Budget cuts may affect relationship between SU and Centro

An amendment to a $325 billion highway bill approved two weeks ago by the House of Representatives may lead to large cuts at Centro, the bus company partnered with Syracuse University.

Under the amendment, the bill would cut $820 million over six years in public transportation aid to New York state, according to Syracuse.com. The enactment, which would cause Centro to lose $12 million over six years, may or may not have an impact on the bus services at SU, according to differing reports from officials at Centro and the university.

The university is working with Centro to oppose the cuts to public transportation at the national level, said Eric Persons, associate vice president of government and community relations at SU.

“I think it’s too soon to determine what might happen,” Persons said in an email.

The contract the university has with Centro is separate from Centro’s dealings with other cities and towns, said Scot Vanderpool, manager of Parking and Transit Services at SU. He added that SU’s on-campus service won’t be affected by whether state funding is available to Centro.

This differs from what Centro has said about the cuts. The cuts would affect all of Centro’s contracts, including the SU contract, said Rick Lee, executive director of Centro.

“It affects all the service that we provide — whether it’s Syracuse University, the city of Syracuse or Utica,” Lee said. “The impact is system-wide.”

If the cuts to Centro make it into the final version of the bill, it would require Centro to change the way the company functions in central New York, Lee said. The cuts would make it more difficult for Centro to purchase new buses and would have a large-scale impact, he added.

“We have to look at our entire operation and assess the option we have with that loss of revenue,” Lee said.

The amendment to the highway bill, introduced by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-W.A.), is aimed at eliminating the High Density States Program, which provides funding for mass transit to a number of Northeastern states including New York. Under the program, New York and New Jersey receive roughly $140 million a year, according to a press release.

The funding taken out of the High Density States Program would be placed toward a bus grant program, which would provide money for busing at the national level, according to The Auburn Citizen.

Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.) supported the original highway bill prior to the amendment.

The bill is being negotiated by a House-Senate Conference Committee that includes Katko and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). It remains to be seen if the amendment will pass through the committee for a vote by the Senate.

Lee said he is pleased Katko and Schumer are supporting Centro and those who use the bus system every day.

“They are working hard on our behalf and for all the transit systems in the Northeast,” he said. “It is important to be aware that the effort these folks are putting in are critical to having these funds restored.”

The effects of the cuts — if passed — would start to set in on April 1, Centro’s next fiscal year, Lee said.

Reps. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) and Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) have organized a coalition of 60 congressmen to oppose the cuts. The group wrote a letter to members of the committee.

“The loss in funding will negatively impact local transit manufacturers and suppliers of transit related goods and services, as well as the jobs they create,” the letter stated.