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AC Transit to reduce service, eliminate two routes
The Oakland Tribune
Starting in August, many buses won't show up as often, and two lines won't show up at all, because of cuts the agency made Wednesday. Officials at the Bay Area's third-largest public transportation system trimmed service on 40 of its 113 lines and eliminated Line 61 in Oakland and transbay Line BA, a 7.2 percent reduction they hope will save $11 million a year. The new cuts come on the heels of another reduction that took place in March. Without them, AC Transit anticipates a shortfall of $56 million by July 2011. Earlier proposed scenarios involved harsher cuts that would have nearly eliminated weekend service in most neighborhoods. Bus riders who crowded a public hearing last week vigorously opposed those scenarios, and the directors paid heed.
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Long Beach Transit cuts will increase time waiting for buses
Press-Telegram
Some riders will spend more time waiting for a bus this fall as a result of budget cuts approved this week by Long Beach Transit. Facing declining revenue, the transportation agency has decided to reduce its overall service hours by about 3 percent, partly by making less frequent stops along certain routes, beginning with the fall school semester. Although the agency is not eliminating any routes, it also is reducing services by about 25 percent on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. The changes are in response to declines in sales tax revenue and state subsidies, two sources of agency funding.
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Caltrain board mulls ways to cut budget
San Francisco Examiner
Possible service reductions and fare increases will be the main topics of discussion when Caltrain’s board of directors meets today about the transit agency’s $12.5 million budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. The agency, which has a total budget of $97 million, has been hurt by dwindling ridership, suspension of some state funding and lower-than-projected contributions from its three partner transit agencies.
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Viewpoints: Transit crunch also a livability crisis
The Sacramento Bee
More transit riders find themselves needing more services due to higher gas prices and less household income, yet transit agencies have been forced to drastically cut service and raise fares as government funding has plummeted. Nowhere has this been felt as severely as in Sacramento. Regional Transit has lost one-third of its funding since 2007 – $50 million – and recently cut 28 weekday routes and 13 weekend routes. Paratransit is facing a 30 percent cut to its services for riders with disabilities, a $3.5 million hit. Thousands of people...are literally being shut out of the ability to live their lives as the freedom to travel from home to wherever they need to go is taken away.
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