Proposal to require mayor’s approval for changes to Muni fares, parking fees withdrawn

A proposed charter amendment that would have given the mayor the authority to approve or reject proposed Muni fare increases, increases to parking meter rates, and changes to meter operations has been withdrawn, San Francisco Supervisor Ahsha Safai announced this week at special Board of Supervisors meeting.

Safai, the main sponsor of the proposed charter amendment, said at the meeting:

“Upon further discussion with transit advocates and the commitment from the SFMTA, that they would halt their original plan to extend parking meter hours and days of operation, I’m withdrawing the proposed charter amendment that would have provided moral accountability over the SFMTA fares and increases in parking meter rates in hours.”

Board president Aaron Peskin and Supervisor Hillary Ronen were cosponsors of the proposed charter amendment.

Safai introduced the charter amendment in September that proposed giving the mayor approval of any Muni fare or parking meter rate increases, as well as any operational changes. He said the charter amendment would bring accountability to a a city-elected official.

Currently, the SFMTA Board of Directors makes decisions about any Muni fare increases during the budget process, which happens every two years. In 2008, the SFMTA board approved delegating authority to the director of transportation to set parking meter rates, operations and time limits that leaves the public out of the process, Safai said.

The public has sent thousands of letters to elected leaders opposing the parking meter rate changes ever since the SFMTA earlier this year introduced the idea of extending parking meter rates into the late evening hours and weekends. The proposal was to generate revenue for the cash-strapped transit agency, which saw a decline in ridership and revenue during the pandemic.

Both Safai and Peskin urged the SFMTA to delay implementing the parking meter changes until the Controller’s Office completed a economic impact report.

Transit officials had said that the parking meter rate changes and extension into the weekend would have brought in approximately $18 million annually.

SFMTA spokesperson Stephen Chun said in a statement that the transit agency had not quite yet abandoned the idea of extending parking meter hours:

“We’re looking forward to collaborating with the Board of Supervisors to come up with ways to generate the revenue that’s needed to keep providing San Franciscans with the transportation services they need and deserve.
 At this time, no decisions or commitments have been made around the timeline for extended metering, but we’re looking forward to working with the Board of Supervisors and Mayor on what works best for neighborhoods and constituents.”

Safai at the board’s Nov. 7 meeting made changes this proposal after working with community organizations, he said. His latest proposal would allow the mayor to veto any fare and parking meter changes instead of requiring approval from the mayor.

Either way, transit advocates, including the San Francisco Transit Riders organization, have opposed the proposed charter amendment.

In statement, Peskin said:

“Many of our small businesses are still struggling to get back on their feet after the pandemic, Now is not the time to nickel and and quarter them and their customers. I’m glad that the SFMTA has agreed to not toe extend parking meter hours for the time being.”

There was some good news last week for the SFMTA related to funding. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission last week approved a plan on how emergency state funding for transit operations will be distributed among Bay Area transit agencies. The SFMTA will get approximately $308 million of the $706 million the Bay Area received from the state budget for transit operations.