Opinion | Governor Newsom Should Not Cut Funding for Public Transit

Although California’s government has recently had budget surpluses, it now faces a $32 billion deficit that requires tough decisions. However, Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal to cut $2 billion in previous plans for public transit infrastructure makes little sense. It may result in service cuts that are punishing for millions of commuters who depend on transit and dreadful for those who don’t ride it. The cuts will also make it more difficult for California to tackle issues of climate change and the state’s housing woes. Cutting transit funds is a costly way to try to save money in the long run because public transportation is a boon to the economy.

State Senator Scott Wiener and some of his colleagues have proposed a sensible plan to fund California’s transit systems by taking upward of $5 billion, over five years from various piles of money in the budget. The request would be a blip in a $306 billion yearly budget. Transit systems are preparing to adjust their budgets and services to new travel patterns, but implementing those plans will take time and in the short term, they are pretty strapped. Transit agencies will be forced to scale back service without additional funds. This will endanger the recovery of ridership, trigger the transit “death spiral,” and limit the sector’sability to generate economic activity.

Transit’s impact on California’s climate and housing policy is also worth considering. At present, several measures depend on public transportation to streamline the approvals process or increase the density of housing units for buildings near transit lines. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, Californians need to drive less, not just drive electric. Hence, the state’s leadership failure to cut transit by $2 billion contradicts their recent climate plan. The California transit networks will be unable to benefit from historic federal investments if transit funds are cut, putting the federal windfall at risk. The proposed cuts are absurd, given the availability of federal money.

Daniel Lopez, a spokesman for Newsom, says that if legislators wanted to discuss alternative proposals regarding transit, they are willing to listen. But, perhaps, there isn’t enough urgency or ambition considering the collective scale of the climate problem. The budget must be finished soon, so it is hoped that the governor and legislators can grasp the indispensability of funding public transportation, considering the costly consequences of not doing so.

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