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By Rachel Gordon
Chronicle Staff Writer
Published Friday, November 21, 2008, by the San Francisco Chronicle
Posted 21 November 2008
California transit officials fight state cuts By Rachel Gordon
SACRAMENTO -- Facing a projected revenue shortfall of $24 billion over the next two years, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed a nearly $230 million hit to public transit, with the Bay Area bracing for a loss of almost $83 million.
The governor also has called for pulling the state out of the transit-funding business altogether starting next year.
The prospect has agency bosses and transit advocates lobbying state lawmakers to buck the plan and keep transit funding intact.
"The state's vital interest in spurring economic growth is best served by more robust transit systems, not by crippling local transit operations and terminating state support altogether," stated a letter sent to California's legislative leaders Wednesday and signed by transit chiefs across the state, including the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's Nathaniel Ford and BART's Dorothy Dugger.
If the cuts go through, there's no word on what the impact might be on service and fares. But with BART facing a cut of $14 million and Muni $21.5 million, the choices are bleak. There's always the bureaucratic standby of more administrative belt-tightening, but don't be surprised to see fare increases, service cuts and fewer workers to clean buses, trains and stations.
California transit systems aren't the only ones trampled by dire finances. Straphangers and bus riders in New York City got word Thursday that they will be paying more for drastically reduced service in the near future to help close a looming $1-billion-plus deficit there.
E-mail Rachel Gordon at rgordon@sfchronicle.com
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