City transportation department seeks $487.6 million budget as rail operating costs and transit modernization rise

Roger Morton, director of the Department of Transportation Services (DTS), told the Budget Committee the department’s combined budget (DTS plus operating partners) is $487,561,540 and includes a substantial increase in Skyline operating costs tied to adding stations, trains and longer service hours. Morton said the Skyline operations budget rises from about $89 million to roughly $120.7 million — "that's a 35% increase," he said — driven by additional service hours, more trains and associated increases in security, elevators/escalators maintenance and electricity costs.

Why it matters: The DTS budget funds daily operations of bus service and handivan operations run by the city's contractor (OTS), transit fleet replacement, traffic-signal infrastructure, and near-term readiness costs for an expanded Skyline service. The committee questioned staffing, capital timing, and program details that affect street-level safety, accessibility and service reliability.

Key operating and staffing details: Morton said DTS has roughly 889 funded positions with about 45 vacancies and expects to fill 33 hires by the end of the fiscal year. He described the department as small in head count but large in operational scope because it manages contracting with operators and multiple service…