8/14/2019 Media Release - Jobs and Transit Service Hang in the Balance

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436 14TH STREET, SUITE 600, OAKLAND, CA 94612 | T: 510.740.3150 | WWW.TRANSFORMCA.ORG

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT John Knox White

John@TransFormCA.org

510-277-2089

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 25, 2010

Jobs and Transit for Hundreds of Thousands Hang in BalanceWednesday

$70 million could be lost to Bay Area if agency gambles on slow airport shuttle

Oakland With transit agencies across the Bay Area reeling from state budget cuts, an important

vote this week by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) could save hundreds of localjobs as well as rail and bus service for hundreds of thousands of commuters.

MTC Commissioners will weigh whether or not to send $70 million in Federal Stimulus money todesperately cash-strapped transit agencies. The alternative is to risk losing these funds altogether if

it continues pursuing a controversial airport shuttle that has recently been found out of compliancewith federal civil rights regulations.

A vote to allocate stimulus money to the Bay Areas transit agencies will allow them to reduce or

eliminate major deficits, save existing jobs, stabilize fares and transit service by providing:

$17 million to BART, which faces a $25 million budget shortfall and will be voting on January28 on whether or not to cut 74 positions layoffs and whether to institute another round of fareincreases.

$17.5 million to MUNI, which currently faces a $16.9 million operating deficit and will be votingon March 2 on a proposal to cut 230 jobs and implement severe service cuts.

$6.7 million to AC Transit, which plans to cut its service by 8.4% in March and is looking at apossible further 7% cut later this year.

$12.2 million to VTA, which has depleted their financial reserves and faces a $50 millionoperating deficit next fiscal year despite recently cutting service by 8 percent and raising

fares. Another $17 million that would be divided among Caltrain ($2.7 million), Golden Gate ($2.4million), SamTrans ($2 million), Vallejo ($2 million) and the other cash-strapped Bay Area

transit systems.

Using stimulus funding for MUNI would provide enough revenue to cover the agencies currentdeficit and stave off service cuts for families and employees in San Francisco.

8/14/2019 Media Release - Jobs and Transit Service Hang in the Balance

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With MUNI fare increases and across-the-board service cuts having just gone into effect,said Sarah Karlinsky, Deputy Director of SPUR, We hope that the MTC makes the most of this

opportunity to ensure that more service cuts and higher increases won't have to take place in acouple of months.

Transportation Advocates point out that Wednesdays voter may create additional funding

opportunities in the future. Theres potentially a second jackpot down the line, said Stuart Cohen,TransForms Executive Director, MTCs vote would also ensure the region does not rush an in-depthanalysis of alternatives to BARTs hideously overpriced, incredibly slow airport shuttle that is nowbeing required by federal agencies.

Eight months ago, TransForm presented BART with an alternative proposal, one that cost 1/10 of the

half-billion dollar OAC project. BARTs failure to analyze the benefits of this alternative or the impacton low-income riders has put the region in jeopardy of losing these stimulus funds.

TransForms Program Director, John Knox White explains, If this analysis shows that there are fast,affordable options for BART to airport service that bring benefit to all riders, including low-income

riders and communities of color, it will free up hundreds of millions of dollars for other transportationprojects. This funding for Alameda County, BART, and commuters across the region would be ontop of the infusion of $70 million this week.

These include a possible $150 million for needed BART projects, potentially including seismic work in

the East Bay. The Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority (ACTIA),would get back$80 million and be in a much better position to deliver voter-approved projects and programs, suchas repairing potholes and making it safer for people to walk and bike, since they now face a huge

10-year funding shortfall. These could generate thousands of construction jobs and serve tens ofthousands of new riders.

One things for sure, says Knox White, Wednesdays vote will decide once and for all whether

these stimulus funds are about creating the maximum number of jobs and serving people in a downeconomy, or are gambled on disastrously expensive and slow pet-project. The Bay Area could losethat $70 million altogether later this spring if and when it is found there is a better alternative to theairport that doesnt harm low-income commuters. This is not Las Vegas; the Bay Area simply cant

accept a gamble with such bad odds.

TransForm is the Bay Areas leading organization working to promote World Class PublicTransportation and Walkable Communities.

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See the following background documents:

FTA Letter to MTC Letter from Ignacio De la Fuente reiterating the Oakland City Councils position MTCsPlan for reallocation