Upstate transit agencies say additional funding in the state budget should help avoid most service cuts. But costs — and demand — continue to rise.
Lawmakers approved a 7% increase in operating funds for the agencies. That’s far less than the 15% increase sought. But the budget also included capital funding for the addition of Yates County to Rochester’s Regional Transit Service system, and for Metro Rail in Buffalo.
“We rely on the state for significant increases,” said RTS chief executive Miguel Velázquez. “That allows us to maintain that pace with expenses that we’ve been experiencing — as everybody else has — in terms of inflation (and) supply chain issues.”…