Board affirms MTAexemption; planned 10% Muni service cuts may proceed

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on April 13 affirmed the Planning Department's determination that the Municipal Transportation Agency's (MTA) planned reductions in transit service are statutorily exempt from environmental review, clearing the way for the MTA to implement broad service changes tied to declared fiscal emergencies.

The vote came after a contested hearing in which an appellant and dozens of public speakers argued the exemption could not be used for the proposed May 2010 service reductions. The board's final roll call on a motion to affirm the exemption was 6 in favor, 5 opposed.

Supporters of the appeal argued the MTA had not followed the statutory steps required by California Public Resources Code section 21080.32 and that certain May 2010 cuts were not part of the public hearing record when the original fiscal emergency was declared. Appellant David Pilpel told the board: "The Municipal Transportation Agency ... is planning to reduce municipal railway, muni, transit service by 10% without conducting any environmental review." He urged the board to send the matter…