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Caltrain's last hope may lie with taxpayers
San Mateo County Times
It may be that only the wallets of drivers, transit riders and noncommuters alike can save Caltrain from drastically cutting its train service or perhaps even folding. A day after Caltrain unveiled the need to chop $30 million per year from its $97 million annual operating budget, likely requiring them to eliminate all weekend, midday and weeknight trains, officials searched for a savior. But a gas tax in just San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, with all the proceeds benefiting Caltrain, would have little chance of passing, said (Rod) Diridon, who chaired the committee that launched Caltrain service. "There's a psychological barrier there that the public just hasn't been able to get through," he said. Caltrain is far from alone in its fiscal woes. Since January 2009, 59 percent of transit agencies around the nation have cut service or raised fares, and the number rises to 84 percent when including those considering such moves, according to the American Public Transportation Association.
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Will Arnold Schwarzenegger destroy Caltrain?
Calitics
Arnold Schwarzenegger's war on public transportation could be about to claim a very high-profile victim: Caltrain. Caltrain CEO Mike Scanlon gave a dire warning yesterday about massive cuts that would wipe out half of Caltrain's services. Caltrain has gone broke and will likely need to wipe out half its service - including weekend, nighttime and midday trains - officials warned, bracing passengers for a major shake-up to the popular commuter line that links San Francisco to the South Bay. "This is not an April fool's joke,'' Caltrain CEO Mike Scanlon told the agency's board of directors. "This is real. We're at a watershed moment where there's a possibility this railroad could go away." The impact of these cuts would be nothing short of catastrophic for the Peninsula's economy, which relies on Caltrain to get workers to their jobs and consumers to retailers to a far greater extent than is realized. Losing this much Caltrain service would be a massive step backward for the Bay Area, a step away from mass transit and back toward the failed model of dependence on cars and freeways that the region had begun to move beyond.
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RT spreads out big bus, rail cuts
Sacramento Bee
The bus and rail cuts planned for Sacramento this summer will be severe, leaving some county areas with no service, and providing little more than wafer-thin coverage to much of the metropolitan area, a Bee computer analysis shows. While most people will still live relatively near public transit, fewer will be able to take a bus to where they want to go without transferring. Earlier service shutdowns at night will mean people working the late shift won't be able to take public transit home. RT's service cuts, approved last week by the agency board, are scheduled to hit June 20. The agency's head didn't try to put a good face on the situation this week. "We are just going the wrong way, unfortunately," General Manager Mike Wiley said.
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Train lines might be cut:
Ventura County would be hardest hit by proposed Metrolink moves
Burbank Leader
The brunt of cuts to local Metrolink service could fall on commuters from Ventura, with eight of the 12 lines proposed for elimination affecting the route, according to a preliminary plan reached Friday. Metrolink board members signed off on the proposal Friday after hearing from dozens of passengers and area stakeholders at a public hearing on proposed service reductions and fare increases. Metrolink is trying to bridge an $8-million budget shortfall for next fiscal year, with the board of directors slated to consider hiking fares and cutting 12 Southland lines on April 23.
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Bus wait may grow; Omnitrans eyes schedule cuts
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
State funding cuts and a steep drop in sales tax revenues have forced Omnitrans to propose a series of service reductions throughout San Bernardino County. The changes, scheduled to take effect in September, include reduced schedules on 28 routes. Weekend service also would be eliminated on two routes and minor realignments made to multiple routes. The proposal is part of the annual budget and service plan for 2010-11 expected to be approved at the Omnitrans board of directors meeting on June 2.
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Corona considers cutting bus routes, increasing fares
The Press-Enterprise
Corona is exploring ways to cut costs to its bus line amid strapped finances and reduced funding. Mayor Karen Spiegel said the city's transit fees are suffering because of less state funding, just as with the rest of Riverside County. Last week, the Riverside Transit Agency chose to scale back its service and reduce the frequency of some buses, in addition to eliminating some holiday service. RTA expects a $3 million drop in its bus budget for the coming fiscal year.
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