Congressman Richard Hanna says funding for Centro Bus that was slated to be cut will now be restored in the final federal highway bill.

Centro operates public bus services in Utica and Syracuse.

It was set to lose $2 million a year in federal transit aid over six years for a total of $12 million.

Hanna and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter organized a bipartisan coalition of more than 60 members of Congress from seven states to push back against proposed cuts to transit programs that could affect commuters.

Rick Lee, Deputy Executive Director of Centro, said the company is pleased that the House-Senate Conference Committee agreed to preserve the High Density State funding formula.

"We are grateful to Mr. Hanna for working with his fellow House members to bring this issue to a close for the betterment of all Central New York,” Lee continued. “Strong local economies are built on strong public transportation systems and thanks to Mr. Hanna we are moving in the right direction.”

 

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