Tconnect Microtransit Service Expands to Dryden, NY 2021

• Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit received a Federal Transit Administration Integrated Mobility Innovation grant. Part of this funding is designated for expanding its microtransit service, Tconnect.
• Tconnect is expanding its service area to include the community of Dryden.
• Tconnect’s Dryden fleet comprises 18-foot buses that can fit up to 10 passengers.

Tconnect, the demand-response transportation (DRT) service for Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT), is expanding its operations to Dryden. Tconnect is designed to provide first- and last-mile transportation options to people living in the more rural areas of Tompkins County, where there are more transit deserts.

Tconnect first began its operations in the Lansing-Etna area in Summer 2020 with weekend-only service. In Dryden, Tconnect will be available Monday through Friday, from 7:45 AM to 12 PM and 1:30 PM to 5:45 PM. Tconnect’s Dryden fleet will consist of 18-foot buses, provided by Gadabout Transportation, that can fit up to 10 passengers. With Tconnect, customers can use the HyperCommute app to request rides in real time. Customers without a smartphone can request Tconnect rides through Gadabout’s dispatch line. Customers can expect to be picked up within 30 minutes of their requested time. In the Dryden area, Tconnect can take customers to bus stops on TCAT’s fixed-route system or to select retailers, services, and work locations within the service boundary. A standard fare on Tconnect is $1.50, with discounts available to seniors, youth, and people with disabilities. The fare structure is the same on TCATs’ fixed-route buses.

TCAT developed Tconnect in partnership with Way2Go, a program under the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, and is financially supported by grants from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Federal Transit Administration’s Integrated Mobility Innovation program.

Last updated August 10, 2021