As state lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul negotiate a $227 billion budget proposal over the next two months, upstate transit officials are calling for a dedicated source of funding for mass transit systems outside of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's service area. 

These are smaller transit agencies that often provide bus service in cities and communities across upstate New York, but still remain vital lifelines for people who need to get to work or medical appointments, said Bill Carpenter of the New York Public Transit Association. 

"The frequency that's required, the coverage that's required, the mobility that's required, to get to work, to get to doctors' appointments, all those opportunities that people need, that's what we're looking to provide," Carpenter said in an interview on Monday. 

Hochul's budget includes an increase for mass transit systems north of the MTA region, which runs through the Hudson Valley. But Carpenter believes a dedicated spending plan within the state budget is necessary in order to meet the ongoing challenges of recovering from the COVID pandemic and transitioning to more renewable forms of energy for fleets around the state. 

And that will be up to state lawmakers, he said. 

"Upstate also needs dedicated funding and an increase in that funding so the communities have the mobility they deserve," he said. 

The budget is expected to pass by April 1, the start of New York's fiscal year.