Ithaca is a city with a range of sustainable transportation options; Ithaca Bikeshare, Ithaca Carshare and the Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit bus system all provide sustainable, accessible options for the community. Cycle September is a month-long event being co-hosted by GO ITHACA and Love to Ride to promote bike use in the county; this kind of event is a fantastic way to increase the use of sustainable transportation at the college and in the wider community.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in 2021, transportation was responsible for 28% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest producer of all the economic sectors. In New York more specifically, transportation was again responsible for 28% of greenhouse gas emissions, making it the second largest producer after buildings according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. In other words, in the U.S. and in New York, transportation is responsible for a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions, therefore any steps that can be taken to reduce the impact of this sector are important.
It is refreshing to see the college providing and incentivizing sustainable transportation options. Since the Ithaca Bikeshare program was implemented in November 2022, the bikes have been popping up all over campus. This came only after the college allowed the vehicles to be ridden on its property. Similarly, in Fall 2023, the college reached a deal with TCAT to allow students to ride for free during the semester. While these changes only seem to make a small difference, they are a positive start. If every student at the college chooses to ride a bike or TCAT rather than drive to class or downtown one day, that is 4,828 people who chose not to use a car.
It is a strong first step for the college to incentivize sustainable transportation use and for local organizations to sponsor programs like Cycle September. However, the next step in this process must be to make the college and the city more bikeable. Currently, according to the Ithaca Bicycle Map, there are very few stretches of marked bike lanes in the city and many areas where traffic is designated as “heavy” or “very heavy,” meaning biking is unsafe.
Events like Cycle September are an important first step in increasing sustainable transportation in Ithaca, a necessary step for the future of the college and the city. With that said, infrastructure changes are needed on and off campus to make these methods more attractive to people.
