SAN DIEGO -- Facing a $13 million budget deficit, the Metropolitan Transportation System board is considering cutting Sunday bus service around San Diego, 10News reported.

Taking the bus is the only way Sam McLaughlin is able to get around, but taking the bus on Sundays may become more difficult.

"I travel back and forth to El Cajon and places like that, and if they cut, you know … I depend on the busses," said McLaughlin.

The MTS faces its large budget deficit mostly due to a drop in state and local sales tax revenue and decrease in state funding.

"You know, we're really at a loss as to how we're going to cut these dollars. Sunday, I know, is important to a lot of people," said Paul Jablonski of the Metropolitan Transportation System.

One option for the MTS is to cut bus service nearly in half on Sundays, considering it is the day with the least amount of riders.

However, numbers obtained by 10News showed ridership is up even on the weekends until recently.

Looking at Sunday ridership on the bus from May 2008 to May 2009, ridership went up more than 15 percent.

However, compared to June 2008 to June 2009, it is off more than 35 percent -- and has been off ever since.

"This last two to three percent rise of unemployment really struck home with us, and that's when we started to feel in the impact," said Jablonski.

Last December, unemployment was in single digits. But then it increased to 10 percent, and is now over 12 percent.

The MTS said raising fares to make up the difference is out, as fares have already gone up three times in the last year and a half.

Sunday route cuts are not set in stone, the MTS said, but routes may be altered or extended.

A series of public meetings are planned at transit stations beginning this Sunday to hear from riders on possible alternatives. Click here for a meetings schedule.