Question

Dear Dean,

I am a first year Ph.D. student. I was also a Cornell undergrad. It is my first time living in the downtown area in Ithaca, but I know that there used to be bus services that run late during weekdays, until 1 AM or so, if I remember correctly. As the time goes by, the research projects we work on will need more time and especially graduate students will need to stay in lab longer. The regular downtown bus route runs until 10 PM and it would be great to have more bus service in the evening to the downtown area. It is important to have a reliable bus service both for our safety and academic success especially during night time. I would appreciate it if the Graduate School can help address this issue. I am sure many other graduate and undergrad students who live off campus face similar issues. Thank you in advance!

Thank you,

Evening Downtown Bus Rider

Response

Dear Evening Downtown Bus Rider,

Thanks very much for your message. I hope you are finding your first year as a Ph.D. student rewarding. No doubt your Cornell experience as a doctoral student will be different from your experience as a Cornell undergraduate!  

I shared your anonymized comments about potential improvements to TCAT bus service with Cornell’s Senior Director of University Transportation and Delivery Services. She thanked me for sharing, and indicated she forwarded your comments directly to TCAT and to the TCAT Board Transit Service Committee representative from Cornell as she does for any student comments her office receives about TCAT services.  

If you’d like to contact TCAT directly with your suggestions, you can find their contact information on their contact page. The TCAT Board of Directors is posted  on their Board & Committees page; its membership includes several individuals from Cornell, including Bridgette Brady (Senior Director of Cornell University Transportation and Delivery Services), Gary Stewart (Associate Vice President of Cornell University Community Relations), and Denise Thompson (Program Coordinator, Off-campus Housing Office). They all have been made aware of your suggestions and concerns. TCAT conducts regular analyses of their routes, so knowing your concerns will be useful.

Warm regards,

 Barb

Barbara A. Knuth
Dean of the Graduate School