The Town Council approved a new contract with the Manchester Transit Authority and called upon the bus service to expand into Bedford, as the city considers reductions.

The Manchester Transit Authority now has one route in Bedford along South River Road, which is anchored at the Bedford Mall. The route expanded last July to include a stop at the Target and Lowe’s complex. Bedford pays the authority a subsidy of $43,000 per year, but the Town Council suspended its payment in May after learning that the budget for the bus service was facing a 24 percent cut.

In a recent letter to the town, executive director David Smith said the reduction would not affect Bedford.

“During the coming fiscal year, the MTA will look to find service efficiencies and savings in some of its routes and schedules due to local Manchester budget concerns,” Smith wrote. “However, we have no plans and will not consider reducing the scope of service provided to the town of Bedford during this period.”

The MTA will be evaluating in the coming year how its new extended route on South River Road is performing, Smith said.

The Town Council, for the first time since the service began in 1995, approved a contract with MTA, requiring written notification of any proposed changes to the route or service. Bedford has to consent to those changes, according to the contract.

“This is a bigger elephant than we are,” said Town Manager Russ Marcoux. “We are a small piece of their big pie and we want to protect the service that is being delivered here in Bedford.”

According to Smith, the Bedford subsidy of $43,000 is 3.38 percent of the local budget and South River Road route is 4.32 percent of the total mileage.

Town councilors said they want buses to make more stops in Bedford outside of South River Road. Councilor Michael Scanlon suggested the Harvest Market grocery store on Route 101 and Bedford High School as possible additions – both are closer than South River Road to where most people in Bedford live, he noted.

“I don’t want us to walk away from this and say, ‘It’s done’ and never look at it again,” Scanlon said. “Personally, I think reducing public transportation during these times is the wrong thing to do.”

Councilor Mike Izbicki agreed, pointing out that ridership is up 20 percent over last year and is expected to rise by 5 percent this month. Marcoux said he had informally asked MTA officials about an expansion, but the council said the town manager should confirm with them that it definitely wants the change.

Transportation may also be a top topic at a summit on economic development the town is planning to hold in September.

Other topics will include the balance among the industrial, commercial, and residential tax bases, ways of attracting economic development, and how similar efforts are playing out on a regional level.

Several town councilors, along with Marcoux, expressed disappointment that Manchester is not more willing to work with surrounding towns toward regional economic development. “They think they’re the kings of the mountain and the rest of us are their servants,” Scanlon said. “We need to move forward with what’s best for our community.”