There are a lot of ways you can get around the city of Ithaca.

You can walk, bike, or take the bus, but there's one organization making it all a whole lot easier.

GO ITHACA is a program inspiring people who live and work in the city to start using greener modes of transportation, like taking the bus. If you use the program, it comes with a whole benefits package, including 40 TCAT rides. You also get a discount on monthly bus passes.

What You Need To Know

  • GO ITHACA is free and available if you live or work downtown
  • It comes with many benefits like TCAT rides, Ithaca Care Share credit, and a discount on parking
  • This lines up with the city's Green New Deal program, to go carbon neutral by 2030

"The objective of the program is to try to make Ithaca as accessible as possible, so that people of all economic backgrounds can thrive in Ithaca without having to own a private automobile," said Lauren Gabuzzi, with GO ITHACA.

Getting these benefits and joining the program is free, you just have to commit to reducing your time spent driving alone each week.

"Car ownership has a lot of hidden costs," Gabuzzi said. "Beyond gas, there's maintenance fees, insurance, the average car costs about $9,000 to own and operate per year."

Walking and biking maps are another resource you get when you sign up. So if walking is more you style, you can also get a $50 active commuter gift card. You can use it at three different store downtown on the Commons.

"And some ideas are you can get your bike tuned up, you can get a new helmet, you can get a new pair of walking shoes, a nice rain jacket or umbrella," said Gabuzzi.

Sometimes there are places the bus doesn't go or it's too far to walk, so you need to drive. There's Ithaca Car Share for that. With the GO ITHACA program, you get $50 in Ithaca Car Share credit.

"One of our members say that through joining GO ITHACA and having access to Ithaca Car Share and all the other transportation benefits, she's actually been able to reduce the number of cars in her household from 2 to 1," said Gabuzzi.

If you carpool with other people, you can get 75 percent off parking downtown.

This program also helps to achieve the city's goal of becoming carbon neutral community wide by 2030 as part of their Green New Deal. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, transportation emissions are the largest contributor of greenhouse gases in the United States. 

 

**This story has been updated from a pervious version to reflect that benefits for using the GO ITHACA program include 40 TCAT rides, rather than the original report of 43 TCAT rides.