TCAT (Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit), with funding from the city of Ithaca, provided free bus service between downtown and Ithaca College on the evening of July 3 for the community fireworks display, and almost 1,500 passenger-trips kept the buses busy, transporting 750 people to and from the show.

"We figure that we kept over 300 cars off of South Hill that night," said Rod Ghearing, general manager of TCAT. "This made the streets less crowded and safer for everyone."

Mayor Alan Cohen, who was a strong advocate of the free service, said, "I'm pleased that a large number of people got to be close to the display, without the hassle of getting stuck in traffic and hunting for a good parking space."

"We could have carried even more people," said Ghearing, who added that TCAT had more buses at the ready if they were needed. "We anticipate that this year's passengers will tell others about the service. We'll be ready to carry a lot more people next year."