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Riding Public Transit Saves Individuals $9,453 Annually
American Public Transportation Association
Individuals who ride public transportation can save on average $9,453 annually based on the May 3, 2010 national average gas price and the national unreserved monthly parking rate. On a per month basis, transit riders can save on average $788 per month. According to the 2010 edition of the AAA annual report ‘Your Driving Costs’ the cost of owning and operating a vehicle has increased 4.8 percent since last year. The leading factor was the rise in higher fuel prices. The 4.8 percent increase, along with higher gas prices compared with this time last year, means that transit riders can now save approximately $762 more in commuting costs annually.
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Muni service changes arrive Saturday
San Francisco Examiner
Today marks the last day of Muni’s regular transit scheduling, as the agency will embark on its plans for massive service reductions Saturday. Muni will begin running lines less frequently, meaning passengers will have to wait around longer to board more-crowded vehicles. All lines will be affected by the changes, which amount to a 10 percent overall service reduction ...The cuts were first approved in February and later confirmed again by the SFMTA’s board of directors April 20. The reductions were in response to budget deficits that once stood at $45 million for this fiscal year and $199 million for the next two fiscal years.
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Caltrain releases budget but still has balancing to do
San Mateo County Times
Caltrain officials on Thursday outlined the struggling agency's spending plans for the fiscal year that begins in July, but they are still trying to figure out how to balance the budget ... The cuts will occur gradually over the next two years because the subsidies Caltrain receives from its three partners — San Francisco Muni, SamTrans and Santa Clara VTA — will drop over that span ... The agencies expect to cut 35 percent of their Caltrain subsidies for the next fiscal year, or $14 million, and in July 2011 Caltrain expects the contributions to drop by up to 70 percent.
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Transit fares may increase and routes shorten
The Press-Enterprise
Corona is proposing boosting fares and scaling back bus and dial-a-ride services to shave $261,000 from its transportation budget ... Corona's transportation revenue declined by 9 percent for the 2010 fiscal year beginning July 1 and expenses increased by 4 percent, [Brian Champion, the city transportation planning manager] said, creating a budget gap of $261,000. A loss of some state funding and an increase in the city's transportation contract with the firm Transportation Concepts for drivers, dispatchers, field supervisors and vehicle maintenance has increased.
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Council delays vote on bus fare increase
Santa Monica Daily Press
The City Council on Tuesday put off a decision on increasing Big Blue Bus fares at least until its next meeting on May 11, a move a spokeswoman for the bus system said could make it more difficult for transportation officials to implement a potential fare increase by their Aug. 29 target date. BBB officials said they need a substantial fare hike to help offset reduced transportation funding from the state government and from local sales taxes. Several council members said they were concerned the proposed increases would burden seniors, the disabled and students and would result in too great a decrease in ridership.
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