Transportation Is Biggest Loser In New California Budget

California's 52-day delayed budget was just signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger and the biggest loser is transportation -- to the tune of $1.3 billion. Public transit agencies will be taking the biggest hit of all.

2 minute read

August 27, 2007, 5:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


"The final budget sent to the governor relies heavily on diverting transportation funds away from the agencies that are supposed to use those dollars to serve residents," said Joshua Shaw, executive director of the California Transit Association.

"Representatives for Muni - which received the largest cut of almost $18 million - said they would not comment until the budget was formally signed into law.

BART is losing at least $13.78 million, funding that officials have said would be used for infrastructure improvements and earthquake retrofitting for the Transbay Tube.

Half of the $1.3 billion in transit cuts from the budget was money from the State Transportation Improvement Program coffers, collected as tax from the sale of gasoline and earmarked for highway improvements and capital projects.

The other half of the cut are "spillover" funds collected whenever the increase in gasoline prices outpaces the economic growth of the state."

From Contra Costa Times:

"It's quite disappointing that when it came down to reducing the budget, public transit really took the lion's share of cuts," said Carli Paine of the Oakland-based Transportation and Land Use Coalition. The cuts were especially disappointing because there is a major surplus in a special fuel tax fund that legislators agreed 30 years ago to reserve for public transit, she said.

from LA Times:

"The cuts could imperil a variety of transit projects, most notably the Exposition Line light rail from downtown L.A. to the Westside, extending the Orange Line busway from Warner Center to Chatsworth, and building the Gold Line from Pasadena to San Bernardino County, said Roger Snoble, chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

"As far as improving transportation here, it's really a big setback," Snoble said.

Thanks to MTC-ABAG library

Thursday, August 23, 2007 in San Francisco Examiner

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

1 hour ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

2 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

3 hours ago - Los Angeles Public Press