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.
FULL STORY: Newsom’s Proposed Budget Slashes $2 Billion From Public Transportation, Legislators Up In Arms
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