Drastic Bus Service Cuts, Layoffs Loom : Transportation: Legislature’s plan to use sales tax funds could mean the elimination of some routes and 300 to 400 jobs.

A major reduction in San Diego bus service--perhaps as much as 25%--will be necessary to meet a projected $5-million budget shortfall, transit officials said Thursday.

The result, officials said, would be a gutting of public transportation in the city and a loss of 300 to 400 jobs.

San Diego transit officials are caught in the budget logjam between the Legislature and Gov. Pete Wilson. In an effort to meet a $10.7-billion state deficit, state lawmakers are looking to use sales tax revenue that counties collect for transit service.

In San Diego County’s case, the loss would mean $8 million, $6.6 million of which goes to the Metropolitan Transit Development Board, the managers of trolley and bus service. The balance goes to public transit in North County.

Hardest hit would be San Diego Transit, which runs the bus lines. The bus company stands to lose $5 million, or 11% of its $55-million budget.

“This is a killer,” said Roger Snoble, general manager and president of San Diego Transit. “It’s devastating. You try to do the best with what you have, but this kind of Draconian cut really gets to you.”

At a news conference Thursday called to illustrate how hurtful the cuts would be, the chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Development Board and other transportation officials laid out a list of gloomy scenarios should the proposed budget cuts become law.

Several bus routes would be eliminated, including a line in University City (No. 50), one in Pacific Beach-Mission Valley-La Mesa (No. 81), an express route in Tierrasanta (No. 220), a San Diego State University line (No. 36) and a San Carlos-area bus (No. 40).

The San Diego Trolley faces a $1.6-million deficit but is more likely to survive service cuts because fares account for 70% to 80% of its operating costs, rather than a 45% fare box return for the bus. To cut trolley service makes bad business sense when it nearly pays for itself, officials said.

The bus is a much more likely victim, and 20,000 rides a day are likely to be cut because of budget reductions.

Besides nine bus routes either on the block for elimination or in line for reduced service, Snoble said evening and weekend service would be scaled back. After Proposition 13 was approved, transit officials had to drastically reduce evening hours and have only been able to bring it close to the levels of the late 1970s.

None of the bus lines identified for cutting or curtailing are heavily traveled routes. Rather, they were described Thursday as “lifelines”--with a relatively light load of passengers, mostly elderly--that are “not as productive as other routes,” Snoble said. Still, he said, they are important because they provide transportation to social service centers and hospitals.

“Nothing the Legislature could do would be more dangerous to this area’s economy,” said James R. Mills, MTDB chairman. “This is an extremely severe situation.”

Mills said that once the state takes the money to plug the budget gap, the funds will become a staple in Sacramento and probably will never again be returned to local governments.

“Once it’s gone, we’ll never get it back,” he said.

The news conference was called “to make sure that the Assembly and (Senate) understand the full effect of the cuts,” Snoble said. “We understand we have a budget crisis. But this kind of action exacerbates an already bad situation.”

Already this year, the transit district has been hampered by the recession, which has meant a 19% dip in transit sales tax revenues from last year, or a $14-million loss.

From bus drivers to electrical workers to other MTDB employees, about 300 to 400 transit jobs would be lost, officials said Thursday. A county air pollution expert said the loss of bus service would jeopardize state and federal clean air standards because many bus riders would revert to their cars.

The loss of transit revenues--called Transportation Development Act money--throughout the state is expected to be $150 million a year. A third of that amount was to go to Los Angeles County transit alone.

Under the Transportation Development Act, counties are permitted to collect a quarter of 1% in sales tax for transit service.

The MTDB raised fares in July, 1991, by 25 cents and had proposed an identical hike next July. With such a gloomy budget forecast, Snoble said, the fare may have to be raised earlier than expected.

“I’m afraid we may chase away a lot of riders who may not come back,” he said. “But there’s no place to hide anymore. We have used every trick we have, and now we have to take the hit out of service.”

Routes Endangered by State Budget

The following bus routes would be curtailed or eliminated if state lawmakers take $5 million in transit sales tax revenues from San Diego County:

No. 20--Serves downtown San Diego, Fashion Valley, Kearny Mesa, Miramar Naval Air Station, Mira Mesa, Rancho Penasquitos and Rancho Bernardo. Service to be curtailed but not eliminated.

No. 19--Serves North Island Naval Air Station, Centre City East, Golden Hill and North Park. Service to be eliminated.

No. 40--Serves Fletcher Hills, San Carlos, Allied Gardens and downtown San Diego. Service to be eliminated.

No. 81--Serves Pacific Beach, Fashion Valley and Mission Valley, Mission Beach, National University, San Diego State University, Grossmont Trolley Station, La Mesa. Service to be eliminated.

No. 50--Serves downtown San Diego, Clairemont, University City, University Towne Centre, Veterans Administration Hospital, La Jolla Village Square. Service to be eliminated.

No. 220--Downtown San Diego commuter service to Rancho Penasquitos. Service to be eliminated.

No. 27--Serves Pacific Beach, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, North Clairemont and Tierrasanta. Service to be eliminated.

No. 70--East San Diego commuter service to downtown San Diego. Service to be eliminated.

No. 36--Serves 69th Street and El Cajon Boulevard, Lemon Grove, Broadway Trolley Station, Marketplace at the Grove, Skyline Drive, San Diego State University, Spring Valley and La Presa. Service to be eliminated.