Cuts looming in Sonoma County bus service

Sonoma County Transit riders face the biggest changes in the 29-year history of the bus service under a proposal to consolidate routes and slash trips beginning this summer to make up for cuts in state and local funding.

The transit agency is asking the Board of Supervisors Tuesday to approve a 15 percent reduction in routes to offset a projected $925,000 budget deficit in the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Neither the Santa Rosa city bus system nor Golden Gate Transit, which serves the North Bay Area, plan route changes.

“This is the first time in our history we’ve made such a significant cut,” said Bryan Albee, transit systems manager of the agency founded in 1980.

The reductions will fall hard on many of the nearly 30,000 people who take the bus each week. In some cases, riders will have to leave sooner for their destinations because late trips have been eliminated. It could be harder to get to places like Sonoma State University from certain locations. And there will be fewer chances to catch a bus to Guerneville in west Sonoma County or north to Cloverdale.

“I think it’s terrible,” said Gina Giusti of Petaluma, who was taking a Route 48 bus Thursday to Rohnert Park to her job at a veterinary clinic.

Another Petaluma resident, Jerry Guyer, said he relies on the bus for weekly appointments in Santa Rosa. A medical condition prevents him from having a driver’s license, he said.

“I don’t like it at all,” the retired 67-year-old said of the looming reductions.

Albee said a majority of route cuts will be on shorter, inter-city lines that carry about 10 percent of riders. Longer inter-city routes that carry about 75 percent of riders will see fewer cuts, Albee said.

Local routes will have weekday and weekend reductions. Sunday service will be cancelled altogether in Rohnert Park. Also, some holiday service will be eliminated on selected routes.

“It’s just no good for our county,” said Triscia Shanda of Forestville, who rides Route 20 buses five times a week. “I understand they are having money problems but we’ve got to figure this out.”

The changes would take effect on June 28, the same day a 4 percent fare increase kicks in. The increase, which excludes seniors and the disabled, was approved by supervisors in April.

Fewer bus trips mean fewer drivers. Albee said six of the agency’s 70 contract drivers would be laid off under the proposal.

Route 48 bus driver Charles Schultz said it was a bad deal all around.

“It’s unfortunate that our national priorities are such that we bomb people in other countries and bail out banks while we let services for the less affluent dwindle and disappear,” he said as he picked up passengers in Petaluma.

County transit officials said the reductions are a result of shrinking sales tax revenue and cuts in state funding — the two major sources of transit money.

Earlier this year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in reaction to the state budget crisis he would suspend state transit funding for the next five years, eliminating about 18 percent of Sonoma County’s revenue.

At the same time, a statewide quarter-cent sales tax meant for local transit needs was siginificantly reduced. Combined, state and local money are about 63 percent of the budget.

Fares make up about 18 percent. Federal grants and local Measure M funds cover the remainder.

In deciding which routes to cut, officials said they evaluated ridership, duplication with other routes and time of day. Cuts were also based on route performance and cost savings.

Supervisor Paul Kelley, chairman of the board, said the proposal aims to maintain service for as many people as possible based on the money available.

“Reducing some service hours and scheduled routes is a necessary response to a reduction in the amount of funding available,” Kelley said. “The new schedules are put together in a way that will serve the most public in the best way we can.”

Since the transit agency posted the cuts last month, it has received numerous comments and suggestions that will be considered by the board next week. Albee said he may recommend adding back some of the reductions.

A full report with effected routes can be found at the Sonoma County Transit Web site, www.sctransit.com.