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Proposed Changes
By Rachel Gordon
San Francisco Chronicle
Originally published Friday, February 20, 2009, by the San Francisco Chronicle
Posted here on February 23, 2009
Transit to see service cuts, fare increases
What changes: The revised budget cuts state assistance for public transit operations for the remainder of the fiscal year, leaving just $76 million of the $306 million promised to operators in California when the original budget was adopted. The reduction deals an $83 million blow to Bay Area transit agencies. Next year there will be no transit assistance coming from Sacramento. Transportation agencies, already seeing less money for operations due to declining tax revenue in the economic downturn, have yet to make final decisions on how to balance the books.
What it means to you: Riders might see less service, higher fares and dirtier vehicles. BART is considering raising fares and reducing the
frequency of train service. AC Transit is considering service cuts and fare hikes. The San Francisco Municipal Railway plans to defer maintenance, which could result in more missed runs.
Reaction: "The state's abandonment of transit operations, even as ridership rises, is a huge setback for people who want to get to work, to school or to the doctor in an environmentally sustainable way," said Muni spokesman Judson True. BART spokesman Linton Johnson said the funding loss "is equivalent of leaving the fare gates wide open
every weekday for nearly a month."
Highlights
- California transit agencies lost three-quarters of state funding for the remainder of this fiscal year. For Bay Area transit agencies, the combined cuts amount to $83 million. State transit assistance for next year was eliminated. The financial blow will be felt from Petaluma to San Jose.
- Local agencies are still working on final plans to balance their budgets but are considering raising fares, cutting service and deferring maintenance.
- The regional TransLink and 511 programs will be affected.
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