Like transit agencies all over the country, the San Mateo County Transit District is confronting tough economic times. Faced with a $28.4 million dollar budget shortfall this year, the District is reducing service on six routes and eliminating most of its express service. Two major sources of revenue, local sales taxes and state transit assistance funds, have decreased and are not projected to rebound for several fiscal years. These challenges point to the need for careful planning to ensure the District’s long-term fiscal health and ability to provide critical mobility services

The public is being asked to comment on the annual update of District’s 10-year Short-range Transit Plan. The plan includes the 10-year operating and capital plans and financial projections used to qualify for essential state and federal funds.

The plan reflects the recent challenges such as service-level reductions and the District’s structural deficit. Future focus areas include the development of new funding strategies, and planning efforts to assess delivery, design and productivity of SamTrans service.

The SRTP is updated annually to meet the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s regulatory requirements to program federal funds.

Comments will be accepted through Nov. 25. To comment, send an e-mail to SRTP@samtrans.com or write to SamTrans Short-Range Transit Plan, P.O. Box 3006, San Carlos, CA 94070. The plan will be presented to the board for adoption at its Dec. 9 meeting.

11/13/09
Media Contact: Christine Dunn, 650.508.6238