The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which runs the city’s essential Muni transit service, faces a budget deficit of up to $322 million by 2026, threatening the integrity of the system. As part of our commitment to preserving and improving public transit, Transform joined the Muni Now, Muni Forever campaign as part of the Transit Justice Coalition — a group of transit riders, disability advocates, climate advocates, members of labor unions, and community groups — to meet with members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on January 16. We were part of a lobby day to speak with the city’s elected leaders about the need to find money to fully fund Muni.

Funding shortfalls caused by external factors, not ridership loss

The funding shortfall is a result of several factors, including a decline in the amount of parking revenue Muni receives from the city’s general fund, inflation, and a reduction in federal aid. Only a small portion of SFMTA’s deficit is due to pandemic ridership loss, as Muni only gets a small portion of its revenue from fares. Additionally, Muni ridership has continued to recover, reaching 78% of pre-pandemic levels. Weekend ridership has reached 92% of pre-pandemic levels, and some lines have even surpassed their pre-pandemic ridership. 

Muni and other public transit providers serving the city are critical not only to San Francisco but all of the Bay Area. In September, there were an average of 521,000 weekday trips on Muni every day. In fact, Muni carries the most riders of all the Bay Area transit agencies, and many regular riders are not San Francisco residents. 

SFMTA’s $322 million budget deficit is already leading to service cuts and reductions. On February 1, Muni reduced service on the 1X California Express, 38 Geary, 24 Divisadero, and 43 Masonic buses and on the K Ingleside and M Ocean View light-rail Metro service. 

These cuts could be followed by a further 3% service cut this summer, and if additional funding still isn’t found, service cuts could balloon up to 30%. The SFMTA Board of Directors is pushing back on proposed Muni service cuts, asking the agency to dip into its reserves and look elsewhere for cost savings to balance its budget. The Transit Justice Coalition will continue to mobilize to gain more funding and prevent these service cuts.

Bearing witness to the crucial role of transit in San Francisco

In meetings with members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, advocates impressed upon them that public transit should be a top priority in San Francisco. We asked that they explore funding options that would equitably balance the budget deficit without resorting to service cuts. 

Constituents spoke with their district supervisors to share how important transit was in their everyday lives. San Franciscans rely on Muni to get to doctor appointments, enjoy and patronize businesses in San Francisco, and much more. Advocates related how cuts to transit would devastate their quality of life and the economic prosperity of San Francisco. 

Many of the supervisors were supportive of our cause but seemed to be missing the sense of urgency around the issue and the importance of their role in shoring up SFMTA’s finances. The agency can only do so much to plug its deficit. As stewards of the city budget, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has a lot of power in putting forth a balanced budget that prioritizes transit. Transform is standing with advocates demanding the city do more to solve this critical issue now.