Ridership Is Up, Now Raise the Gas Tax

These are real cuts affecting real people. Our most recent ridership survey showed more than half our riders use the bus to get to work and almost 60 percent do not have access to a car. Our riders tell us that we should be increasing service, not cutting it, and we agree. We simply do not have the money, and the state appears determined to get out of the business of supporting transit operations.

The San Francisco Chronicle

SamTrans is the public transit operator centered in San Mateo county, which serves a chunk of Silicon Valley and provides service into San Francisco. Their troubles represent the maddening distinction found all over the country of increased ridership during decreased funding. In such situations in the past, public transit systems have phased out their para-transit operations and "merged" them with scheduled operations. That makes no one happy.