With just over a day before a federal funding deadline, city and Ren Square officials don't seem any closer to an agreement on the project. At a press conference at transit-authority headquarters this morning, transit authority chief Mark Aesch presented what he is calling a compromise, a "different design" for the Ren Square transit center. But the design is the slight reduction that Ren Square representatives had already discussed with city officials and the media: pulling each side of the center back by the width of about two bus bays. That would reduce the size of the bus station building itself by 140 feet.

City officials have already said they want the station reduced more than that.

Aesch said the reduction he proposed is made possible by moving Greyhound and Trailways out of the transit center. He said Ren Square officials asked the two bus companies to move out of the station.

"I'm not sure Greyhound and Trailways are particularly pleased," he said at this morning's press conference.

But city officials say that the bus companies themselves wanted to relocate, that they want to be at the train station.

"They told us that long ago," Duffy spokesman Gary Walker said this morning.

Walker didn't sound conciliatory. He said a representative of the Duffy administration "was kicked out" of the Aesch press conference. The same thing occurred at Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks' press conference yesterday.

"This is not the act of serious people," Walker said.

"I think they're looking for an exit strategy," Walker said, one that would have the city take the blame for the death of Ren Square.

In his press conference this morning, Aesch continued to push for the city's agreement on the project.

"I think if we do not have action by the city by tomorrow night, this project is a thing of the past," he said.