
#2 – Can we improve the security at the bus shelters in front of the county office building? Seniors,
especially, don’t feel safe there.
MC – the police can try and include that area in their patrols but they don’t have extra staff.
JD – since they are talking about cameras in the downtown area, maybe there should be cameras at the
COB.
Attendee – suggested blue light phones at the bus stops like they have on campus.
#3 – Connections don’t always work well between Cortland Transit & TCAT at TC3.
73
SH – Cortland Transit and TCAT do communicate with each other. Passengers should call Cortland
Transit or let their driver know if it looks like there might be a problem making the connection.
#4 – What can be done about taxis around here? Some are dirty, not well maintained, one driver has his
dog with him.
MC – The city code of ordinances requires twice a year inspections – ordinances are only for taxis
operating in the city.
Attendee – they should be inspected more often
MC – riders should complain to the taxicab owners
Attendee – she has refused to use certain taxis due to safety reasons
MC – call PD if there’s a dangerous situation and they can do an immediate spot inspection
Attendee – suggested the owner of the taxi with the dog forewarn riders when they call that he has a
dog.
MC – taxis are part of the free enterprise system. If there’s something illegal or unsafe, call the police
department. If it’s a matter of cleanliness or smoking, use a different taxi.
JD – Way2Go Cortland is helping to promote taxis that agree to be smoke-free.
#5 – Concerning Medicaid transportation, I called TLC to confirm a ride for a consumer. TLC had a 12:45
pm pickup time in Cortland for a 1:15 appt. in Syracuse and they did not have the address for the doctor.
I had to fill in the blanks so the consumer could make her appt. and correct time so she would be on
time. How will this be corrected in the future?
SH – It appears that it’s an issue of miscommunication with TLC. Call CT and we will contact TLC.
#6 – Dial-a-Ride goes to Syracuse for Medicaid patients. Why can’t Medicare recipients, seniors, etc. pay
to ride when there is room on existing trips?
SH – CT does not have the authority to take non-Medicaid people out of the county. CT tries to group
Medicaid rides together but still is not allowed to take others outside the county borders.
CR – There are rules limiting who can ride where. When people do not have transportation they can call
TLC for non-emergency appointments. CTAA is working on this issue.
#7 – What can we put in place for non-drivers who must get to Syracuse and/or Ithaca?
DD – We must get operating agreements in place between CT and Centro to allow our buses to go to
Onondaga County. Centro might be willing to allow CT to go to Tully but the Centro Tully bus is full and
Centro might need another bus on that route. There is an agreement which currently allows Route 7 to
take people from Cortland to Cornell.
SH – CT would consider a route to Tully if there is demand and funding for the route.
Attendee – Would Centro send a bus to Cortland?
DD – There is no funding available for that.
Attendee – How about Dial-a-Ride to Tully?
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(Dial-a-Ride can go to the county line but we would need an operating agreement with Centro to go any
further.)
#8 – Is there a possibility of helping to organize van pools to Syracuse or Ithaca?
JD – We should definitely be looking at vanpools as an option for workers to get to Syracuse, Ithaca, or
Binghamton. If anyone is interested, contact Jan Dempsey (MMC) and we can work on this together.
#9 – I have several disabilities. I have speech problems and cerebral palsy. I am wearing a brace on my
left foot and use a walker. I cannot climb up or down the stairs on the bus. I have to use the lift on Route
4. I have been using communication cards to show bus drivers where I want to go. My mentor and I have
attached a note to my bus pass wallet so that bus drivers know that I need to use the lift.
SH – a rider should tell the driver when the lift is needed. The card idea is a good idea.
Attendee – maybe the transit agency or Way2Go Cortland could work on creating cards for these needs.
#10 – Not enough schedules available on the buses. Can bus schedules be posted in the shelters? How
about more places to purchase monthly bus passes?
SH - Need to find a way to protect the schedules in the bus shelters from the weather and from being
stolen or vandalized. Passes are currently sold at CT and at two Daily Grind locations on Main Street. If
we can find a business willing to sell the passes, we can consider them.
#11 – I worry about my safety on the buses. Sometimes the drivers speed or they weave in and out of
traffic.
JH – When this occurs, the rider should call CT as soon as possible and tell us the route #, time and
driver’s name if known. If the management doesn’t know about these issues, we can’t fix them.
#12 – Are there any plans to create a polytran (black-top, road-like, 8 ft. wide path located on 1 side of
each street, instead of a sidewalk, with a center line like a road?) Rules would be the same as
pedestrians, used by bikes, skateboards, wheelchairs and strollers. They have been used in other
countries.
