Centre Area Transportation Authority board members yesterday conditionally approved plans to implement a park and ride system with the University and State College Borough on a two year trial basis.

CATA Manager Kevin Abbey said the authority is on the verge of reaching a commitment from the borough and University to invest in the program. Abbey that with an agreement, the system could be implemented by April 10.

A park-and-ride program would add two Loop buses that would run counter clockwise along the present Loop route. The busses would stop at a gravel parking lot to be constructed adjacent to existing lots at the southeast corner of University Drive and Curtin Road, Abbey said. Park and ride subscribers would be given a sticker to park at the lot and a bus pass to travel to campus and downtown.

Contingent on an agreement with the University and borough, CATA board members gave the go-head to use authority buses for the program -- provided they can collect enough subscriptions to fill half of the parking lot's 150 spaces for one month. A sticker and pass would cost $20 a month, he said.

The borough would pay 10 percent of the program's total $200,000 annual operations and maintenance cost. As an incentive to promote use of the program, the borough has considered paying for half of each of its employees subscriptions, Borough Manager Peter Marshall said last week.

In other business, the board approved the authority's tentative budget 1989-90 budget. The total budget, about 75 percent labor costs, projects growth from last year's $1.8 million to $2.3 million --a total $500,000 increase. Abbey said.