Coordinated Plan Organization
The Coordinated Public Transit - Human Services Transportation Plan (Coordinated Plan) is primarily built on four organizational pillars: ITCTC: Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council (the metropolitian planning organization), DSS: County Department of Social Services, TCAT: Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit, and Way2Go: mobility information and education program of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County. While these four agencies are essential to operating the planning process, there are at least twenty-five agencies and parties who have participated or are currently participating in the process.
ITCTC
The Coordinated Planning process is conducted under the authority of ITCTC. Coordinated plans, amendments and priorities for FTA funding are approved by the ITCTC planning and policy committees. ITCTC staff provides planning support. The ITCTC website is http://www.tompkins-co.org/itctc/ .
Department of Social Services
Tompkins County DSS staff serves as the County's grant manager for FTA and NYS transit grant programs and provides mobility management planning assistance to ITCTC and the Coordinated Plan process. DSS has a mobility assistance to DSS clients and persons with low incomes, seniors and people with disabilities. DSS purchases mobility services from third party vendors including taxi service, CityVan rural van service and the Way2Go program. DSS publishes this website and provides training for human service agency staff.
DSS is at the hub of an extensive human service network including housing, transportation, work experience, child and adult protective services, temporary assistance, medical and other related services.
DSS is at the hub of an extensive human service network including housing, transportation, work experience, child and adult protective services, temporary assistance, medical and other related services.
Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT)
TCAT is the primary public transit operator in Tompkins County. TCAT, as a not-for-profit corporation, has two advisory committees and a Board of Directors. TCAT sponsors a vanpool program operated by VPSI, Inc. TCAT operates in Tompkins, Tioga and Schuyler Counties and carriers 3.3 million riders per year. TCAT's website is tcatbus.com .
Way2Go: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
Way2Go is operated by Cornell Cooperative Extension under a contract with Tompkins County DSS. Way2Go is a consolidated community mobility information and education source. The way2goinfo.org website is a central source for mobility information in Tompkins County. Way2Go was designed to grow into a regional program. Way2Go staff facilitates collaborative approaches with community organizations and mobility providers. Way2Go conducts workshops for consumers, training programs for human service agency staff, uses community social marketing and helps employers promote mobility alternatives for employers. Way2Go facilitiates forward thinking about re-organizing mobility services into effective consumer-oriented services.
Coordinated Plan Participants
The Coordinated Plan process is open to all parties who wish to participate. At least twenty-five parties have participated in the planning process thus far in 2010. We recognize that for some parties, their active participation depends upon their topics of concern. Therefore, this website, e-mail and the Human Services Coalition listserve are primary means of distributing information and invitations to meetings. Offical public notices are also published in the Ithace Journal.
We recognize the need to effectively engage participants in the process other than monthly meetings. Therefore, we've held individual meetings with agencies, created ad hoc teams to develop projects, and will hold summits as needed. Two-way communication is critical for all parties to contribute to creating integrated community mobility services.
In April 2010 and 2011, the County DSS and ITCTC sponsored NTI's Coordinated Mobility workshops in Ithaca, NY. Nineteen of the sixty-five participants were from agencies in Tompkins County. Increasing knowledge and experience of mobility management and coordinated planning for participating agencies is a critical objective of the coordinated plan process.
We recognize the need to effectively engage participants in the process other than monthly meetings. Therefore, we've held individual meetings with agencies, created ad hoc teams to develop projects, and will hold summits as needed. Two-way communication is critical for all parties to contribute to creating integrated community mobility services.
In April 2010 and 2011, the County DSS and ITCTC sponsored NTI's Coordinated Mobility workshops in Ithaca, NY. Nineteen of the sixty-five participants were from agencies in Tompkins County. Increasing knowledge and experience of mobility management and coordinated planning for participating agencies is a critical objective of the coordinated plan process.