News release: “Public transit systems are faced with implementing new service cuts and fare increases on top of cuts and increases enacted during the past budget cycle, according to a new study released by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Nearly eighty percent of public transit systems have already implemented fare increases or service cuts in 2010 or are considering them for the future because of flat or decreased local and/or regional funding. The report, Impacts of the Recession on Public Transportation Agencies, noted the top three causes of stress in operating budgets among public transit systems were local/regional funding, state funding and increasing fuel prices. Seventy-one percent of responding agencies saw flat or decreased local and/or regional funding, and 83 percent saw flat or decreased state funding. These decreases are on top of an already stagnant funding situation in 2010.”