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Dear Governor Newsom, President pro Tempore Atkins, Leader Jones, Speaker Rendon, and Leader Gallagher,

On behalf of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), which represents an $80 billion industry that directly employs more than 430,000 people and supports millions of private-sector jobs, I write in strong support of the California public transportation organizations’ June 2, 2023 letter requesting that the State of California appropriate new funding to stabilize transit operations and support transit agencies’ recovery from the pandemic.

Public transit agencies provide an essential service to communities. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, transit agencies face numerous challenges from reduced ridership, farebox, and tax revenue to increased supply chain challenges, costs, and worker shortages.

During the pandemic, Congress recognized the essential role of public transit and provided almost $70 billion of emergency relief. As public transit agencies expend all remaining COVID-19 relief, many agencies face significant operating budget shortfalls in fiscal year 2024 or subsequent years.

Unfortunately, California transit agencies find themselves among the many agencies across the country facing these operating budget shortfalls. You have worked to address this issue by providing full funding for the Transit and Intercity Capital Program and providing transit agencies with flexibility to use these funds to address near-term operating budget deficits. However, additional assistance is necessary.

To help California public transit agencies navigate these tremendous fiscal challenges and maintain the capacity to build capital projects needed to meet the state’s future needs, APTA strongly supports this request for additional state funding for transit operations.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Paul P. Skoutelas
President and CEO

Enclosure

cc: The Honorable Toks Omishakin, Secretary, California State Transportation Agency