[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6668162,"mediaKeyId","2241213-b9e2c34777c256247ce94c70c176fb38","parentId",2241213,"title","Sen. McNerney spotlights ValleyLink as shovel‑ready rail link to BART, seeks funding","audioSeconds",68,"startMs",4795000,"endMs",4863000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2241213-b9e2c34777c256247ce94c70c176fb38&start=4795&end=4863","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2241213-b9e2c34777c256247ce94c70c176fb38/thumbnail_4795000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6668162/California/Sen-McNerney-spotlights-ValleyLink-as-shovelready-rail-link-to-BART-seeks-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6668162-e829e8b5fad523a6e6a0afb2d5434055/orig.mp4?Expires=1771048752&Signature=OG7DAApLnQRNfAof8H1yLKEkxrTIz7OTimE8~7Qua0XAtLWp1859YFw4cdsKLkeNhpFmYghyy4t9QNXmPpP~5PTBfPD6KxNLEc1JtlzkB4niH1M6A1l7qpeabDRDZqa1CTGgav9F2yINq9ufERfzVKhQowMmK7Sz0ZfC-zXjZsm3lMvYmpmt8UjpplFT3UTBuz1Sj8J9xQaEav-ZCe0-Q0AoFvD9huQv1mdaeZ7YQFidHiNV835lP~aehezHwjjWYQaWOsraHVBnYtfjZGC8ct3Ecd8f9LFOQeM-wQxJepLPHiXB0m2~y84UxM7fueY-i9y0W-KznAv-h432rxhEaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","California State Senate","date","2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","article","Sen. Jerry McNerney told the Senate subcommittee that ValleyLink is “shovel ready” and urged state support to move the project into construction.

What ValleyLink would do: McNerney said ValleyLink would connect the northern San Joaquin Valley to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, crossing the Altamont Pass — one of the region's most congested commute corridors — and provide an alternative to a long drive. He told senators that ValleyLink's environmental reviews are complete and that the project would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 42,000 metric tons per year by 2040 under project modeling.

Ridership and system effects: McNerney estimated ValleyLink would increase BART's daily ridership by about 20%, adding roughly 30,000 daily BART riders, and described the project as a more affordable option than a BART extension into Livermore. He said ValleyLink could be implemented faster than a BART extension and serve commuters in the nearer term.

Funding status: McNerney characterized ValleyLink as “shovel ready” but said it still needs funding; his remarks were presented as an appeal to colleagues to consider the project in the state's transportation finance discussions.

Why it matters: ValleyLink proponents argue the line would reduce VMT for long commuters across the Altamont, provide a new interregional rail connection and deliver climate benefits in the nearer term than heavyweight rail extensions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","California State Senate - Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee - Feb 06, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Sen. Jerry McNerney told the Senate subcommittee ValleyLink is shovel‑ready and would link the Northern San Joaquin Valley to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, reduce commute emissions and add riders to BART, but it still needs funding to proceed to construction.","taxTitle","California State Senate, Senate, Legislative, California","taxId",77650,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6668167,"Operators warn of looming fiscal cliffs and service cuts; cite safety, fleet and capital obstacles",1375,6686000,8061000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2241213-b9e2c34777c256247ce94c70c176fb38&start=6686&end=8061","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2241213-b9e2c34777c256247ce94c70c176fb38/thumbnail_6686000.jpg","/articles/6668167/California/Operators-warn-of-looming-fiscal-cliffs-and-service-cuts-cite-safety-fleet-and-capital-obstacles","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6668167-1e08750511a7611607dbd822c7d606b0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771048752&Signature=ElSBWDH6NQ86swNCNLCiAWlkDey-7s0M88qyz9QKyd6n8uEyg0QLnITeU279dA8vpTQ64JzGenzQAjsqN1RY-qg4fI362ltzwbRz4ylf5EHI0fCT~t6IUOQdUmaspRyRKejYP3UUxPi6ig48mVVjppZoEPDTFwnDzuaXqVtJcJ3dh4NATCmUN-~BKaHDXTWSaKk29tCPBfD144zg-vccu8HYeUZA0vthzSniAt63ioIySmrL8iFiY2HNzCD9b0MZ56~iETLR75Ryzvqyztpx4biiRGTzbGC7H7rEFzQEw9ccbdKF-igX-ESTcuknQmlQgrmOyO52bf~TE0l3GGJOpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives from three major operators described how one‑time federal and state relief helped stabilize service after the pandemic, but warned of significant operating deficits when those funds end.

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency: Julie Kirschbaum, acting director of SFMTA, said Muni's weekday ridership recovery was roughly 78% of pre‑pandemic levels overall and over 90% on weekends, but that downtown trips remain low. She gave specific fiscal numbers: she said Muni faces a fiscal cliff she quantified as roughly $322 million starting in the summer of 2026 and that parking revenue at one large garage fell from about $25 million per year historically to a forecast of $9 million this year. Kirschbaum said the agency has cut routes (from 91 to 73), frozen hiring and raised fares and parking fees but still projects a roughly $50 million shortfall in FY 2025–26 without additional funds.

