Ithaca · Local digest

""

Tompkins County completed its 2026-2029 Transportation Coordinated Plan, adopted by the Legislature on July 21, 2026. The plan addresses transportation gaps and improves coordination of services for people with disabilities, older residents, and low-income individuals through recommendations from human service agencies, local government officials, transportation providers, and county residents. Key solution topics include increasing employer participation, prioritizing grant funding, supporting vanpools, better serving rural areas, improving cross-county coordination, expanding transportation options for people with disabilities, and compiling comprehensive resource documents, each with short-, medium-, and long-term action items.

A lane closure on the 700 block of University Avenue in Ithaca is scheduled from Wednesday July 29 through Monday August 3, 2026 for water service connection work. The closure will affect traffic on University Avenue between Stewart Avenue and West Avenue, with the travel lane reopened and work zone road-plated at the end of each workday. Public transportation routes TCAT 10, 31, and 36 may alter their routing and bus stop locations during this period.

The Ithaca City School District's Board of Education has begun a new term with a significant shift in the balance of power, according to reporting from the Ithaca Voice. The school board's decisions have major financial implications for Ithaca residents, as the board's influence on property tax bills — and consequently housing costs — exceeds that of any other elected body in the area. The district's tax rates are notably higher than those of Tompkins County or the City of Ithaca, making school board composition a key factor in local housing affordability.