County Of Tompkins

County Of Tompkins, a U.S. local government entity based in Ithaca, New York, acts as the prime recipient of federal grants—predominantly formula grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) under the Federal Transit Formula Grants program (CFDA 20.507)—for public transportation planning, grant administration, mobility management, and capital project oversight in Tompkins County. The county does not hold federal contracts or contracting vehicles; its federal footprint is wholly grant-based, with Tompkins County serving as the designated recipient and administrator while managing sub-recipients including Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) and Gadabout Transportation Services, both of which operate transit and paratransit services on the county's behalf.

The county's recent federal grant activity centers on FTA Section 5307 Urbanized Formula Grant funding and Section 5339 bus and facility capital programs. Representative awards include a $7.521 million FY2026 Section 5307 operating-assistance grant to TCAT for hiring, training, and retention of bus operators and mechanics (awarded August 10, 2026, with completion July 31, 2027); a $4.878 million FY2026 operating-and-capital award to TCAT for fleet operations and purchase of six replacement 40-foot buses (August 12, 2026, through August 30, 2028); a $1.5 million FY2026 operating grant to Gadabout Inc. for paratransit services to older adults and people with disabilities (August 12, 2026, through September 30, 2027); a $1.276 million FY2026 operating-and-capital award to Gadabout for paratransit operations and six 30-foot replacement buses (August 12, 2026, through August 30, 2028); and a $500,000 FY2026 formula grant for project administration and procurement monitoring of facility rehabilitation (August 26, 2026, through March 31, 2029). The county also holds a $8.741 million competitive award from the FY2022 Section 5339(C) Low or No Emission Grant Program for purchase of six 40-foot and four small battery-electric buses, related charging systems, and maintenance training (September 5, 2023, through December 31, 2027). Earlier capital awards include a $1.231 million Section 5339 grant for rehabilitation of the TCAT joint bus maintenance and administration facility at 737 Willow Avenue in Ithaca (July 28, 2023, through December 31, 2026) and a $394,357 Section 20.526 Buses and Bus Facilities award for TCAT garage roof replacement (June 25, 2025, through October 30, 2026).

The Federal Transit Administration dominates the county's grant footprint, accounting for 72 of 90 total awards (80% of the portfolio) across five customer agencies. Secondary grants include nine sub-awards from the Department of Homeland Security (Chief Procurement Officer), the Department of Justice (Bureau of Justice Assistance), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Appalachian Regional Commission, covering emergency management, homeland security, and law enforcement programs. The county received one $500,000 Community Revitalization project grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (February 15, 2023, through August 15, 2024).

Award activity has grown modestly year over year—one award in 2022, nine in 2023, ten in 2024, six in 2025, and eight in 2026—with 15 awards (representing the majority of obligated dollars from the FTA's recent 2026 funding cycle) reaching completion inside the next twenty-four months. Combined obligated dollars across all awards total $259.8 million, reflecting the FTA's consistent multi-year formula apportionments to Tompkins County for transit operations and capital projects; the source reports $3 thousand in combined potential value, a discrepancy attributable to the dominance of obligated formula funding over unobligated contract option values. The county's administrative role does not involve direct service delivery—TCAT and Gadabout operate the transit and paratransit systems and hold sub-recipient status under each county grant award. Place of performance is Tompkins County, New York.