Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

The trips come after Community Transit drastically cut service over the past two years in response to declining sales-tax revenue. Much of that service was on local routes.

Trying to eliminate or reduce service on the 305 and other bus lines for more than a year, due to the upcoming opening of the Expo light rail line, low ridership, budget concerns and to eliminate route duplication. Cuts will fall hardest on minorities and low-income riders, critics say.

Due to budget cuts and rising operating costs, the MTA planned to freeze its budget for the next three years. Officials hope to get workers to agree to concessions similar to those recently made by New York State employees, but transit workers say they deserve raises.

Money can be saved by merging administrative functions, cutting premium benefits and changing guidelines that determine the employment terms for transit operators.

The savings measures are detailed in a new report, include slashing administrative costs by 15 percent, and overhauling project approval and track work procedures.

Six-year transportation reauthorization bill proposal calls for spending $230 billion. Proposed spending level would cause cuts in funding to states for road and bridge programs, prompting massive job losses and further deterioration of infrastructure, critics warn.

A state budget proposal would decrease matching grants, reducing support from $8 million to $6 million.

The resolution cuts another $6 billion in federal spending from FY 2010 enacted levels. Among the $6 billion in reductions is the elimination of funding for FY 2011 for the FRA program that provides grant money for railroad operators to implement Positive Train Control.

Congressional budget cuts could take away $68 million in federal grants from King County Metro Transit, which could impact five of its six bus rapid transit lines.