Mayor pledges to support Muni; supervisors and riders press for short‑term funding to avoid service cuts

Mayor Daniel Lurie told the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Feb. 11 that he would "do everything in my power" to support the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) as the agency confronts a multi‑hundred‑million dollar budget shortfall.

The mayor spoke during a 2 p.m. special appearance and policy discussion with the board after Supervisor Myrna Melgar opened a topic asking whether the mayor would act to prevent Muni service cuts while longer‑term solutions are developed. "It is almost certain that we will need both local and regional revenue measures on the 2026 ballot to support Muni's budget," the mayor said, and added his office is pursuing state funding and short‑term support.

Why it matters: Muni carries hundreds of thousands of trips daily and supervisors, riders and service providers said cuts this summer would harm transit‑dependent residents, constrain economic recovery and undermine climate goals. The board approved a related short‑term appropriation for free parking and transit fares for Lunar New Year weekend (see Votes at a glance), but speakers at the meeting urged a larger stopgap transfer and a clear path to sustainable revenue.

Lurie and board discussion

Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who represents District 7, framed Muni as essential to San Francisco's economy and daily life and said the system faces a "current short term budget deficit" and a larger structural gap. Melgar asked the mayor: "Will you do everything in your 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 Lurie answered that he would support Muni's "immediate and long term health" and that the city needs a "multi‑pronged approach". He said he had been advocating for state aid in Sacramento and that a likely path would include ballot measures in 2026 for local and regional revenue, while pursuing stopgap funding this year.

Public comment and community demands

More than a dozen public commenters urged the board and mayor to act immediately to prevent cuts. Cyrus Hall, a sustainable transportation advocate speaking for the "Muni Now, Muni Forever" campaign, urged the board to transfer $15 million from the city general reserve to SFMTA to avert planned 4% service cuts this summer, saying such cuts could produce longer waits and may doom some routes to future elimination.

Dylan Fabris, community and policy manager at San Francisco Transit Riders, said SFMTA had exhausted many internal efficiencies and that cuts were not inevitable if the board treated the reductions as an emergency. Residents and local advocates — including Tina Martin of Transit Justice, Jackie Elie Cordova, Annabelle Littlejohn Bailey and others — described heavy crowding on key lines such as the 38 and warned of increased car use, worse traffic and barriers to healthcare and work if service is reduced.

Several speakers urged the board to consider using general reserve funds or other near‑term transfers to buy time while the city develops long‑term revenue measures. Others repeated that voters supported prior funding efforts (references in public comment to Proposition L) and asked the board to honor that mandate by finding immediate resources.

Decisions and next steps

The board approved item 8 during the meeting: an appropriation of $526,000 from the general reserve to SFMTA to support two‑hour free parking in the Portsmouth Square garage and transit fares for Lunar New Year events (vote: 11 ayes; passed on first reading). Beyond that, the mayor and supervisors described further actions as collaborative and ongoing: Lurie said he would continue to press Sacramento for state funds and work with the board on local and regional measures for 2026.

Discussion versus formal action

No board vote during the Mayoral appearance committed the city to specific long‑term funding amounts; Lurie and supervisors described policy directions and potential ballot timing. The appropriation for Lunar New Year support was the principal formal action at the meeting directly tied to SFMTA.

Ending note

Supervisors and transit advocates left the meeting urging immediate fiscal action to avert summer service cuts and asking the mayor's office to identify stopgap funds. The mayor reiterated the need for both short‑term help and longer‑term revenue measures, including likely ballot proposals in 2026.