Central New York Regional Transportation Authority

Overview

Centro operates four separate systems concentrated in the urban areas of the counties served. Each operates based on a hub-and-spoke route system with downtown transfer centers, although efforts have been made in recent years in the Syracuse area to provide direct services between outlying points without requiring passengers to change buses downtown.

Initially, Centro operations consisted of the local bus services in each city and private coach lines continued to provide intercity connecting service between the various counties. Although the private firms later received public subsidies, the economics of providing those services gradually declined and most of these routes were taken over by the CNYRTA as noted below.

CNY Centro (Syracuse area)

The main service area is the city of Syracuse and suburban Onondaga County. Centro took over the assets and operations of the Syracuse Transit Corporation on January 17, 1972, and those of the suburban Syracuse & Eastern Transit Corp. in 1974. Most routes begin in Downtown Syracuse, spread out through the city, and connect with the rest of Onondaga County. CNY Centro also operates Syracuse University shuttle routes and Syracuse City School District routes for high school students. Since 1989 all Centro routes in the Syracuse area are accessible to wheelchair patrons.

Centro of Oswego

Routes are based in the City of Oswego, New York. Service began on August 28, 1972. Routes extend east and west through the city. The neighboring communities of Fulton and Mexico are also provided with fixed route service. Centro assumed operation of Oswego-Fulton-Syracuse intercity bus service from S&O Coach on June 21, 1993. Centro also provides zero-fare bus service on the SUNY Oswego campus.

Centro of Cayuga

Routes are based in the City of Auburn, New York. Service began on April 2, 1973. Since 2004 all local bus routes are interconnected, offering one-seat rides throughout the city. Centro of Cayuga provides service connecting Auburn and outlying rural communities with Downtown Syracuse. Centro assumed operation of Auburn-Syracuse intercity bus service from Onondaga Coach on August 30, 1993.

Centro of Oneida

Centro of Oneida began operation on April 1, 2005 with the acquisition of the financially troubled Utica Transit Authority based in Utica, New York. The UTA was a local agency only and did not have the same ability to raise revenues as a public benefit corporation such as the CNYRTA. Merging the local county bus operations into the Centro system brought greater financial stability. On October 1, 2005 Centro of Oneida assumed the operations of the VIP Transportation bus system in Rome, New York. This merger of services has allowed for improved transit for citizens of Oneida County. All of the former UTA and VIP buses were reconditioned with digital destination signs, upgraded air conditioning systems and new fare collection equipment. All buses are wheelchair accessible.

However, Oneida County routes do not connect directly to those in Onondaga, Cayuga, and Oswego Counties. Service between Utica, Rome and Syracuse was operated by Central New York Coach Lines until 1993 and these rights are now owned by Birnie Bus Service.

Downtown Syracuse Transit Hub

The 'Common Center' was traditionally the main transfer point for Syracuse routes, dating back to the streetcar era. The location is in the heart of Downtown Syracuse, at the intersection of Salina and Fayette Streets. Buses utilized all four corners to "line up". There were many downsides to this setup, the biggest being the lack of protection from the weather. The few benches, canopies and bus shelters offered minimal protection from the elements, a less than ideal situation given the area's frigid winter temperatures. Also, passengers were often forced to cross one of the busiest intersections in Downtown twice to transfer between buses. The congestion caused by having up to 20, full-sized city buses at the corner at any given time had been blamed for the lack of development in the 300 block of South Salina St.

A site for a new Downtown Syracuse CENTRO Transit Hub was chosen in 2006, at the intersection of Adams and Salina Streets. This was the site of a Red Cross blood center. Centro purchased the site through eminent domain and tore down the standing building. Plans were approved by the Federal Transit Administration in November 2008. The design team includes Centro, QPK Design, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Robson Woese Inc., and Fisher Associates. Construction began in 2011 and the facility opened on September 4, 2012. The indoor facility offers a bus bay for every route, covered outdoor waiting, and indoor waiting. The facility also provides public restroom facilities and an information center.

Utica Common Center relocation

The traditional transfer point for Utica transit services was the 'Busy Corner', the intersection of Genesee Street, Bleecker Street and Lafayette Street. Funding was made available in 2005 for a new downtown transfer facility. The transfer point was moved one block east to a new $6.2 million facility on Charlotte Street between Bleecker and Elizabeth Streets. This portion of Charlotte Street was closed to traffic and a new center boarding platform with 10 bus bays constructed. Other amenities include a headhouse with enclosed waiting area, a Centro Information booth, bus ticket vending machines and public restrooms. A canopy was also be built over the Charlotte Street platform. Demolition work at the site began in March 2012 and construction of the new facility was completed by the end of the year. Initial plans to build a two-floor city parking garage in conjunction with the transfer center have now been shelved. The facility was named the Centro Hub and was opened for service on February 4, 2013.

Fare collection

Centro allows riders to board buses with cash, coins or transit cards. Fares vary by county. As of May 2, 2011, the basic fare structure is as follows:

Paying with cash

Paying with transit cards

Centro offers three types of transit cards:

New buses

62 new buses were ordered from Orion Bus Industries for delivery in 2012. This order included 56 40-foot buses for the Syracuse operations, five 35-foot buses for the Utica operation and one 30-foot bus for the Rome operation. The Syracuse fleet is equipped with CNG engines and the Utica and Rome buses feature clean-diesel EPA 2010 compliant engines. These buses replaced older Orion buses from 1999 and 2000 that reached the end of their useful lives.