While agencies across California are suffering from cuts made by the state budget, BART officials say the cuts to their organization are larger than expected, leaving them scrambling for options.

The Bay Area's public transit budget was cut by more than $300 million, and BART was given $42.6 million less this year than it was owed by the state.

Like many other agencies, BART did plan for reductions, but was unprepared for the final budget of $19.6 million. BART has already allocated $28.3 million in spending-$8.7 million more than it will get from the state, transit officials said.

This is the latest in a series of deep cuts to the state's public transit system, which was reduced by one billion dollars last year and $1.7 billion this year, said Randy Rentschler, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

"Transit has been the go-to place in the state budget," he said. "We're unable to make rational, reasonable, even near-term plans."

Gail Murray, president of BART's Board of Directors, said that the board is considering several options to make up for the budget short-fall, including a fare hike at peak commuter hours or a reduction of maintenance staff.

"Those are all really bad choices that the Federal Government and the State have imposed on us," she said. "We're definitely going to have to tighten our belts, and riders will too."

The budget cut comes at a time when BART is seeing record ridership-up 20,000 from last year-compounding the problem of the already overstretched resources, said Linton Johnson, a BART spokesperson.

The system recently began a Congestion Management Study to find solutions for worsening congestion on the trains, which has forced BART to use 90 percent of its fleet at peak times.

The study will likely lead to a conclusion that Johnson said he, and many commuters, have already reached.

"We need to add more train cars," Johnson said. "We need to add more trains."

But the state budget cuts will make this difficult, because federal grants that are usually used to expand services would instead be utilized to facilitate daily operations.

Joel Tranter, a Berkeley resident who said he has used BART since childhood, has felt the effects of increased congestion, but doesn't believe a peak fare hike is the answer.

"The trains are definitely more crowded," he said, adding, "but those who need transit the most are those who can least afford it."

Murray said she thought transit systems wouldn't get appropriate funding until policy makers in Sacramento listen to voters and make transit a priority.

"The point is that someone is going to be hurt by the fact that the state government did not take care of their problems," she said. "The voters have even said, 'don't take money from transit,' but the state hasn't dealt with their own overspending. They're just pushing their problems onto local governments and agencies."

Tags: BART, STATE BUDGET, METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER