Opinion: California Transit Systems Need State Support

In an op-ed in The Sacramento Bee, Laura Tolkoff, transportation policy director for San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), calls on California state leaders to fund the state’s struggling public transit systems, which face a statewide shortfall of $6 billion. As Tolkoff points out, “Only 4% of BART’s operating budget and 9% of Muni’s operating budget comes from the state.” Meanwhile, “28% of the New York transit system’s operating budget comes from the state.”

For Tolkoff, “The transit system we have is the unfortunate yet predictable result of inadequate funding combined with laws and city planning that favor cars above all.” It’s up to the state to ensure transit can succeed and help California meet its climate goals, reduce carbon emissions, and make transportation more accessible and affordable. “If our current transit systems aren’t good enough, California’s leaders need to help transit agencies do what it takes to deliver higher frequencies, better safety, affordable fares and fix the many barriers that discourage people from riding,” Tolkoff writes.