KD – Many streets have no right of way. This would be difficult with narrow streets. Funding is always an
issue.
JD – Sounds like an idea that could be considered for the Gateway project and the redesign of the
Clinton Avenue corridor.
#13 – The roads are cleared and salted by the government (taxes). Why not clear the sidewalks in this
manner?
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KD – Sidewalks are not city property. Individual property owners are responsible for their sidewalks. If
sidewalks are not cleared, one should call the city code office. If the city has to come out and shovel the
city will charge the property owner.
Attendee – It may be worthwhile for the city to clean the sidewalks. Preventative maintenance would
save money in the long run.
Attendee – If city clears sidewalks, where does it end?
Attendee – What about areas like Main Street and Tompkins Street?
Attendee – Maybe the Cortland Downtown Partnership should be responsible for the downtown area.
#14 – The bus picks up people at the 51 Port Watson senior apartments on Church St. I understand that
the bus will drop people off in front of the building if they are willing to pay a deviation fee ($1.00
instead of $.50). Is this true?
SH – Yes, there is a deviation fee because the complex wanted to keep the area clear in front of the
building and does not want buses parked there.
#15 – On my daily commute to Ithaca I see county transit buses from Tioga and Chemung counties and
am curious what the plans might be for Cortland to run a route to the downtown Ithaca transit hub?
Cortland Transit does not have authority to do this and would need an agreement with TCAT. People can
transfer at TC3 to TCAT buses to go to downtown Ithaca.
DD – The only agreement we have now is the Cornell route and it is a closed door system. CT cannot pick
up passengers along the way in Tompkins County.
As part of the current Regional Transportation Study the consultants are looking at ways to facilitate
these agreements.
#16 – Why is the transit office open 9-5 when the buses run 6–6?
SH – The dispatcher is there 6–6. Use Extension 221 to speak with the dispatcher.
#17.1 – Only 2 times have I tried to take the bus and both were 15-30 minutes late.
#17.2 – Why do the buses constantly run behind?
SH – Buses cannot always be on time, due to the number of pickups, deviations and wheelchair riders.
There is a Route Changes committee that is looking at redoing some of the routes. Riders can call the
office to find out where a bus is. There is technology that will allow riders to know where the buses are
but there isn’t a plan at the moment to purchase this technology.
#18 – Is there any truth to the rumor that Cortland Transit is closing down?
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SH – No truth to the rumor.
#19 – Drivers do not call in transfers.
JH – Please call the office and let us know. There is a new system that has been created to discipline
drivers based on complaints. Drivers use codes to communicate and sometimes riders don’t understand
that a transfer has been called in.
#20 – What will happen to public transportation if the Medicaid brokerage system comes?
JD – We don’t know at this point. The Department of Health is changing the way Medicaid
transportation money is distributed and how trips are scheduled. There has been and will continue to be
a lot of discussion about this. We are going to stay on top of this issue.
#21 – Deviations make the buses get farther behind
CR – There is a constant balance that must be maintained.
Attendee – Route 3 needs to be reviewed
JD – We have a Route Changes committee but we have put some recommendations on hold until after
the CTAA study has been completed.
Attendee – Bus drivers should be involved. They know the routes and the issues better than anybody.
JD – Great idea!
#22 – Any thought to a multimodal center for buses, Greyhound buses, etc.?
CR – That would be a good idea. The COB is not an ideal transfer point. It is difficult to find a place in the
downtown area since it might remove some parking spaces. We have been looking at possible sites.
#23 – Any chance of getting a handicapped accessible taxi?
Cortland doesn’t have one. Ithaca just got one. It took about 10 years for that to happen in Ithaca. But it
is certainly something to work towards.
#24 – How much does Cortland County and the City of Cortland pay for public transportation?
DD – 0%. Subsidies from the federal and state governments provide for most of the funding.
CR – federal money comes from the federal gas tax.
#25 – Can we have cars not park in front of the Murray Center shelter? Bus drivers cannot see
passengers sitting there.
SH – CT will address with the Murray Center.
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Attendee – same thing is happening at the nursing rehabilitation center – need no parking signs.
#26 – I have low vision and can no longer drive. I depend a great deal on the bus service. I do appreciate
it very much. - Gene
(Clapping) Thank you, Gene.
#27 – You continue to hear that the Cortland to Cornell route doesn’t make money and we may face
losing it. We are continuously full and maintain a wait list of people trying to get back and forth to work.
How are you working to improve and/or increase options for people in Cortland County trying to work in
Ithaca?
DD – The Cornell route is losing about $2,000 per month.
Attendee – Cornell riders are willing to pay more. We have expected the rates to go up. We are willing
to pay more.
