Mayor and Supervisors Pledge to Seek Muni Funding; advocates urge immediate stopgap transfer

Mayor Daniel Lurie told the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Feb. 11 that he will press state officials and consider local and regional measures to support the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency as ridership returns.

Supervisor Myrna Melgar asked the mayor whether he would “do everything in my power to ensure that we can weather the next couple years, with no service cuts to Muni while we work together on long term solutions for the system?” Mayor Daniel Lurie replied, “I'm going to do everything in my power to support Muni's immediate and long term health,” and said he is advocating in Sacramento for state funding while expecting a multi‑pronged approach that could include local and regional ballot measures in 2026.

Why it matters: Supervisors and dozens of public commenters described Muni as the city’s “backbone” and urged immediate action to avoid service reductions the transit agency has signaled for this summer. Advocates said short‑term funding of roughly $15 million could prevent initial cuts while long‑term revenue measures are pursued.

What the mayor and supervisors said Mayor Daniel Lurie highlighted ridership gains and regional dependence on the system, saying weekday boardings are “up to 500,000 daily boardings” and that “over 60% of all regional transit trips start or end in San Francisco.” He said the SFMTA is evaluating both service reductions and internal efficiencies and that the city will need “stopgap funding this year.”

Supervisor Myrna Melgar, the item sponsor, warned of a “more than $300,000,000 annual structural deficit” for Muni going forward and asked whether the mayor would try to prevent service cuts while the board pursues long‑term fixes.

Public comment: advocates and riders press for immediate action Multiple speakers representing grassroots campaigns and riders urged the board to transfer money from the general reserve to SFMTA to prevent summer cuts. Cyrus Hall of the Muni Now, Muni Forever campaign said the board could transfer $15 million from the general reserve to stave off a 4% summer cut that would lengthen wait times and reduce service on many routes. Tina Martin of Transit Justice said she was “disappointed” that the mayor’s appearance did not present a concrete plan to save service.

Other callers described how service reductions would affect seniors, people with disabilities and workers who do not own cars. A string of speakers testified that cutting hours or lines would harm access to health care, jobs and neighborhood businesses.

Related board action Separately, the board passed on first reading an ordinance to appropriate $526,000 from the general reserve to the SFMTA to support free two‑hour parking at Portsmouth Square garage (Jan. 28–Feb. 28, 2025) and to fund transit fares for the Lunar New Year weekend in February 2025. The roll call showed 11 ayes; the ordinance passed on first reading.

What remains unresolved Mayor Lurie said a combination of state advocacy, stopgap funds and likely ballot measures will be necessary. Advocates pressed for an immediate allocation to avoid cuts this summer; the mayor did not commit to a specific city transfer during his remarks.

The board also heard a resolution introduced by Supervisor Melgar affirming the city’s commitment to developing fiscal solutions for transit; the resolution was introduced during new business and will proceed through the board’s process.

Provenance: key transcript excerpts The topic discussion was introduced by the clerk as “short term operational funding for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency offered by Supervisor Melgar” (transcript block starting at 258.02). Mayor Daniel Lurie’s remarks about Muni began at the mayor’s appearance (157.56–224.36). Supervisor Melgar’s questions and the board exchange run from 268.22 through 410.70. Public comments urging funding appear across the public comment period (notably blocks beginning at 4580.36, 4686.16, 4793.25 and 5388.025). The ordinance appropriation (item 8) is described at 875.87–902.20 and the roll call for item 8 is at 904.66–935.97.

Ending note Board members and community groups signaled broad agreement that Muni requires both immediate and long‑term funding actions. The mayor promised continued advocacy in Sacramento and flagged the possibility of local ballot measures; advocates pressed for an immediate city transfer to avoid service cuts this summer.