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MTA Board Braces for Budget to Get Worse
In case it wasn't clear before, this week's MTA Board meeting eliminated any doubt that solving the agency's $45.1 million mid-year budget deficit - not to mention future budget deficits - won't be pretty. After close to an hour of testimony Tuesday from SEIU employees concerned about broad cuts to their ranks, several MTA Board members asked whether they couldn't delay a vote on the cuts, only to be reminded that the layoff notices already went out in November, and that a $22 million shortfall remains even after the sweeping layoffs. Once again, the specter of service cuts also flared up as a near certainty in light of the agency's progressively worsening finances.
January 6, 2010
Which Muni Lines Will be the Next to Go?
With California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger poised to raid transit funds yet again, and the MTA facing a mid-year budget in the tens of millions, it's looking increasingly likely that the December 2009 service changes will soon look relatively benign compared to what lies ahead.
January 4, 2010
Transit Agencies Upset by Governor Schwarzenegger’s Plan to Divert Funds
Despite California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's pledge to be a good steward of his state's environment, the governor is expected to release a budget proposal this week that would gut transit funding and contravene both a state Supreme Court ruling and numerous public referendums mandating secure transit funding, a slap in the face to a proven green transportation strategy, say transit operators.
January 4, 2010
Economic Downturn Hits Transit Ridership — But Not in These Cities
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) got the mainstream media's attention during the holiday season after reporting
that the dismal economy had helped push transit ridership down by 3.8
percent during the first three-quarters of 2009, when compared with the
previous year.
January 4, 2010
Muni Rider Profile: Keith Montanez on the 28-19th Avenue
Editor's note: Today, we introduce the first installment in an occasional series of profiles of Muni riders and the lines they ride.
December 22, 2009
Cameron Beach Grills MTA Staff on Slow Speeds in Twin Peaks Tunnel
MTA Director Cameron Beach expressed his frustration today about slowed Muni vehicles that have nothing to do with traffic congestion or frequent bus stops: for almost as long as he's been a director, Beach complained, trains in the Twin Peaks tunnel between Castro and West Portal stations have been operating well below their historical speed of 50 miles per hour.
December 8, 2009
Some Crowding and Confusion, but Muni Service Changes Mostly Smooth
It wasn't without grumbling, but commuters this morning made it through the biggest changes to Muni's bus network in over 30 years, and the MTA wasn't sent scrambling to fix any huge problems.
December 7, 2009
Transit Advocates Will Push Lawmakers to Rethink Transit Funding Cuts
At California State Assembly Committee on Transportation meetings this morning and Tuesday, the California Transit Association (CTA) and public transit agency representatives will discuss the challenges that state funding cuts have imposed on transit providers. Today's hearing is at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board Room. The Tuesday hearing takes place in the Sacramento Regional Transit District Board Room.
December 4, 2009
As Muni Prepares for Route Changes Saturday, Deeper Service Cuts Loom
This Saturday will bring wide-ranging changes to Muni, a broad reorganization of the city's transit system that MTA Executive Director Nat Ford called the most complex service changes in a generation. But while this round of changes will be virtually net-neutral in terms of overall service and revenue, Ford said the MTA's looming $19 million mid-year budget deficit will force the agency to consider much deeper future service cuts.
December 2, 2009
Absenteeism and Maintence Concerns Could Spell Trouble for Muni
In an annual performance review of San Francisco's Muni transit service presented at the final MTA Board Meeting of 2009 yesterday, several troubling indicators cast a shadow on the agency's efforts to improve its reputation and service performance.
December 2, 2009