Car-dependent California seeks to follow New York’s lead and save public transit

By JEFF McMURRAY and ADAM BEAM
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s transit agencies are asking Democrats who control the state’s government to rescue them like Democrats in New York recently did. It’s proving to be a much tougher sell in California. The nation’s most populous state is far more automobile-reliant than much of the Northeast. The state is projected to have a $31.5 billion budget deficit. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has also proposed slashing another $2 billion from transit infrastructure funding to help balance the books. Bay Area Rapid Transit has warned they could be forced to stop running after 9 p.m. and on weekends without additional funding.