For 2 buses it would cost Cornell riders $120 a month for CT to break even.
Attendee – before you eliminate or force us to transfer at TC3, consider raising the rates.
Attendee – if route was expanded to go into downtown Ithaca, you would have an even greater
demand.
#28 – Disabled American Vets have volunteers who drive people to Syracuse – can there be a
partnership with them?
CR – DAV vans are provided by the VA, drivers are volunteers, and the organization is a non-profit
separate from the VA. CTAA has been working on breaking down the barriers that exist between the VA
and public transportation. Other agencies like the American Cancer Society also have dedicated funding
and regulate who they can help.
JD – A volunteer program would be a great asset and there have been some discussions about this.
#29 – If little children can ride public transit to school in New York City, why can’t we have a truly
integrated transport system in Cortland County? Why can’t I ride a school bus to get around the county?
Each school bus makes two runs around the entire county. It’s an attitude and legal problem. We
actually have plenty of buses, we need to expand who is allowed to ride each one and change our
thinking. Putting middle class citizens on buses changes how people think about public transit.
CR – This does happen in larger cities but is rare in rural communities. There is something about the
sanctity of the yellow school bus that is at stake. This question comes up all the time at different forums.
It is difficult to put in place. How many parents here would want their children riding on a bus with adult
strangers?
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JD – announces the new Winter Route which will provide evening & weekend service between
December 1, 2012 and April 1, 2013. There will be a route in-town and a route to Virgil & Greek Peak.
Thank you to all who attended our forum. Questions that were submitted and not addressed will find
their way onto the Way2GoCortland.org website in the near future.
Appendix H – Route Changes Recommendations
Summary of Original Recommendations from the Route Changes sub-committee of the Transportation
Advisory Committee presented at public hearings on June 17 & 18, 2013.
Proposed Changes to Route 1
•Route 1 will be 45 minutes long with 3 – 15 minute segments
•Each segment will start and end at the County Office Building
•Service to Kennedy Pkwy and Yaman Park would be an unpaid deviation
•New service along Clinton Ave and Elm Street near Marietta
Proposed changes to Route 2
•Route 2 consists of 2 segments which will each begin and end at the County Office Building.
•The first segment is a 30 minute loop which will include a loop around the hospital which is currently
included on Route 3.
•The second segment is a 15 minute loop which will go down Tompkins to Squires, Union, Huntington
and Church. This segment was originally on Route 4 and greatly contributes to Route 4 being late.
Moving it onto Route 2 will help Route 4 stay on time.
Proposed Changes to Route 3
•Will remain a 30 minute route
•The loop around the hospital is being moved to Route 2
•Make the nursing home entrance next to the hospital a “paid deviation” since there is a crosswalk to
the hospital across Rt. 11 and the loop around the hospital is included on Route 2. Euclid Avenue
Medical Center would be an “on call – unpaid deviation.”
•Route 3 will travel north on Homer Avenue to the Village of Homer and will continue through Homer
on the current route. When the route comes back into Cortland it will proceed farther south on Homer
Avenue and make a left onto Madison Street and then turn right onto Main Street to continue its
current route. This will allow access to Suggett Park for swimming, recreational activities and the free
lunch program. (New service to Suggett Park)
Proposed Changes to Route 4
•Will remain a 30 minute route.
•The bus will go as far as Walmart and on the return trip it will not go to Squires St. etc. That segment
has been moved to Route 2.
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•The bus will continue to go through the Walmart & Cortlandville Crossing shopping centers on every
run and the JM Murray Center at specific times.
•These changes will help to keep the route on time.
Proposed Changes to Route 5
•No changes are proposed. Route 5 will continue on its current route and time schedule.
Proposed Changes to Route 6
•Route 6 provides service to SUNY Cortland and TC3 and along the Tompkins Street/Rt. 13 corridor.
•Currently, it provides 5 runs leaving from the COB at 6:45am, 8:30am, 12:00pm, 2:50pm, and 4:45pm
•Route 6 will also be the only route to provide service along Rt. 13 south of Walmart including the new
Best Western hotel, Shipwreck Mini-Golf, the proposed Byrne Dairy agri-tourism center, Pyrotek, and
any other businesses that might locate along that corridor.
•We propose eliminating the Route 7 direct commuter run to Cornell and adding 3 runs to Route 6. This
will provide more service to the Rt. 13 corridor, TC3, and destinations within Tompkins County (by
transfers to TCAT). Times will be adjusted so that seamless transfers to TCAT can take place at TC3.
•The bus will go through the Cortlandville Crossing shopping center only “as requested” on all runs.
