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SamTrans eliminates seven bus routes, hikes fares by 25 cents
The Oakland Tribune
SamTrans officials on Wednesday erased seven routes from the agency's schedule, cut service to six more bus lines and increased fares once again — and they are still looking down a budget hole. The board of directors for the San Mateo County Transit District, which operates SamTrans bus service, voted unanimously to cut 7.5 percent of the agency's schedule and increase base fares by 25 cents. The changes are meant to help the agency wipe out a $28.4 million deficit, although the net savings from the moves will only be $7.3 million annually. Officials estimate that more than 1,300 of the district's 56,000 average weekday riders will be displaced as a result of the service cuts; most of the affected passengers will be able to switch to BART or Caltrain. The agency has saved nearly $5 million in administrative costs and plans to lay off employees, but it remains unclear how officials will grapple with the full deficit. Harvey warned that the board may have to make more cuts in future months if their dwindling ridership numbers do not start to post gains. The transit district is also facing drops in sales tax revenue and lost all its state funding.
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Omnitrans fares going up Tuesday
The Press Enterprise
Omnitrans approved the rate increase, which varies for different types of fares, in June, after holding public meetings earlier this year. The change goes into affect Tuesday. The bus system has not increased fares since July 2007, said spokeswoman Wendy Williams.
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AC Transit plans to cut bus service by 15 percent
The San Jose Mercury News
Alameda County's main transit agency plans to cut at least 15 percent of its bus service to help close a major budget shortfall. AC Transit officials say the agency faces a projected $57 million deficit because of cuts in state transit funding and a drop in tax revenue. The transit district is expected to see more declines in revenue over the next two years, which could lead to further service cuts. AC Transit has already scrapped a bus line that goes to California Memorial Stadium on Cal football game days, and may eliminate two lines that service the Oakland Zoo. In addition to service cuts, the agency has laid off employees, frozen hiring, raised fares and reduced departmental spending by 15 percent.
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Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus Sets the Standard
with New Eco-Maintenance Facility
Yahoo! Finance
After nine years of planning, and nearly three years of design and construction, Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus is ready to turn the key on its new state-of-the-art, environmentally significant maintenance facility. The project came in under budget and on time, and features the latest in sustainable transit maintenance technologies. In addition to the new building, larger bus yard and demolition of the old facility, the full expansion project will also include a natural gas fueling station and a recycled-water bus wash, which will be completed in a later phase.
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