Costs put transit agencies on 'road to ruin'

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

From Sonoma to San Jose, the Bay Area's 28 mass transit systems are bleeding money and riders at a rate that will require a projected bailout of about $1 billion a year for the next 25 years, according to a new report by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

Ballooning costs, coupled with a shrinking ridership and vanishing tax revenue, have led to a vicious circle of fare hikes and service cuts that chase away even more patrons - and lead to more deficits.

"It is a road to ruin," said the transportation commission's executive director, Steve Heminger.

Although transit agencies like to blame the recession, loss of sales-tax subsidies and state cuts for their problems, the report says many of their wounds were self-inflicted.

For example, from 1997 to 2008, the total cost of running the Bay Area's bus, train and ferry systems climbed 52 percent over inflation.

During the same period, however, the number of commuter lines and hours of service increased just 16 percent. Ridership rose a mere 7 percent.

Yet, Obama and gang tell you Americans want public transportation.