This summer, the Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit launched a new late-night service to Ithaca College. The program extended bus hours and offers half-hour stops on weekends.

The college is helping fund the pilot program this year in hopes that the number of students who use the service makes the program cost-effective. If so, the college will continue working with TCAT.

Students have already praised the service, noting that more frequent bus stops will save them money formerly spent on cabs. The cost is incomparable — $1.50 for a one-way bus ride and around $6 for the same in a cab.

The bus program also adds another dimension to the college’s sustainability efforts. For each bus taken, the number of separate vehicles emitting gas on these popular weekend routes decreases. It also reduces safety hazards, especially during the winter season. With more frequent stops, students are likely to board the heated buses than risk skidding on ice.

The sustainability and safety efforts of this joint pilot program are further steps in the right direction for the campus community. As long as the buses arrive on time, students can rely on a friendly cost-efficient service that strives to meet its passengers’ needs.