Two Bay Area lawmakers are warning that local transit agencies could soon face devastating cuts now that Gov. Gavin Newsom is backing away from a promise to provide emergency funding.

State Senator Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Jesse Arreguin said the governor had previously agreed to a $750 million bridge loan for BART, Muni, and other transit agencies to help cover projected budget gaps in 2026.

Without that loan, transit advocates said deep cuts could severely impact riders like Miriam Clark, an IT professional who lives in San Francisco and commutes daily to Menlo Park using Muni, BART, and Caltrain.

"If they reduce service any more than they have already or adjust it, it will be even harder for me to get to my destination on time," Clark said.

Friday morning's system-wide BART shutdown offered her a preview of how disruptive permanent cuts could be. Forced to leave the station and work from home, she noted that remote work is not usually an option in her job.

"If there are cuts to public transportation, that's going to mean I'm back in my car. I don't think they want that," Clark added. She said she owns a car but only uses it as a last resort.

Wiener warned that the Department of Finance's suggestion to revisit the issue next year is too late.

"And that's a problem, because these agencies have to make plans now about whether to cut service next year," he said. "If they don't have certainty the money is coming, they're going to have to start reducing service."

Wiener added that the deadline to introduce the loan proposal is Tuesday. Without action, he said, "Ultimately, if nothing happens whatsoever—including the ballot measure—BART will basically collapse, and Muni has said they may have to cut service as much as 50%."

Transit advocates said the loan is intended to keep agencies afloat until November 2026, when Bay Area voters will decide on a regional transportation measure that could fund operations starting in 2027.

"If we're now taking hundreds of thousands of people off of transit and then dumping them into the freeway, I-80's going to be a parking lot, I-580's going to be a parking lot," said Carter Lavin, co-founder of the Transbay Coalition. "It's going to be a mess all over the place. And the easiest thing to do is just for the governor to fulfill his promise of providing that emergency loan."

Clark hopes all sides can find a solution that ensures public transit remains reliable.

"It's going to be painful for a while. I mean there's going to be chaos and pain. But then at some point, clear minds will prevail," she said.

Transit officials said they urgently need state support. SFMTA, for example, projected a $307 million deficit for the next fiscal year even after deep internal cuts. Advocates and local leaders plan to rally Monday morning at 9 a.m. at San Francisco Civic Center Plaza, followed by a march to the State Building to demand the governor deliver on the promised loan.