SYRACUSE — Centro says that about 33,000 passengers per day will benefit from the federal funding the agency uses for its operations. Congressional lawmakers have agreed to restore funding for mass-transit systems, such as Centro, in a federal transportation bill. Centro would receive $12 million over the next six years in the transportation […]
SYRACUSE — Centro says that about 33,000 passengers per day will benefit from the federal funding the agency uses for its operations.
Congressional lawmakers have agreed to restore funding for mass-transit systems, such as Centro, in a federal transportation bill.
Centro would receive $12 million over the next six years in the transportation bill, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) said in his remarks during a visit to the
Centro Transit Hub at 559 S. Salina St. in downtown Syracuse on Nov. 30.
The nonprofit Centro has 630 employees with a payroll of more than $30 million, according to Schumer.
“Centro is an engine that keeps our entire Central New York region humming,” the lawmaker contended.
The joint House and Senate Transportation Conference Committee has agreed to restore the funding to the “critical” 5340 High Density States program in the final transportation bill that lawmakers were scheduled to consider, Schumer’s office announced Dec. 1 in a news release.
U.S. Representative John Katko (R–Camillus) tweeted, “Happy to announce that Centro funding is safe.”
The elimination of the 5340 program would have cost New York transit agencies about $100 million a year, Schumer’s office said.
Schumer at Centro hub
In discussing the issue on Nov. 30 at the Centro hub, Schumer said the federal dollars that help mass-transit organizations such as Centro “are under attack.”
“Some members of the House of Representatives decided that they should take the money away from high mass-transit states, such as New York, and spread it around the rest of the country. And that is a huge, huge problem,” the Democrat argued.
The U.S. Senate earlier this summer approved the six-year transportation bill, Schumer said in explaining the legislation’s history. The U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 5 also approved the same bill, the proposed Surface Transportation Reauthorization & Reform Act.
The House bill included the amendment that “would completely strip funding from [the High Density States] program that New York relies on,” according to Schemer.
The program provides federal funding for states that have “a lot” of mass transit.
The funding helps agencies such as Centro operate, Schumer said.
New York would receive $94 million in 5340 funding in the Senate bill. Centro would get $12 million over the next six years.
“When you have a $30 million budget, taking $2 million out is a lot,” said Schumer.
The amendment redirected that money to the more rural, southern and western states.
“I’m here to urge the House … the conference [committee] to wrap up its business and keep this funding that Central New York needs so desperately, that Centro needs so desperately,” Schumer said on Monday.
Katko is among the lawmakers on the House and Senate Conference Committee working to reconcile both versions of the surface-transportation reauthorization legislation.
Katko on Nov. 18 had expressed concern about an amendment to the House version of the bill that would result in funding cuts for the Centro bus system.
