Saving California’s Public Transit

KPFA - Terra Verde

California’s public transportation system is on the edge of what has been described as a “fiscal cliff.” Due to lower post-pandemic ridership and inflation, among other factors, transportation agencies just don’t have enough funding to meet their needs. The funding deficit is particularly acute in the San Francisco Bay Area, where it could mean steep cuts in crucial BART and MUNI services. Transportation advocates are asking Governor Gavin Newsom to step in and make up the difference in the state budget, which will be finalized next week. They say that if funding needs aren’t, there could be longterm repercussions for California communities, as well as for the state’s ambitious climate goals.

Sebastian Petty, transportation policy manger with SPUR, and Amy Thompson, transportation policy and programs manager with TransForm, join Terra Verde host and Earth Island Journal Managing Editor Zoe Loftus-Farren to discuss what’s at stake, as well as their vision for the future of public transportation in the Golden State.

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