Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transit Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Supervisor Wiener asks controller to study small ticket surcharge to fund Muni vehicle purchases and repairs
Summary
Supervisor Scott Wiener asked the Controller's Office to analyze scenarios for a $1'$3 per-ticket surcharge at large events to pay for Muni vehicles and repairs. Preliminary estimates he cited suggested $3 million to $22 million in annual revenue, which he said could fund vehicle purchases or rehabilitations.
Supervisor Scott Wiener asked the city controller to study a potential small per-ticket surcharge at large events to generate a stable transit revenue stream for the Municipal Railway (Muni).
Wiener told the board that large events — concerts, sporting events and festivals — place heavy strain on Muni, which has a backlog of vehicle maintenance and a lack of spare light-rail vehicles. He asked the Controller's Office to analyze fee scenarios in the $1 to $3 per-ticket range and to model thresholds such as venues with 1,000 seats or 5,000 seats.
Wiener said preliminary analysis indicated revenues could range from about $3 million on the low end to $22 million on the high end annually. "To put that in perspective," he said, "$22,000,000 annually could purchase four brand new LRVs each year, or rehabilitate 16 broken-down LRVs every year, which will extend their life and their reliability." He said the controller would consider fee amounts, venue-size thresholds, and stakeholder impacts and that he would consult with the mayor's transportation task force and affected parties.
Wiener said he had begun conversations with stakeholders and that the measure was intended to shore up Muni funding to preserve system reliability in the face of increasing events and potential new stadium planning. The request was framed as a direction to the Controller's Office to study options; no vote occurred on May 7.