Proposed Changes to Route 7
•Following the recommendations of our CTAA/LSC study, we propose eliminating the direct commuter
route to Cornell. Riders will still be able to get to Cornell by transferring to TCAT buses at TC3.
•By eliminating this route, there will be 3 additional runs added to Route 6 for a total of 8 runs per day.
•This will provide more options for those who want to go to Cornell, the Shoppes at Ithaca Mall,
downtown Ithaca or other destinations within Tompkins County, including service to Groton.
•Times have been changed on Route 6 to make for easy transfers to TCAT.
More about the Cornell route
A survey conducted in 2010 with 76 Cornell employees who live in Cortland County showed that:
Of the 45 who have never ridden the commuter bus almost 58% cited inconvenient pick-up times as one
of the reasons. Of the 22 who rode the bus but stopped 27% cited inconvenient pick-up times as one of
the reasons. More routes to TC3 connecting with TCAT will provide additional opportunities for Cornell
riders to utilize transit to get to work or school.
Options for Cornell riders
•Take the Cortland Transit bus to TC3 and transfer to TCAT’s Route 43 to get to Cornell. If a Cornell
employee has relinquished their parking pass, all rides on TCAT are free.
•Drive alone or carpool to TC3, park car for free at TC3, get on TCAT’s Route 43 to get to Cornell.
•Use Zimride to find a ridesharing partner or arrange to carpool with a colleague.
•Getting to East Hill: TCAT’s Route 43 arrives at 7:43 am at the Dairy Bar, Rt. 82 leaves the Dairy Bar at
7:53 am and arrives at East Hill at 8:01 am. On the return trip TCAT’s Rt. 82 leaves East Hill at 4:25 pm,
arrives at the Dairy Bar at 4:34 pm where riders can take TCAT’s Rt. 43 bus to TC3 at 4:42 pm.
Fares
•Fares constitute a small percentage (around 10%) of transit revenue but are still important to show the
value of public transportation.
•Fares have not increased since 1993.
•We debated whether an increase is warranted and decided, at this time, we will not increase fares.
•Most of the ridership at this time consists of lower income people, the elderly and those with
disabilities. A fare increase would be a significant hardship.
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•The fares would continue as follows:
Adult fare - $1.00 Youth, Senior, Disability - $.50 Unlimited Rides – Monthly pass - $30.00
•Transfers would require an additional fare (same as current policy).
Deviations
•Deviations are allowed within ¾ mile of a fixed route.
•Deviations add substantial time to a route and add to the lateness of routes.
•CTAA/LSC recommended that we do away with deviations since we also provide Dial-a-Ride service.
•However, deviations for Medicaid riders are still required, so it would be difficult to offer deviations to
one group and deny deviations for non-Medicaid riders.
•Therefore, it is suggested that we require all deviations be called in at least 3 days in advance. Medicaid
deviations already require the 3 day advance notice. If we can reduce the number of last minute
deviations, this may allow routes to be more on time.
Addendum– Taxi Information
Taxi Name
American
Cortland/Silver
Star
Phone #
607-7533030
607-7565460
Dave’s Taxi
Gene’s Taxi
607-2833068
Jay’s Taxi
607-7565152
Martin’s Taxi
607-3458666
Hours
24/7
5:30 am – 6
pm Mon –
Sat, closed
Sun
5:30 am – 6
pm Mon –
Sat, closed
Sun
24/7
6:00 am – 10
pm, Mon - Fri
Location
Anywhere
Anywhere
Fares
$4 inside city
limits
$5 inside city
limits, $3 for
seniors
Medicaid
Yes
$5 inside city
limits, $3 for
seniors
No
$4 inside city
limits, $3 for
seniors, $5 to
Walmart,
2nd person $1,
$.50 every
additional person
No
$4 inside city
limits, $5
Cortlandville,
Does not charge
extra for
additional person
No
No
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Rockin Robbin
Taxi
607-3450089
9 am – 4 am
Mon - Sun
Anywhere
$4 inside city
limits, $5 to
Cortlandville,
Does not charge
extra for
additional person
No
Steve’s Taxi
607-7538294
24/7
Primarily
within city
limits
$4 inside city
No
limits, $5 in
Cortlandville, $6
to Walmart and
Homer, $20 to
TC3, $1 extra
person, $.50 after
that
Updated July 2013
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Addendum – Current Route Changes as of September 1, 2013
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Addendum
List of Current Projects – Future Projects
Note: Numbers in parentheses reference page numbers in the Plan.
