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Cornell University

Facilities and
Campus Services

Commuter Support Services

Transportation & Parking Support

Transportation Services provides both transportation programs and support services to ensure that faculty, staff, and students can make it to campus—and back home again—with relative ease. Some services are available through our community partners. Please Contact Us with questions about the services listed.   

Backup Ride Home

Ithaca's Center for Community Transportation (CCT) Backup Ride Home for community members is currently suspended.

To fill the gap, Go Ithaca offers an Emergency Ride Home benefit for unexpected needs to return home and when conventional methods are not feasible. Visit https://www.goithaca.org/ for more information and to enroll.

Bus Service and Transit Access

All Cornell employees (including temporary employees and affiliates) and retirees can use their CU photo ID card at the farebox when boarding TCAT buses to ride anywhere TCAT goes, any time TCAT runs—Cornell pays the fare (normally $1.50). This unlimited ride privilege allows employees more flexibility in planning their commute and can help reduce the number of vehicles on campus.

Transit riders who use regional bus services (Chemung/Cortland) can join OmniRide. A portion of the regional providers’ bus pass fee is paid by Cornell; employees pay the remaining cost via payroll deduction. These program participants also enjoy unlimited access to TCAT buses.

Daily Decision Parking

In order to accommodate the “new normal” of flex- and remote-work and class schedules, Cornell University has implemented the Daily Decision parking option. Anyone needing only occasional access to campus can opt to use ParkMobile to purchase a low-cost, virtual parking permit for as little as $1 a day ($.65 plus the ParkMobile fee of $.35) in select zones.

Finger Lakes Rideshare - Ridematching Services

Transportation Services has partnered with area agencies to provide a county-wide ridematching service powered by Finger Lakes Rideshare and NY511. Anyone can use the service to get a one-time ride, form a carpool, or add members to a RideShare group. 

Ithaca Carshare

Ithaca Carshare is a community-based carsharing service. Members have self-serve access to cars around Ithaca and Cornell. Membership discounts are available for Cornell students and employees.

Park & Ride

There are several Park and Ride locations in Tompkins County that allow all-day free parking to catch a bus or meet up with a carpool partner. Always gain permission from the property owner if parking in a location not designated as a Park & Ride.

Share the Ride

Employees and students alike can share the ride to work or school. Any Cornell community member can join a carpool and split commuting and parking costs.

The RideShare permit program is restricted to university-benefit-eligible employees who pledge to share the ride at least three days a week.  

Way2Go

Way2Go is a community partner, transforming the culture of transportation among users, providers, and decision-makers. Through collaborative workshops, projects, and events, Way2Go helps people save money, stress less, go green, and improve mobility options.

Information Resources

Whether by phone, web, or email, get up-to-date information from the following resources:

  • University Operating Status
    Check this site for the latest on university closings and emergencies.
  • Special Conditions and Campus Alerts
    The latest information on road closures, construction delays, changes to operating status, or other unusual events on campus.
  • Electronic Communication Resources
    SpecialConditions-L is an electronic mailing list that distributes notifications of road closures, construction delays, or other unusual events on campus. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: SpecialConditions-L-request@cornell.edu
    the body of the message should read, "join" (without the quotes).