Caltrain Dodges Service Cuts

[WhoozOn1st]

Caltrain board approves $103.8 million budget with no service cuts

"The unanimous vote silences for now the public outcry and doomsday predictions from officials that emerged after Caltrain revealed it was facing a $30.2 million budget gap. The shortfall could have translated into shuttering up to half its stations and eliminating services such as weekend trains, the agency warned.

"Board members narrowed the gap by approving a 25-cent fare hike and $1 parking rate increases, but the final $3.5 million needed to plug the hole came from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

"As a result, the popular commuter rail line will continue to run its current 86-train schedule. The rate increases take effect July 1."

 

[MikefromCrete]

Caltrain board approves $103.8 million budget with no service cuts

"The unanimous vote silences for now the public outcry and doomsday predictions from officials that emerged after Caltrain revealed it was facing a $30.2 million budget gap. The shortfall could have translated into shuttering up to half its stations and eliminating services such as weekend trains, the agency warned.

"Board members narrowed the gap by approving a 25-cent fare hike and $1 parking rate increases, but the final $3.5 million needed to plug the hole came from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

"As a result, the popular commuter rail line will continue to run its current 86-train schedule. The rate increases take effect July 1."

That's all it took? A 25 cent fare increase and a $1 parking hike? After wailing about practically shutting down the place? The next time they really have a crisis, the public won't care.

 

[sechs]

There's a little more to it than that. They got some one-time money.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

There's a little more to it than that. They got some one-time money.

As anybody who actually bothered to read the linked story would know. Reliable funding remains up in the air.

 

[Spokker]

All they did was kick the can down the road. The doomsday cuts have only been delayed. The difficult work of finding a stable funding source for Caltrain has yet to be done.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

How a $108 million budget could be difficult to maintain, I'll never know.

 

[sechs]

The problem is one of agencies funding Caltrain, SamTrans, is short and wants to cut its contribution budget of the railroad. To keep it fair, the other agencies, SC VTA and SFMTA, would cut their contributions to match.

That's a triple whammy. And now you know.