budget

Metrolink's proposing some massive service cuts — along with a possible increase of up to 13% in fares plus elimination of some discounts — to solve a plunge in state and local transit funding. I've put together a map showing all of the proposed cuts to date, combined with the recent service cuts that put Orange County transit service in a hole:

The Transit Coalition says it best. In their most recent newsletters, they've summarized it as follows:

Metrolink is preparing for another round of service cuts and/or fare hikes. While the last round of cuts focused on trimming weekend service, current proposed cuts appear to decimate the Antelope Valley Line and the Ventura County Line, which may lose eleven and eight weekday trains, respectively. The San Bernardino Line would lose two trains on weekdays and Sundays and four trains on Saturday. The Inland Empire-Orange County Line would see four trains disappear on weekdays, and one train will terminate in Laguna Niguel instead of Oceanside. 

Riders may also see a fare increase between 3% and 13.1%, depending on station pairs. Aside from the usual 3% to 6% increase, discounts would be eliminated or tempered for 10-trip and monthly passes, as well as senior/disabled, student, round-trip and weekend tickets. The proposed plan would also see the 80-mile cap on tickets lifted, meaning that the highest fare, Lancaster to Oceanside, would rise from $14 to $23.50. Those who wish to comment on the proposed fare hikes and/or service cuts may do so online at theMetrolink web site or in person at the public hearing on Friday, April 2.  ...

Metrolink is one of the Southern California agencies proposing drastic service cuts to nip a $17 million budget shortfall. The Ventura County Starand the Los Angeles Daily News have provided coverage and editorials. Transit advocates have been meeting with Metrolink staff and directors to propose cost efficiencies by linking the spoke and hub train system into a series of corridors. For Ventura County and Antelope Valley Line riders that want to help save the service, you may join the TTC campaign, as we need volunteers aboard the trains to circulate line specific post cards linked above. Contact TTC to help. 

If you'd like to comment, attend the Metrolink Board of Directors meeting on April 2, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), 818 W. Seventh Street, 12th Floor, Board Room, Los Angeles, CA 90017 read more→

Last night, the coordinators behind the Transit Advocates of Orange County presented an award to Huntington Beach mayor and former OCTA director Cathy Green for her work on advocating for transit at the OCTA board level. Her term on the OCTA board recently expired. She helped preserve the 24-hour Night Owl bus service cuts for 6 months past its initial ending date, prevented some of the other boardmembers from following through with doubling bus service cuts this March, and was a brave voice for commuters on public transit. I took video of the awards presentation:

Her replacement, Huntington Beach Councilmember Hansen has some big shoes to fill on the OCTA board, especially since Huntington Beach just 2 complete bus lines (including route 74 plus service to Goldenwest College on the 62). Plus, Talbert (76) and Garfield and Main (172) have been cancelled on weekends, Bolsa Chica and Graham (21) now have no service during the mid-day, and Beach Blvd (29), Magnolia (33), and Brookhurst (35) all have faced frequency reduction. read more→

Still behind in updates although this week should go more smoothly. Lots of restaurants to review, and lots of news to deliver. Meanwhile, I've pasted OCTA's last two weekly news updates below. read more→

read more→

Tonight's the night! Doors open 5:30pm; we'll start the meeting at 6pm. Light refreshments will be served. Attached is the agenda, and here are some more details:

Santa Ana Depot (train station), 5th floor.
To arrive by transit: OCTA 59, 62, 83, 206, 462, 463, 464, Metrolink, Amtrak

Please attend; We'd love to meet you! You'll hear the latest on the bus funding situation, the bus cuts situation, and what can be done to help save our bus service. You can let us know your concerns and questions. Refreshments will be provided at no charge. Please let us know ASAP if you can volunteer as a greeter or translator.

actually, not a whole lot to note except for Metrolink track closure dates (listed below) and the upcoming ARTIC meeting, which I'll post about in just a few minutes... read more→

Students of UC Irvine's about to get more active, thanks to David Weinreich, a masters candidate for Urban & Regional Planning. He writes:

I received a very enthusiastic response to my first email [to other Urban & Regional Planning students], looking to set up a group to advocate for students' interests in preserving our transit through OCTA's next wave of service cuts.

It is too late to do anything about the 150,000 service hours being cut on March 14, but we'll be organized to for the next round.  Many students (myself included) have no other way to get around.  As transit planners, I think it is crucial that we advocate for transit dependents--perhaps even find some solutions-- in the face of a very ugly situation.

We'll hold our first meeting this coming Monday to organize:
SE 306 Monday at 4:00pm

Here's a map of the campus. SE, I think, stands for the Social Ecology building, which is marked as "210" on this map. You can take OCTA lines 59, 79, 175, and 178 to get there. read more→