This should be a happy time for backers of public transportation in Sacramento.
With gas at $4.50 a gallon and rising, record numbers of commuters are parking their cars to ride buses and light rail. Construction on Interstate 5 has led many commuters to buy fare tickets for the first time.
But instead of rejoicing, Sacramento transit leaders are in battle mode.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office says its proposed budget merely holds the line on spending for Regional Transit. But ask RT officials, and they'll say their agency is actually facing big cuts, because the governor is slicing $18 million that they would have received through a special fund to shore up the beleaguered budget.
Toss in a drop in sales tax receipts because of the sluggish economy, and RT says it is looking at operating its fleet next year with 10 percent less money than this year.
That could mean cutbacks in service – fewer buses and trains, running less often and not as late at night – as well as double-digit fare hikes on bus and rail. Not to mention delays in expanding lines to underserved areas, such as Natomas.
It's a heartbreaking prospect for Mike Wiley, RT's general manager, especially because it comes as the public is embracing public transit as never before.
"I mean, people are complaining about standing," said Wiley, shaking his head during a recent interview at The Bee. He said RT ridership in April was up 20 percent, compared with last year.
"Now is not the time to go backwards."
H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the governor, said his boss remains committed to funding public transit.
"I understand where they're coming from," Palmer said. But the bigger problem is that the state is $15 billion in the red, and everyone's going to have to share the burden.
Even though RT is enjoying more revenue from the farebox, that money makes up only about 19 percent of its overall budget. State and local funds account for 59 percent.
Supporters of RT turned out en masse this week for a rally on the steps of the state Capitol.
Riders like Barbara Stanton, 62, shudder at the prospect of higher fares. Stanton owns a car but drives it only when she needs to get her 65-pound dog somewhere. Otherwise, she counts on RT's public buses and trains to get to the grocery store, work or appointments downtown.
Stanton, who started an advocacy group called RiderShip for the Masses, said her research shows that it already costs more to ride in Sacramento than in comparable cites, such as San Jose. To raise those fees even higher, she said, would pinch people already in economic distress.
"Are they going to eat or are they going to ride?" Stanton asked. Currently, a pass allowing unlimited rides costs $85 a month, although discounts are available for students, the elderly and disabled. A single ride costs $2.
Stanton suggested that the state could save money by reducing the subsidy it provides government workers who ride public transit. That money, she said, could be used to help offset potential fare increases affecting everybody.
RT's newfound popularity is on display at light-rail stations across the city. At the stop at 12th and I streets, two dozen commuters – mostly state workers – waited patiently the other evening for their train to arrive. With trains coming every couple of minutes, they had time only for brief opinions on the plight of public transit.
They complained about already overcrowded buses, late trains, lack of service to certain parts of town. But it beats sitting in traffic and watching the dials spin at the pump.
"Besides the riffraff, it's pretty cool," said Kevin Hollins, a state worker, reciting a familiar gripe about rowdy youths.
A few blocks down the line, at the Alkali Flat station, Darin Greene said he took to the rails a few months ago after parking his Toyota 4-Runner.
"You know, gas-wise it ain't pretty," said Greene, 46. "So this is what I do."
Before snatching a window seat for a trip back home to Meadowview, Greene said, if anything, officials should make transit less expensive since it's better for the environment than driving and keeps cars off the road.
"They shouldn't be going in reverse," he said.
Call The Bee's Todd Milbourn, (916) 321-1063.