Current Projects
 Full-time Mobility Management Coordinator (MMC) position to act as staff
for Transportation Advisory Committee (2)
 MMC works closely with Transportation Advisory Committee on
coordination (4)
 Partner with and promote Tompkins Cortland 2-1-1 system for call center
(one-call) (4)
 Managing, advocating, and tracking of complaints & questions that come to
the MMC (41)
 Travel training “Bus Buddy” program (5)
 Maintenance and expansion of Way2Go Cortland website (one-click) (5)
 Marketing of MMS using website, print, radio, and social media (MMC
maintains blog, Facebook page, and Twitter account) (5-6)
 Coordinated training for bus drivers (5)
 Enhance image of public transit with new bus design (6)
 Assist the transit agency in design & printing of new bus schedules (41)
 Work with Route Changes committee on designing new bus routes,
including trial service expansion (2-3)
 Active partner in Regional Transportation Coalition (5)
 Work with Area Agency on Aging & RSVP on implementation of volunteer
driving program (4-5)
 Facilitate the newly formed (2013) Transit Coalition (39)
 Research & distribute information to TAC, Transit Coalition, and elected
officials on transportation topics (39)
 Conduct public hearings, forums, advocate for transportation services (42)
 Continue to use existing scheduling software and explore other uses for
scheduling software outside of the transit agency (42)
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 Exploring alternative funding streams for transportation services, including
potential partnerships with non-profits (42)
 Working with transit coalition & police to implement a stronger taxi
ordinance. (42)
 Active member of Cortland Downtown Partnerships’ Design committee
(enhance walkability; parking concerns), RSVP Advisory Board, Sustainable
Cortland (41)
 Outreach to local businesses and organizations to market Way2Go Cortland
and to enlist financial support for projects (41)
Future Projects
 Full-time Mobility Management Coordinator (MMC) to continue as staff for
Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) (40)
 MMC will continue to work with TAC on coordination (42)
 TAC to become a formal sub-committee of the county legislature (42)
 Continued maintenance and marketing support will be necessary for the
2-1-1 information and referral system (one-call) (41)
 Continue to handle complaints & questions that come to the MMC and
advocate on behalf of the public (41)
 Expand and promote travel training “Bus Buddy” system to include
additional RSVP volunteers and volunteers from the Wishing Wellness
Center to assist those who have mental health issues. (41)
 Enhance Way2Go Cortland (MMS) website (one-click) (41)
 Continue to market Way2Go Cortland (MMS) using website, print, radio
and social media. (41)
 Create videos to be used for travel training and as a marketing tool for
Way2Go Cortland. (41)
 Continue to find coordinated training opportunities for public, college and
school district bus drivers. Look for ways to include training for taxi drivers
and medical van transport drivers. (41)
 Create bus advertising program to bring revenue into MMS and the
county’s transportation account. (41)
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 Work with transit agency to enhance image of transit with new bus design,
and design of new bus schedules (41)
 Continue to work with Route Changes sub-committee to adjust routes as
needed, expand routes if possible (42)
 Work closely with Regional Transportation Coalition to explore coordinated
inter-county routes. (41)
 Develop a countywide ridesharing program, hopefully as part of a regional
ridesharing plan (41)
 Explore countywide or regional ridesharing program (41)
 Continue to facilitate and support the Transit Coalition with the goal of
working towards an independent entity (42)
 Continue to use existing scheduling software and research and find funding
for the most cost effective technology solutions, such as an electronic fare
card system and bus locator app. Explore other uses of current scheduling
software (42)
 Explore alternative funding streams for MMS and transportation services,
including potential partnerships with our stakeholders (11-20)
Catholic Charities of Cortland
J.M. Murray Center
Cortland County Department of Health
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cortland County
Franziska Racker Center
Cortland County Department of Social Services
Local School Districts
SUNY Cortland
Tompkins Cortland Community College
College Suites
Cortland County Area Agency on Aging
 Form a Sustainability sub-committee within TAC to explore alternative
funding streams for MMS. (42)
 Become a partner with AAA and RSVP to fully develop and potentially
expand the volunteer driving program (42)
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 Advocate for city and county funding for transportation and MMS (42)
 Work with SUNY Cortland to coordinate or consolidate SUNY bus service
with public transit (42)
 Improve taxi service by offering training opportunities and working towards
a stronger taxi ordinance (42)
 Explore a taxi voucher system using federal funds to help lower income
workers get to work (42)
 Work with a non-profit or taxi company to determine the feasibility of
acquiring a handicapped accessible van (42)
 Explore the potential for a transit center located in Cortland County (43)
 Explore the potential for an improved transit maintenance and
administration facility (43)
Revised December 2013
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