December 18, 2013
Early Projections Show $7M Deficit; Washington-Western Service Plan Progressed
(ALBANY, N.Y.) –The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) Board of Directors today approved the submittal of the preliminary FY2015 budget to the State Comptroller’s Office. The Board also authorized the Locally Preferred Alternative to progress planning for a Bus Rapid Transit line on the Washington-Western Corridor.
New York State requires board approval of a preliminary budget by the end of each calendar year. The preliminary budget includes a $7 million deficit, with the expectation of a balanced budget in place over the next couple of months. The preliminary budget does not include additional State Operating Assistance (STOA), which is communicated by mid to late January. As ridership continues to grow, CDTA plans to add service hours that equate to 15 new positions. CDTA is projecting a 5.4% increase in wages to accommodate the new positions.
The designation of the Washington-Western (WW) BRT Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) is a step in the federal Alternatives Analysis (AA) process. The LPA includes construction of a dedicated busway through the Harriman Office Campus and the University at Albany, a transit center at Crossgates Mall, and high-volume stop locations. The Alternatives Analysis was formally presented earlier this year, leading to and a comprehensive public feedback program with customers and stakeholders.
The authorization designates the LPA for submission to the Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC), the Capital Region’s federally-designated Metropolitan Planning Organization. The project must be included in the CDTC Long Range Regional Transportation Plan to be eligible for federal funding.
Other CDTA News:
CDTA ridership continued to be strong in November with 1.43 million boardings, an increase of 5% from last year. Fiscal year to date, ridership is 6% ahead of the same period last year with CDTA on pace to exceed 16 million boardings. The increases continue to be fueled by redesigned services, a growing partner base and universal access relationships.
The Board approved contract awards to Creighton Manning Engineering and the IBI Group to assist with engineering and planning work for CDTA’s proposed BRT River Corridor line.
A contract to replace garage doors at all CDTA garages was awarded to Assa Abloy (Albany Door Systems) of Lawrenceville, GA for an amount not to exceed $1,632,566. This project became possible when a previous roof project, funded by a federal grant, was completed significantly under budget. CDTA has saved more than a quarter million dollars through roof and lighting replacement programs.
CDTA’s Board of Directors meets on the final Wednesday of every month at the Rensselaer Rail Station. Board meetings are open to the public and streamed live at www.cdta.org.