LA Metro: Michael Turner, Metro government relations executive, said LA Metro's ridership has risen to about 90% of 2019 levels overall, with some days (Sundays) exceeding pre‑pandemic counts. Metro is advancing several capital projects (East San Fernando Valley light rail, Foothill Gold Line extension, Southeast Gateway) and pursuing bus electrification, but Turner said conversion costs and capital/operations demands create fiscal pressure. He told senators Metro faced a combined operating and capital shortfall of about $2.3 billion through about 2030 under his agency's planning assumptions.

Santa Cruz Metro: CEO Corey Aldridge described local effects of SB125 allocations. The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission received $34.6 million from SB125, with roughly $32.3 million allocated to Santa Cruz Metro; the district used roughly $28.3 million over three years for a “Reimagine Metro” service restoration and expansion. Aldridge said the program increased service by 41%, produced an estimated 1.75 million additional passenger trips annually when fully implemented and produced a 22% ridership increase since implementation. Santa Cruz Metro is also implementing a hydrogen fuel cell bus buy (22 buses referenced) and associated fueling/facility upgrades funded through other competitive grants, but Aldridge said the one‑time SB125 allocation will run out in 2026 and the district is considering a half‑cent sales tax measure for 2026.

Other operators and public commenters: BART, Caltrain and other agencies and labor representatives provided public comments or staff testimony noting anticipated deficits: public commenters said BART faces projected annual deficits of $375–400 million starting in fiscal year 2027 and that Caltrain expects roughly $75 million per year shortfalls beginning in the same timeframe. Operator witnesses and labor groups emphasized that publicly funded safety and cleaning investments made during the recovery are vulnerable if agencies must cut staff.

Safety and service quality: witnesses from SFMTA, LA Metro and Santa Cruz described layered approaches to safety — from fare inspectors and transit ambassadors to security contracts and partnerships with local law enforcement — and said investments in cleanliness and safety have helped bring riders back, but that these programs require ongoing funding.

Takeaway: witnesses urged the Legislature to consider predictable, ongoing funding sources to avoid service cuts that would disproportionately harm transit‑dependent riders and undermine climate goals.","Representatives from San Francisco Muni, LA Metro and Santa Cruz Metro told senators that SB125 funds staved off near‑term collapse but that expiring relief, reduced fare revenue and transition costs to zero‑emission fleets will bring major deficits unless more predictable funding is found.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6668171,"CalSTA task force, SB125 rules set reporting deadlines and accountability for transit relief",4742,246000,4988000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2241213-b9e2c34777c256247ce94c70c176fb38&start=246&end=4988","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2241213-b9e2c34777c256247ce94c70c176fb38/thumbnail_246000.jpg","/articles/6668171/California/CalSTA-task-force-SB125-rules-set-reporting-deadlines-and-accountability-for-transit-relief","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6668171-bf1ef6a8432f620ffad8e88deeaf495a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771048752&Signature=kaAAZU7EH~xLXTmHvaZyHN8X7xsnlIyxtObfiSsDiXUIhbjTrRg2Ma~jbkXoFmSW1wrNvZAanfP1-V-Sl97j17lWLhmK1D9qIfSF-c7pW7l46WeexzQGpxD8s-adHqYbANHHNAbt4FjcxbQ5MM8-knS1kIvXGgN6~IVKvJuvtzd4xJBEpaHaNCAKV6CysgPGQhYKNdbn3ClBkpRJeDYq9Bdt7fCL0RA~BEioV9pgUAZ6G8Pm19FTnfixI8wOlX2YtLiol844ncaucmwROJya0MHIExNvAV35dkBndvcid~q1ZNJDkdFbf~kMctIupr6Tjm6PtJBE1S-AYb2w6KOZdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mark Tolleson, undersecretary at the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), told the Senate subcommittee that SB125 includes built‑in accountability and planning obligations intended to help regions transition from one‑time relief to longer‑term financial sustainability.

CalSTA's role and the Task Force: Tolleson said CalSTA is administering the SB125 allocations and is convening the 25‑member Transit Transformation Task Force, which includes state agencies, local transit operators, academics, advocacy groups and labor. The Task Force has met multiple times and is developing a menu of policy recommendations for the Legislature and administration; CalSTA expects to release interim volumes during the summer and a final report by Oct. 31, 2025.

Reporting and compliance requirements: regions and operators seeking SB125 disbursements must submit short‑term regional plans documenting how relief funds will be used and how operating shortfalls will be addressed. Tolleson said 45 of 49 agencies had requested initial allocations and that 40 of those allocations had been approved; the remaining agencies are small operators representing a tiny share of statewide dollars. CalSTA said it planned to allocate the roughly $1.0 billion available for FY 2024–25 no later than April 30 of that fiscal year (as stated in CalSTA materials provided to the committee).

Long‑term plans and statutory relief: SB125 also requires long‑term plans from agencies describing strategies for sustaining transit without additional state funds; those plans are due June 30, 2026. Tolleson described other statutory provisions in SB125: temporary suspension of certain financial penalties, hold‑harmless provisions using pre‑pandemic data for revenue allocations, and limited flexibility allowing some State of Good Repair funds to support operations.

