Centro Park-N-Ride returns for 2021 NY State Fair, but with fewer pickup spots

Passengers climb aboard a bus

Passengers climb aboard one of Centro's parking lot shuttle buses in 2019 at the New York State Fair.Teri Weaver | tweaver@syracuse.com

Geddes, N.Y. — Centro’s Park-N-Ride service will return for the 2021 New York State Fair, but with fewer pickup spots than in years past.

Buses will run to the fairgrounds each day of the fair from Destiny USA, Long Branch Park and Centro’s hub in downtown Syracuse.

That’s a sharp drop from more than a dozen pickup locations offered when the fair last took place in 2019. Centro previously ran Park-N-Ride buses from ShoppingTown Mall in DeWitt, the Lowe’s in Camillus and multiple sites in Oswego and Cayuga counties.

None of those pickup spots will operate this year. A staff shortage is to blame, according to Centro.

“Unfortunately, we are unable to operate our full network of Park-N-Rides this year because of a shortage of bus operators, a problem that is currently plaguing our industry,” Centro CEO Brian Schultz said in a press release. “This decision was made after careful consideration of our projected staffing during the fair and our ongoing commitment to our daily transit services that are critical for the communities we serve. Limiting our services to these three locations will allow us to maintain our current daily service, maximize the use of our workforce, and deliver a dependable service for fairgoers.”

The other big Park-N-Ride change for 2021 is the drop-off site.

Buses will once again take riders to the fair’s main gate. That’s a switch from 2019 when Park-N-Ride buses took people to a lot near Gate 10 on the western edge of the fairgrounds.

Park-N-Ride buses cost $2 for adults and $1 for people with a disability, seniors and kids ages 6 to 9. Parking at Long Branch Park and Destiny USA is free.

Centro will publish Park-N-Ride schedules on its website soon, the agency said.

Centro will also once again offer free shuttles from the fair’s Orange and Willis Avenue parking lots during each day of the fair. The shuttles will take people to the main gate.

Masks will be required for all riders on parking lot shuttles and Park-N-Ride buses. That includes people who are vaccinated.

Current guidelines from New York state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention require masks for everyone on any type of public transportation.

The 2021 fair runs from Aug. 20 to Sept. 6. It’s the first time the event will go for 18 days.

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