New bus helps residents get around

SCHUYLER COUNTY—As of this week, the Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) has started providing its weekday bus service to Schuyler County.

The new TCAT service for Schuyler County will run four times each day, but only during the week. The route is providing service to Odessa, Montour Falls, Watkins Glen, Burdett and Mecklenburg. TCAT might expand their service more.

“It depends on the ridership. For now we’ll stick with four trips on weekdays,” said Betty Stone, with TCAT.

Route 20 will be the bus serving the area. The earliest outbound bus starts out from Ithaca at 5:22 a.m. and heads into Schuyler County stopping at in Mecklenberg at 5:45 a.m. and ending at the Odessa Fire Department at 6 a.m.

From there, Route 20 heads inbound to Cornell University. It will stop at the Montour Falls Rural Urban Center at 6:11 a.m., in Watkins Glen at Lafayette Park at 6:18 a.m. and Clute Park at 6:24 a.m., and the Burdett Fire Department at 6:30 a.m. A second morning bus runs the same route about a half an hour later.

The evening buses will be going in the opposite order from the Vet School at 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. in Ithaca and ending in Odessa (at 4:48 and 5:58 p.m.). Heading back to Ithaca, it does stop in Mecklenburg again.

A copy of the schedule with all times and stops is available online at http://www.tcatbus.com. The fares will be the same for the out-of-county service TCAT provides to Tioga County. The price for one ride will be $3, a 10 ride pass is $30 and a monthly pass costs $90.