What the task force will examine: Tolleson and members said the group is examining system‑level reforms that could include changes to allocation formulas (for example, whether farebox metrics remain the right basis), permitting and delivery reforms to reduce capital costs and ways to accelerate transit priority projects. Tolleson said these topics will be further examined in near‑term task force meetings and technical working groups and could inform legislative proposals in 2026.","CalSTA's Transit Transformation Task Force and SB125 accountability requirements were detailed to the Senate subcommittee: short‑term regional plans are required to access funding, and long‑term plans are due to CalSTA by June 30, 2026. The task force is scheduled to deliver policy recommendations to the Legislature by Oct. 31, 2025.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6668176,"Senate subcommittee: SB125 bought time but California transit still needs more sustained support",8193,1794000,9987000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2241213-b9e2c34777c256247ce94c70c176fb38&start=1794&end=9987","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2241213-b9e2c34777c256247ce94c70c176fb38/thumbnail_1794000.jpg","/articles/6668176/California/Senate-subcommittee-SB125-bought-time-but-California-transit-still-needs-more-sustained-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6668176-672983aebbcd8058ddbbe76fbdddf6b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771048752&Signature=dIS0WGudyGM6oexHNWgpz5mf373c-R~cYxvc16ZB1UCyaxUJaP1g96eUwjvYOsggKt-lBQCpvDepaHgtOvDiXNfbRdo9d9icuZZvPEmcnkTLeZaairuWIcYCrN4kNB2~h9bGRPWlcMubygfqA2iXbeGbxJ0Hl0FB8NCIYQavahZ~UFw4g3P~Ww2O8yiG56Lf-tupl19yDbTTNcjLSFxQ74hgmtQbZLVkzLAX2u2UnyK9yxf3zqk3L1E0hELhopTzFboRHbUlw7TTs5YTSyhJWmDlRoy5rBml9a~sJS2RSpnGk-UjO9v-jcRuVHGwo1nbWkX~el0lzeU2p2CStmWKtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a Senate Budget and Fiscal Review subcommittee informational hearing, senators and transit experts said state relief enacted in 2023 helped avert immediate systemwide service collapses but did not remove longer‑term funding pressures.

“Public transportation is not optional. It's essential,” Sen. Scott Wiener, chair of the subcommittee, told witnesses at the start of the hearing, framing the panel's focus on operations, capital needs and accountability. Legislative, academic and operator witnesses described how pandemic ridership loss and lingering changes in trip patterns have reduced fare revenue and left some agencies dependent on one‑time federal and state support.

Why it matters: transit operations fund service on which many Californians — particularly low‑income households, people of color and people with limited access to cars — rely for work, health care and other essential trips. Witnesses said underinvesting in transit also undermines state climate and housing goals by making driving comparatively cheaper.

Key facts presented at the hearing included: administrators of SB125 described the package as roughly $5.1 billion in multiyear support — a combination of prior capital allocations (about $4.0 billion previously identified for capital) that agencies were allowed to flex to operations and approximately $1.1 billion in additional funding — administered through regional allocations and CalSTA oversight. The Legislative Analyst's Office told senators statewide transit ridership in 2023 remained below 2019 levels (the LAO cited a 29% decline statewide between 2019 and 2023), with agency‑by‑agency variation.

Frank Jimenez of the Legislative Analyst's Office explained that federal pandemic relief (roughly $9.8 billion delivered to California agencies) and the state's SB125 funds “helped delay the transit fiscal cliff by a few years,” but he and UCLA researcher Brian Taylor said the underlying shifts in how often people take trips — fewer weekday commute trips per person, for example — mean fare revenue is unlikely to return uniformly across systems.

Operators and advocates pressed the committee to consider additional, predictable funding streams. Several local operators described looming gaps tied to expiring pandemic or one‑time state funds, and a series of public commenters from BART, Caltrain and other operators reiterated that excellent service and safety investments require sustained revenue rather than mostly capital grants.

The hearing also highlighted that the Transit Transformation Task Force created under SB125 is charged with recommending reforms and that the task force's report to the Legislature is due Oct. 31, 2025. CalSTA and other witnesses noted agencies must submit short‑term plans to receive SB125 allocations and long‑term financial plans by June 30, 2026.

Looking ahead: senators and witnesses framed SB125 as temporary relief that must be followed by either new state funding, local self‑help measures or structural reforms to give operators predictable operating support. The committee's work will continue through the budget process and follow the Task Force recommendations later this year.","A Senate Budget subcommittee heard that $5.1 billion in state relief (SB125) gave agencies breathing room after the pandemic, but uneven ridership recovery, falling fare revenues and expiring federal relief have left many operators facing near‑term fiscal cliffs and asking the state for longer‑term funding and reforms.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Sen. McNerney spotlights ValleyLink as shovel‑ready rail link to BART, seeks funding

Operators warn of looming fiscal cliffs and service cuts; cite safety, fleet and capital obstacles

CalSTA task force, SB125 rules set reporting deadlines and accountability for transit relief

Senate subcommittee: SB125 bought time but California transit still needs more sustained support