Tools and Strategies

1. Expanded TCAT bus system. Having buses that run to and from the Cornell campus during class times is great. Having buses only come every hour, or even not having buses to many places from campus on weekends and nights is not so great. Not having a direct bus to Ithaca College cuts off a lot of potential connections as well. Weekends and nights are the times when people are free – yet they are the times that bus service is currently limited.

2. Car restriction zones. With the current level of car traffic within Ithaca, enforcing restriction zones, maybe starting with school areas, major pedestrian shopping areas, parks, etc, would be a great start to creating a safer and more pedestrian friendly city. No one wants to wait to cross 3 lanes of traffic, and crossing 13 near the Farmer’s Market is like playing chicken!

3. Community taxi/car share. This seems like it would be a perfect option in Ithaca, especially considering the large number of college students! Even if Cornell were to start with one – over 13,000 undergraduate students would be a great test population, and would help to expand the university’s commitment to restricting cars on campus. I personally do not own a car, but would love to be able to borrow one for the occasional weekend or errand (say, at a time when the buses weren’t running on the weekend!).

4. Single ticket. The idea of a single ticket for car share rentals, a bus, a taxi is a great idea. Being able to arrange multiple forms of transportation ahead of time, or even being able to decide as you go without the hassle of cash, cards, and plan-ahead reservations would do wonders for lessening the hassle of travel.

5. Transit-oriented development. As we’ve seen in most of our readings, and with the ConnectIthaca plan, transit-oriented development makes tons of sense, especially in an urban environment. The ABC plan explained in Green Urbanism is a model that Ithaca could use, especially in light of the new planned development behind WalMart. That portion of 13 could become a pedestrian hub, with the expansion of bus routes, and possibly a train service running down 13 in the future.

6. Package deals for new developments. Along the lines of #5, transit could be “part of the deal” for the new Southside developments. If there were a car share program, a train system, expanded bus system, and discounts for residents to use public transit (and maybe even an agreement not to own cars), perhaps the WalMart parking lot could be converted to a park area for the residents in the new development?

7. Small electric trucks for distributing goods. This makes a lot of sense for a place like Ithaca, with many small restaurants, grocery stores, shopping malls, and already crowded streets, the use of small, electric trucks would mean easier navigation for the truck drivers, and quieter streets with less congestion for Ithaca residents.

8. Electric carts. During much of the bicycle/pedestrian walkable city sections, I would find myself wondering about the elderly or disabled – how could we expect them to walk everywhere or ride bikes? The idea of golf-cart like, small electric vehicles could be a perfect way to solve the problem. They would not only be useful for getting from point A to point B easily, but for hauling groceries and other goods to and from home.

9. Street narrowing. I thought of State Street when reading about narrowing the streets. On our walk, I noticed the nonexistence of seating areas or places to socialize, along with areas for kids to play (and right near the Commons would be a great place for small green spaces!). If State Street were to be narrowed, or even made one lane, and sidewalk areas were widened, there could be streetside cafes and pedestrian spaces galore, along with some benches to sit in the shade of the street trees, great assets for revitalizing some business and nightlife.

10. Trams and planting. Restoring the historic tram (trolley) service to the Cornell campus would, I’m sure, please many Cornellians, especially if it were to extend down to the Commons and then perhaps down State Street and down 13. (Right along the proposed ConnectIthaca routes?) Planting along the tram routes would be nice as well, and keep them from being an eyesore to people living along them, in addition to helping to quiet the noise of a tram.