WORCESTER, MA. WRTA delays service cuts till January 2008. For now, there will be no service cuts or scaling down of routes, however, that could change as soon as the first of the year. On Tuesday, Nov. 20, the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) Advisory Board voted unanimously to hold off on any cuts at least until the end of the year. The decision came after seven public meetings were held to discuss the proposed changes and listen to riders’concerns in the cities and towns affected by the proposed cuts.

WRTA Administrator Stephen O’Neil recommended the revised service plan in October after doing an in-depth review of the overall fiscal health of the WRTA. The decision to present these cuts came after O’Neil exhausted all avenues to reduce the WRTA’s $2 million deficit.

State Senator Harriette Chandler (D-Worcester) read a letter from fellow State Senator Edward Augustus Jr. (D-Worcester), who was unable to attend the meeting, in which he said he was “in strong opposition to the proposed cuts at this time.”

Chandler went on to state that the House, Senate, Secretary of Transportation, as well as Governor Patrick and Lt. Gov. Murray are aware of legislation they are in the process of enacting next year, which will allow the state to provide annual funding to the WRTA and other transit authorities in the Commonwealth.  She added that they are working to restore the “Full Faith and Credit of the Commonwealth” that had been removed from all RTAs. Doing so, would grant Massachusetts’ RTAs the full 75 percent funding promised. Currently the WRTA is receiving 69.8 percent.

“We are working on a forward funding plan to enact in the annual budget process,” Chandler said. “We’re also going to try and put in a bond bill as well, to cover all the bases.”

Almost a dozen people gave testimony and asked the Board questions prior to the vote.

Advisory Board Chairman Michael O’Brien spoke to the packed room of people, which included riders, advocates of the WRTA, city and state officials and outlined a motion to stave off the vote until January.

“I’d like to make a motion to table the route reductions and cuts as proposed but have them remain on the table,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien added that the WRTA and city officials will continue to lobby and work with the legislature leadership on forward funding and existing accumulating debt, and to seek back funding from the State to back any notes issued.

Additionally the motion called for O’Neil and the WRTA to continue working with the CMRPC (Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission, the transportation planning group the WRTA is working with), to prepare a new master plan to be ready this spring, as well as keep the Board abreast of the study and research.

Prior to the vote, Chandler noted that it was important for the Board to recognize funding from the state could not be in place by January, due to the Legislature going on recess after today and not reconvening until the third Wednesday in January.

She noted it was important for the WRTA to continue to work on things such as Demand Response (a service where a rider calls for a ride on an as needed basis).

“We will not get money from the Legislature unless reforms are made, both fiscal and operational.”

The Advisory Board unanimously voted to accept the motion and will meet in January 2008 to re-address the issues and review what has been done.

“Every month we delay adds to larger cuts that will need to be made. We have postponed a bigger bullet. In January, if the answers we get are not acceptable, there will be additional fiduciary revenues, and we will have to take action. The administrator will keep us updated in a status report, and we should have something in December because in January we have to make a decision,” said Advisory Board member Doug Belanger, of Leicester.