Centro to charge bus fares again, restore most weekday service on June 15

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Centro plans to reinstate regular weekday bus service on nearly all of its routes and will also resume requiring customers to pay fares, effective this Monday, June 15, in all counties it serves.

Centro has made no changes to fares or fare options for customers, Centro said.

All bus services will resume a weekday schedule except for the following routes, which remain suspended until further notice:

• Sy 682 Lakeview Park – Fairgrounds (seasonal service)
• Osw 246 Oswego-Fulton-Syracuse
• Aub 236 Auburn-Syracuse via Skaneateles-Camillus
• Aub 38 Auburn-Syracuse via Weedsport-Elbridge
• Aub 138 Auburn-Syracuse via Taunton
• Aub 8 Auburn-Moravia

Route changes

Centro has made some “slight” route and time changes to the following bus routes as it reduces bus services to the ShoppingTown Mall area following its request for Centro buses to no longer serve the property. The changes include:

• Sy 223 James St. bus route will extend to Walmart and no longer serve ShoppingTown Mall
• Sy 530 SU-Westcott bus route will extend to Walmart and no longer serve ShoppingTown Mall
• All Sy 62 Manlius buses will no longer serve ShoppingTown Mall
• Sy 462 Manlius will extend to/from the Syracuse Transit Hub and Wegmans– DeWitt and no longer serve ShoppingTown Mall
• Sy 168 Erie Blvd. will extend to Home Depot and no longer serve ShoppingTown Mall
• Sy 176 Salt Springs will extend to Home Depot and no longer serve ShoppingTown Mall

Centro transit hubs

Centro’s transit hubs in Syracuse and Utica will reopen with restricted access, only allowing customers to access ticket vending machines. Waiting areas and restrooms will remain closed.

Each facility will be open from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

Each facility will limit the number of customers allowed inside at once and all customers will be required to wear face coverings when accessing the building to use the ticket-vending machines.

Customer-service representatives will be onsite from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Syracuse and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Utica.

Safety protocols

Centro has implemented the following safety protocols and procedures to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The organization has installed barriers on Centro buses to separate customers and bus operators as passengers board through the front door and pay their fare.

Centro maintenance staff wipes down and disinfects each of its buses and “frequently touched” areas at its transit facilities with a germicidal disinfectant each day. The buses are regularly fogged with a germicidal disinfectant.

Centro also “strongly encourages” its customers to wear face coverings while riding on the buses, but it will not turn away those who don’t.

When available, Centro will provide additional buses to handle heavy loads.