More About Way2Go
People need transportation to meet basic needs and take charge of their lives. Communities need transportation that supports collective health and wellbeing. Many people across Tompkins County see this need for clean, green, affordable and accessible transportation for all, and are working on creative solutions.
Way2Go is designed to help fill a vital role in making such a vision a reality: community education and empowerment. Way2Go exists to:
- Provide information and spread awareness around current transportation options and resources
- Encourage transportation choices that best support individual, community and environmental well-being
- Help improve transportation systems and services through dialog among transportation users, providers, planners and advocates
Who's involved?
Tompkins County
Way2Go, originally known as RideWise, was created to help meet Tompkins County’s goals of increasing transportation equity and sustainability. The project is funded through Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) grant money administered by Chief Transportation Planner Dwight Mengel of the Tompkins County Department of Social Services.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
Tompkins County chose Cooperative Extension (CCE-Tompkins) to develop and implement a transportation education program. The mission of CCE-Tompkins is "to strengthen youth, adults, families and communities through learning partnerships that put knowledge to work." Way2Go is within the Environmental Issues program area at CCE-Tompkins, with connections to other program areas such as Consumer Education and Community Development.
Community Voices
Way2Go is shaped by both formal research and input from across the community. Way2Go was assisted in its first year of program development by a diverse Community Team of 17 people from nine community organizations, including the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC), Finger Lakes Independence Center (FLIC), Lifelong, the Natural Leaders Initiative, and Tompkins Community Action. Special thanks to community volunteer Wayne Gooden for his ongoing assistance.
Way2Go is envisioned as a community resource strengthened by community involvement. We invite you to share your questions, projects and ideas on our website, contact us at takecharge@way2goingo.org or 607-272-2292, and check out more ways to " take charge" of your transportation with Way2Go.
Program Staff
Way2Go employs one full-time staff member, Program Manager and Educator Chrisophia Somerfeldt. Chrisophia has a background in journalism, diversity inclusion and community development, and has lived in EcoVillage at Ithaca for six years without a car.