Starting April 2, OurBus, a private bus company that offers intercity service from Cortland to Syracuse, Binghamton and New York City, expanded its service to offer more frequent trips, primarily to serve the New York State Fairgrounds (COVID-19 Vaccination Site).
Currently, OurBus (operated by Fitzgerald Brothers) stops at the McGraw Travel Plaza/ Dunkin Donuts on US 11, but for this expanded service to Syracuse, it also stops at the County Office Building at 60 Central Ave. OurBus will continue to stop at the McGraw Travel Plaza for the other routes.
Despite the fact the bus serves the state vaccination site, the routes can also be used by the general public.
Tickets can be purchased by the passenger or a family member, friend or caregiver at https://www.ourbus.com/routes/cortland-to-syracuse-bus or at OurBus.com or on the OurBus App. For vaccination clinic travelers, if vaccination plans change, tickets can be cancelled or rescheduled without fees up to 30 minutes before departure.
The route began running on Friday April 2nd, and departs from Downtown Ithaca with stops at the Cortland County Office Building (60 Central Avenue), Syracuse University, and the New York State Fairgrounds.
OurBus Co-founder Axel Hellman said that while the new route was initially intended to provide a means for Tompkins and Cortland County residents to access the vaccination site, the company realizes the general public will also benefit from the additional service. Any passengers needing transportation between these cities are welcome to book a ticket. In fact, the route will continue between Ithaca, Cortland, and Syracuse for the foreseeable future, he said.
“Right now, our top priority is giving people another travel option to get to the vaccination site," said Hellman. "We all know how essential vaccines are to individual and collective mobility. We will do everything we can to support people in getting vaccinated."
Hellman added that even after the pandemic, the route will continue to be useful to the broader public in search of alternative means of getting around.
The schedule for Cortland will be as follows: Departing from the Cortland County Office Building
Monday-Friday, 10:10 a.m. departure (Return trip at 2 p.m. from fairgrounds)
Sundays, departures at 12:10 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. (Return trip at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. from fairgrounds)
For more information (besides bookings, which are taken electronically) call 844-800-6828.