WASHINGTON – Federal funding for urban transportation in surrounding areas has been spared thanks to bipartisan efforts to keep it part of the federal highway bill.

U.S. Republican Representative Richard Hanna announced on Tuesday that funding has been saved for Centro and Broome County Transit, despite being slated for the chopping block in 2016.

Centro operates public bus services in Syracuse and Utica, but was set to lose $2 million in federal transit aid each year over the next six years. Opponents, including Hanna, argued the move would have devastated the already struggling urban transportation systems.

Likewise, Broome County Transit, which provides transportation services throughout the greater Binghamton area, was facing tremendous potential cuts in federal assistance.