Senate and Assembly Reach Agreement to Fund Public Transit to Avert Mass Service Cuts

SAN FRANCISCO – The California Senate and Assembly announced an agreement on the state budget, including rejecting the Governor’s proposed $1.1 billion cut to public transit and extending an interest-free loan of $750 million for Bay Area transit systems to avoid catastrophic service cuts over the next two years. Over several months, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), Senator Jesse Arreguín (D-Berkeley), and Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles) led a coalition of legislators and advocates to secure and protect transit funding in the state budget.

The close to $2 billion in total funding is important for averting service cuts in the near term, but the Bay Area will need to engage in self-help to stabilize these systems in the long term. As a result, Senators Wiener and Arreguín, joined by other Bay Area legislators, are authoring legislation to generate additional operational funding for Bay Area transit systems via a 2026 ballot measure (SB 63). More statewide funding work is also critically needed, given that California significantly under-invests in transit at the state level compared to other large blue states.

Senators Wiener and Arreguin issued the following statement:

“Public transportation is easy to take for granted, but allowing it to collapse would devastate California’s economic recovery and quality of life. This budget agreement extends a critical lifeline that will help transit agencies maintain service while making critical improvements to cleanliness and safety. We are grateful that legislative leaders prioritized support for transit.

“Our public transportation systems’ future is still far from secure, and they require greater engagement and prioritization from our leaders to avert disaster. Even with this one-time relief package, systems across the state continue to face large budget shortfalls that threaten devastating service cuts. We are working hard to pass SB 63, a funding measure to fill much of the remaining shortfall in the Bay Area, while also funding improvements to safety, cleanliness, and accountability. We look forward to discussions with the Governor and colleagues on how we can best support public transportation going forward.”

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