SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The AC Transit Board of Directors is considering potential service cuts and job reductions as the agency faces a $50 million budget shortfall. Two scenarios are under review, one of which could lead to a more than 16% cut in service and impact up to 300 workers. The transit agency is grappling with lost revenue and rising costs, leading to proposals that include an 11% service reduction affecting 200 employees, or deeper cuts. This financial challenge is not isolated to AC Transit, as other major Bay Area transit systems like BART, Muni and Caltrain are experiencing similar difficulties. Petition circulates claiming Philz Coffee asked stores to remove Pride flags Emily Loper, senior vice president of public policy at the Bay Area Council, noted the widespread nature of the issue. "This is not just an AC Transit problem," Loper said. Transit systems were significantly impacted during the pandemic and saw further revenue declines as remote work reduced ridership. The first cutback scenario projects a $37 million gap, with service reductions of 11% and an impact on up to 200 workers. The second scenario includes deeper cuts of more than 16%, potentially affecting up to 300 jobs. Beyond reduced ridership, inflation and rising operational costs are exacerbating the financial strain on these agencies. Temporary funding had helped maintain services, but that support is scheduled to expire early next year. Loper emphasized the critical role these systems play in the region. "Those are the four largest transit systems in our region, and it's really impossible to imagine a Bay Area without them," Loper said. She added that these agencies transport 80% of the transit riders in the region. The projected service cuts would have severe consequences, according to Loper. "These level of service cuts that they're projecting would be really catastrophic, not just taking away from the transit options for people who depend on them to get to work or to school or to wherever they're going, but also drivers now. All of those transit riders would end up on our roads and cause a traffic nightmare," Loper said. In response to the looming cuts, the Bay Area Council is advocating for a regional measure to be placed on the November ballot. This measure aims to secure funding for public transit and prevent substantial service reductions. Loper described the ballot initiative as the sole viable path forward. "Until we can raise revenue ourselves, but now that state support is going to run out early next year, and so going to the ballot in November is really our only option to prevent these massive cuts," Loper said. Commuters have also voiced their concerns regarding the potential impact. Laura Fleming, a Fremont resident, highlighted the necessity of public transit. "I think it would be foolish if we didn't have it because all the cars would be on the roads and nobody would enjoy it. I think we need it," Fleming said. Another Fremont commuter, Mark Von Gnechten, reflected on the recovery of transit usage. "I kind of worry that BART just hasn't come back the way I would've expected it to after COVID. I'm glad we're seeing a few more people out there, but we really need to use these things," Gnechten said. The AC Transit Board is expected to vote on these budget options in June. If the options are approved, a public input process will follow before any final decisions are made regarding which routes could be cut. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published. ...read more read less