The Butler Transit Authority continues to negotiate with the state Department of Transportation for a three-year budget for providing commuter bus service to Pittsburgh.

Delta Development Group of Mechanicsburg, which the authority hired last month, is negotiating on its behalf with a PennDOT consultant, said John Paul, authority executive director, at Tuesday’s board meeting.

The authority has a proposed budget containing targets for passenger numbers, revenue and operating costs and PennDOT also has a proposed budget, he said.

“This is a negotiation,” Paul said.

The authority will have to meet the numbers the two sides eventually settle on by year three of the budget to qualify for federal funding to continue operating the commuter service, he said. There is no deadline for the sides to agree on a budget.

Average trips per day in January were 66.5, meaning an average of 33 people rode the bus daily. That is short of the ridership numbers PennDOT has proposed, he said

“We’re 100 trips under target for the third year,” Paul said.

Maggie Stock, board chairwoman, said the authority hasn’t started marketing the service yet.

“If people don’t use it, it goes away in three years,” Paul said.

The authority began operating the route after Myers Coach Lines abruptly ended its service from Butler to Pittsburgh Dec. 15. PennDOT contacted the authority Dec. 1 and told it to start operating the service Dec. 18.

Commuter service riders should have Wi-Fi by April or May.

The board approved a contract with Industrial Network Solutions to install Wi-Fi service through Verizon in the buses.

The equipment costs $6,549 and the annual service fee is $3,696.