San Francisco's public transportation agency says Muni is facing deep cuts to bus, train and cable car services as soon as next summer due to a massive budget deficit.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) says it is looking at an annual deficit of $240 million to $320 million starting in 2026, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle.
"We're talking about what happens if we don’t raise new revenue in order to solve the problem," SFMTA Director of Transportation Jeffrey Tumlin said. "This is the conversation that's been a little, frankly, terrifying to me."
No cuts have been proposed as of Thursday, but staff on Wednesday presented options. Potentially on the chopping block, the Chronicle reports, are three cable car lines; the F Market streetcar; cuts to undetermined buses and light rail lines; eliminating some nighttime service; and shutting down buses on hilly routes.
"We’re looking at even more painful losses like trimming back the cable car system or the F line," Tumlin said. "These are services that are very expensive to operate but are at the core of our city’s identity, including bringing back a strong visitor economy."
SFMTA attributes the deficit to the failure of Proposition L earlier this month. Voters did not pass the measure that would have taxed ride-hailing services to the tune of about $25 million annually for public transportation.
Meanwhile, Muni ridership reached a post-pandemic high in September, with more than 520,000 weekday boardings. That's still under 75% of 2019 levels. Weekend ridership has recovered more at 92%. The data did not include streetcars and cable cars.
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Muni's board is set to meet in the coming months to brainstorm ways to cut into the deficit. The agency just launched a merchandise campaign ahead of the holidays that includes hoodies, hats, socks, mugs and stickers among other branded items.
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