The governor’s proposed budget would slash public transit investment to help make up for a projected $22.5 billion deficit.
The budget proposed by California Governor Gavin Newsom for 2023-2024 would slash $2 billion in funding for transit projects and cut $200 million from bike and pedestrian programs, reports Joe Kukura in SFist.
The cuts could force agencies to reduce service and delays in planned projects. State Senator Scott Wiener, a public transit rider and advocate, says the reduction in funding “could lead to significant service cuts, which is a downward death spiral for some of these agencies.”
California is projected to have a $22.5 billion budget deficit, prompting cuts in a variety of areas, but state and local lawmakers criticize the decision to make such steep cuts to transit as counteractive to the state’s climate and equity goals.
Read the full story: Newsom’s Proposed Budget Slashes $2 Billion From Public Transportation, Legislators Up In Arms
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