While Caltrain may have evaded service cuts for this year by patching together a piecemeal budget, the agency still faces considerable questions about its long-term funding outlook.

With that in mind, community leaders, transit activists and business officials will gather May 4 to discuss potential dedicated funding sources for Caltrain, as part of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s ongoing efforts to save the regional rail operator.

According to Caltrain officials, the agency is the only transit operator in the Bay Area without a dedicated funding source. Many transit experts say that the only way for Caltrain to survive is to find a consistent funding supply, which would likely have to come from some sort of tax measure on the 2012 November ballot.

At the meeting next week, set to take place at 6 p.m. at the UCSF Mission Bay Campus in San Francisco, backers of Caltrain will discuss which potential source would be the most viable option for voters.

wreisman@sfexaminer.com