Centro Board Members Unanimously Adopt 2011-12 Budget

Oneida County, NY - Recently Centro proposed a fare hike of 25-cents per rider to cover a $4.8 million dollar budget deficit, and today the company announced the adoption of its 2011 - 2012 budget. Frank Kobliski, Executive Director of Centro says board members unanimously adopted the budget and says that the nearly $60 million dollar spending plan amounts to a balanced budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Kobliski said, "It is a balanced budget where we had to take certain actions in order to bring revenue and expenses in line with one another. Originally, as of December, when the board reviewed and adopted a tentative or preliminary budget for this coming year, that had embodied a $4.8 million dollar budget deficit. We have experienced continued under-performance of state operating assistance, which is the single largest component of our funding and also of the morgage recording tax levied in the four counties in which Centro operates."

Kobliski said Centro Board Members took additional internal actions to mitigate some of the budget deficit and had to raise bus fares, as well as reduce or eliminate some bus services. He says Onondaga County will see the most changes. Kobliski credits Governor Andrew Cuomo for not reducing public transit assistance from public transportation north of the New York City metropolitan area from the level of the current budget year that ends next week. "If he had not taken that positive action, service reductions would have undoubtedly been more significant, and would have been not limited to essentially Onondaga County so we are in better shape than we thought," Kobliski said.

The Central New York Regional Transportation Authority route and fare changes go into effect on May 2, 2011.

In Syracuse, Centro customers who use multi-ride passes will see a 25-cent increase, while those who use cash will now pay $2.00. Call-A-Bus fares will now be $2.50 or $3.00 in Syracuse, $2.50 in Utica and $2.00 in Auburn, Oswego, Fulton and Rome. The budget also includes the following service reductions in Syracuse / Onondaga County.

General Service Changes: Discontinue 12:30 a.m. trips on weekdays to match late night weekend service Change most, but not all, Saturday schedules to match Sunday schedules. Some Saturday service will remain on the Parkhill, Midland and Mattydale bus lines due to the level of ridership.

Liverpool: Simplify the current multiple route variations along the Route 57 corridor into two routes. One will operate between Syracuse and Great Northern Mall and will also serve Casual Estates and Soule Road. The other will operate from Syracuse to Liverpool, Fulton and Oswego and will remain on NYS Route 57 between Syracuse and Fulton. Some service will be retained on the Route 31 corridor during weekdays on the 246 Syracuse-Oswego bus route.

Bayberry will be served by Centro Route 48 Morgan Rd. instead of Centro Route 46. The 48 Morgan Rd. service will now culminate in Bayberry and will not operate north of Buckley Road. Discontinue service into Hickory St. neighborhood on Centro's Liverpool-Route 57 route.

Solvay: Discontinue midday trips on Bus Route 474; change the end of the line on all Bus Route 74 trips to Bailey St., no longer serving Cogswell Ave., Bacon St., Century Dr., and Terry Rd.

Stolp / Strathmore: Discontinue Route.Route 26 South Ave route will provide service to Bellevue Ave., Onondaga Ave., Glenwood and Corcoran High School.

Baldwinsville: Discontinue some mid-day weekday trips. Discontinue Baldwinsville Tuesday Shopper bus Route 92.

Henry Clay Boulevard: Discontinue some mid-day weekday trips.

Manlius: Reduce Saturday and Sunday service east of Shoppingtown Mall. In addition, the budget also includes the retention of service along Howlett Hill Road which was previously scheduled for discontinuation in January.

For Utica / Oneida County: 25 Sunset Avenue Service will be discontinued with portions covered by Route 30 Genesee-Clinton. 27 Leland Avenue Service will be discontinued.