Freeway Collapse A Wake Up Call on Why California Cannot Afford Transit Cuts

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Emily Rusch
Consumer Advocate
California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG)

With the freeway collapse in "the Maze" in the East Bay two weeks ago, even more Bay Area residents than usual will be relying on public transit in the coming months. Even before the freeway accident 51 percent of commuters from Alameda to San Francisco and 48 percent of commuters from Contra Costa to San Francisco used public transit. But with one of the busiest freeway intersections in the country closed for the next several months, our buses, subways, and ferries will allow tens of thousands of commuters to avoid the ensuing gridlock.

Recent outspoken criticism of Muni has cast a negative light on our public transit systems, but unexpected emergencies such as the freeway collapse remind us of the need for alternatives to driving.

We already know that public transit benefits public health and the environment. Public transit reduces the pollution from cars that causes global warming and encourages smart development around transit hubs. We also know that California’s population will add 13 million people by 2030, more people than the current population of Los Angeles. Bay Area commuters already consistently rank traffic congestion as their number one complaint about the region. Without convenient alternatives to driving, traffic congestion will only get worse as our population grows.

Unfortunately, although Governor Schwarzenegger created temporary relief on the Sunday after the disaster by proposing free public transit for Monday’s commuters, these actions sharply contrast with his proposal for deep cuts to public transit funding in this year’s state budget. $2.5 million for a free day of transit is an empty gesture when his current budget would cut more than $3 million from public transit every day of the year.