1 Casey Erlenheim
From:
Sent: Monday, July 6, 2026 4:37 PM
To: City_Clerk
Subject: Written Public Comment
Subject: Urgent: Request to Advocate for 100% Allocation of CCTA Reserve Funds to Contra Costa Transit
Dear Members of the Board,
I am writing to you today to urge your immediate advocacy on a matter of critical importance to the residents, workers, and families of Contra Costa County. Public transit in our region is facing an unprecedented financial crisis, and we need our local leaders to take a definitive stand to protect the essential services our communities rely on every day.
As you are aware, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently passed an amendment that alters the distribution of state funds, effectively eliminating millions of dollars in transit funding that Contra Costa County heavily relies upon. Compounded by the slow and difficult ridership recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, our local transit agencies are stretched to a dangerous breaking point.
This is not a new struggle, but rather the continuation of a fragile system being pushed too far. In 2009, severe funding shortages forced County Connection to lay off 40 drivers—a devastating blow to our workforce and service capacity from which we have never fully recovered. Since then, we have endured two additional rounds of service cuts due to budget shortfalls. We cannot afford to let history repeat itself. Further cuts will strand workers, seniors, students, and disabled residents who depend on public transportation as their primary lifeline.
Fortunately, a mechanism to prevent this disaster currently exists. The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) holds an estimated $26 million in reserve funds. While I understand there is a proposal to divert a portion of these funds to building and trades for road projects, it is vital to acknowledge that roads and infrastructure already receive robust funding through CCTA, various grants, and other entities. Transit, meanwhile, is starving.
Therefore, I respectfully ask that you immediately reach out to the CCTA and strongly encourage them to allocate 100% of that $26 million reserve directly to our local transit agencies: County Connection, Tri Delta Transit, and WestCAT.
Directing these funds entirely to transit will directly protect the communities you serve, prevent devastating service cuts in the near future, and provide the stabilization our local transit systems desperately need. Transit is a public good, an economic driver, and a necessity for equity in our county.
Thank you for your time, your leadership, and your urgent attention to this critical funding matter. I look forward to your active support in advocating for the preservation of Contra Costa transit.
2 Sincerely,
Judy Barrientos
President/BA
ATU Local 1605