There’s both good and mediocre news anticipated for the Centre Area Transportation Authority as it begins planning for the next year.
The pilot program that has placed advertisements between the taillights on CATA buses brings the good news of more revenue than expected. The authority will request from Centre Region municipalities another year to continue the program as-is.
State and federal funding brings the mediocre news, as CATA expects flat subsidies from both, considered the best-case scenario. However, Eric Bernier, the service development manager, said he also expects the loss of the federal natural gas credit, which expired at the end of 2011. CATA received about $400,000 from the credit.
“There was no indication that it was going to be renewed,” he said. “Right now, we just have to assume the status quo and, really, a net loss.”
Because of that, CATA expects to cut service about 2 percent this fall, about one-third the amount it cut last year for the same reasons.
Bernier said CATA is still working through the details of what those cuts will look like, but staff will take a similar approach to last year. Instead of cutting entire routes or days of service, staff will try to streamline trips, combine routes if necessary and, perhaps, cut some of the trips with the fewest passengers.
Last year, streamlining took the form of more express trips between the North Atherton Street apartment complexes and Penn State’s campus.
“The nature of the express service was received well as a tradeoff for having to walk an extra block or two, especially with the amount of time it takes the buses to get around campus,” Bernier said. “That allowed us to maintain high levels of service.”
Also in response to stagnant state and federal funding, CATA last summer began offering advertisements on the back of its buses. While it was a move staff fought off for many years, the authority has received a better reaction than expected, according to Marketing Manager Jacqueline Sheader.
When the program began, CATA expected about $30,000 in revenue for the year. Six months in, revenues stand at $40,000.
Because of that, CATA is seeking input from the public and its funding municipalities on the program, and recommending continuing it through next June.
While it’s a small amount of revenue in the $12 million budget, Sheader said she hopes to do more aggressive sales next year. To begin the program, she let interested businesses come to CATA, to gauge interest.
“It could mean the difference between having to get rid of a route or not,” she said. “It’s really beneficial to the overall budget.”
Both local and national groups have purchased ads, including the Old Main Frame Shop and Northland Bowl and Recreation Center, Verizon, and the Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy.
Sheader said the program won’t expand to the sides of buses or full wraps, and said staff have yet to discuss potential price increases, which she said probably would be “pretty modest.”
Jessica VanderKolk can be reached at 235-3910.
