Significant budget overruns may result in the reduction of bus service for off-campus students, the Centre Area Transportation Authority Board of Directors said yesterday.

"We're looking to cut back on hours serviced to certain areas," said Hugh Mose, CATA general manager, at the board's first meeting this year.

"If buses are out there and there's a higher capacity than what's expected, we're going to be peeling back on (additional) runs," he added.

Among those specific areas Mose cited were Vairo Boulevard and Martin Street.

"In the long and short of it, it looks like we'll be $259,000 higher than what the budget expected," Mose said.

Mose explained that the possible budget restraints might not allow for swift, additional pickup of excess students in case of overcrowding.

He said the rising hourly driver wages and various employee benefits were two of the main "unnecessary costs" that have helped contribute to CATA's present budget concerns.

"The big area where we're out of sync with budget is driver's labor," he said.

Chief among these ballooning labor costs were what the board referred to as an "unprecedented large number" of drivers taking medical leave over the past year.

Joseph Davidson, a CATA board member, questioned whether the large numbers of workers calling in sick were valid.

"I perceive it as a morale problem," he said. "Maybe people don't want to work as much."

Joseph Gilbert, CATA's transportation director, disagreed with Davidson's assessment.

"If that mindset is out there, it's not apparent in the workplace," Gilbert said. "The mood seems to be upbeat, even more so than last year."

The board also identified "big, big" health insurance costs as another factor for the provider's budget overruns. Several members recommended the necessity of either increasing revenue by $200,000, or cutting costs by $200,000.

Board member Donald Sherman did not mince words with his outlook on the budget problems.

"We've got our work cut out as we look to next year's budget," he said.

Also, to raise prices in accordance with CATA's recent cash fare hikes,, the board moved to increase the cost of bus tokens and monthly bus passes to $1.25 and $40, respectively.

The price escalations will grow slowly over a few years, to give the public "less of a sting," Mose said.

Mose expects to see slight opposition to the planned hike.

"People may choose not to ride," he said. "They may say, 'I can drive my car and pay $10 to park at The (Bryce) Jordan Center.' "

Board chairman John Spychalski, however, said the resulting influx of students driving to campus would only create more transportation woes.

"Every time a student opts to drive, for example on Atherton (Street), they contribute to traffic congestion," Spychalski said.