Every day we read in the news that gas prices have gone up, with no end in sight. Ironically, just when the public has started parking their cars and giving public transit a try, the governor has once again proposed to raid transportation funding to plug the state’s gaping budget deficit. This shift of funding represents opportunity costs, which may not show up on a balance sheet, yet will be felt by millions of California residents for years to come.

The American Public Transportation Association recently reported that public transit ridership is on pace to reach the highest level in 50 years.

In the Bay Area, ridership on Caltrain, BART, Muni and VTA is noticeably increased from last year. Transit agencies are scrambling to add capacity to absorb this increase in ridership, fearing that these new “transit converts” will become frustrated when they find that park and ride lots are full, buses and trains are standing room only, and there is no room to bring a bike on board. Without adequate funding to maintain, yet alone expand service, this sudden spike in ridership will be nothing more than an opportunity lost.

The governor proposes to redirect $1.4 billion from public transportation to cover budget shortfalls that have nothing to do with public transportation. This comes on top of $1.25 billion re-routed from transit in the current fiscal year, and would bring the total siphoned from bus and train services this decade to more than $4 billion.

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What might public transit in California look like today with this funding? In the Bay Area, the local share of those funds, $274 million, could provide for the purchase of modern, low-emission buses, increased express service, expanded Caltrain service, shuttles, employer van pools, car sharing programs and expanded bike or Segway storage to reduce the need to drive to and from overcrowded transit stations.

If the governor’s plan is adopted, it is almost a certainty that fares will go up, and service will not keep up with demand. We are literally, leaving passengers standing on the curb. Real opportunity lost.

Thousands of seniors, students, disabled and low-income working families are dependent on public transportation to get to school, work, grocery shopping and medical appointments. Those who have the least may be the most adversely affected by the state’s diversion of transit funding.

Even for those who do not use public transit, there is a cost for shifting funding away from transportation programs. Consider that, according to APTA, one full rail car removes 200 cars from the road, while one full bus removes 60 cars. To those who might argue that public transit benefits relatively few people, one might ask “What would your commute be like with that many vehicles on the road?”

Are you concerned about air quality? With the average commuter’s car emitting more than 2.4 tons of CO² each year, what a difference this could make in our efforts to combat climate change and improve the quality of the air we breathe.

The governor’s Web site dubs him “The People’s Governor.” Yet, the governor proposes to divert public transit funding, despite the fact that Californians have repeatedly voted to dedicate funding to that purpose.

Time and again, the people of California have spoken.

It’s time for the governor and the Legislature to deliver on this mandate from the people who have overwhelmingly voted to support public transportation, enabling us to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and take a real step toward reaching climate change goals. To do this, California must fully fund public transit.

Michael T. Burns is chairman of the California Transit Association and general manager of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.