ITHACA, N.Y.—Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit announced its spring schedule on Wednesday, with the caveat that service levels that have been eliminated are not being restored just yet.
The transit agency was forced to make two emergency service cuts in the fall. The first was announced on Sept. 22 and the other on Oct. 22, as staffing shortages and a backlog of repairs prevented the bus agency from meeting the service levels originally planned for fall 2023.
TCAT’s staffing figures and its ability to acquire parts have stabilized, according to the announcement. It said mechanics are now able to get buses on the road faster, but the agency is still “about 11 short of the 68 drivers available to provide the level of service that had been originally planned for the Aug. 21-Jan. 20 fall period.”
Service cuts have plagued the transit service since the COVID-19 pandemic first caused shut downs in New York State in March 2020. The pandemic precipitated a transit-industry wide driver and mechanic shortages, which remains widespread according to the American Public Transportation Association.
The announcement said the organization is still short about 15 of 42 road-ready buses and needs to hire more than 20 drivers in order to return to pre-pandemic service levels.
A full guide to route changes and frequency is available on TCAT’s website.