SFMTA announces modest Feb. service changes, central subway closure and warns of possible summer cuts

Interim Director Julie Kirschbaum told the Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors on Jan. 21 that relatively modest citywide schedule changes will take effect Feb. 1 to support downtown economic recovery and to align operator schedules.

Kirschbaum said the February changes were designed to minimize customer impacts while improving system efficiency, noting some reductions are targeted where ridership is low or where parallel service exists. She also announced a separate Central Subway tunnel closure from Feb. 26 to March 14 to address water seepage; crews will stage preparatory work starting Feb. 3 with more visible station prep Feb. 17–26 and a shuttle bus operating between Chinatown (Rose Pak) Station and 4th and King during the closure. The T line will be rerouted into the Market Street subway during the work.

Why it matters: The announcements include service adjustments that affect riders beginning in February and a multiweek closure of a key segment of central subway that will change travel patterns in late February and early March. Board members were also warned that greater summer service reductions are possible without new revenue.

Details and scheduling

Kirschbaum said the changes set for Feb. 1 are “relatively modest” and largely reflect material the board saw in November. At board requests and after Chinatown stakeholder input — given Lunar New Year activity and other downtown events — staff postponed a timing change on the 30 short route until March 15 so the community would not face overlapping changes. Preparatory construction for the central subway tunnel closure will begin in early February, she said, and the agency will staff the closure with ambassadors to reduce rider confusion.

Funding outlook and possible summer cuts

Kirschbaum told the board the agency is continuing work with the muni funding working group to develop funding scenarios and that the group will meet Jan. 23 and Jan. 31. She said staff expect the agency will likely need to implement additional service reductions this summer and that the working group will present policy options and scenarios to the board on Feb. 4; Kirschbaum described the summer reduction magnitude staff are modeling at roughly 4 percent of service, though final decisions will depend on policy direction and feedback.

Other director’s report items

• Central Subway closure: Feb. 26–March 14 with a T-line reroute and a shuttle bus between Chinatown (Rose Pak) Station and 4th & King.

• Outreach and engagement: Kirschbaum said staff will conduct broad community outreach as they develop summer scenarios and will return Feb. 4 with details and options for board direction.

• Accessibility survey: The agency’s accessible transportation needs assessment received more than 1,300 responses; respondents skewed older (more than half over 55), about 40 percent reported a mobility disability, and languages reported included Cantonese (13 percent) and Spanish (9 percent). Staff said they will report findings and follow with targeted engagement and priorities for the next five years.

• Labor side letter: Kirschbaum disclosed a side letter to the Service Critical labor contract for TWU Local 250A about inconvenience pay; copies and a costing analysis are posted at www.sfmta.com/sideletters, and the matter is on the closed-session agenda.

Board reaction and next steps

Board members asked for clearer communications to riders and communities about both February and potential summer changes; staff said they will refine messaging and targeted outreach. Kirschbaum said staff will follow up with the board on Feb. 4 with detailed scenarios and the working group’s recommendations.

Votes at a glance

• Approval of minutes for Dec. 17, 2024: motion passed by roll call (ayes recorded for directors present); minutes approved.

• Election of Board leadership: Director Janet Tarlow was elected chair and Director Stephanie Kahina was elected vice chair by roll-call votes; both motions passed on recorded ayes.

• Consent calendar: The board approved the consent calendar by roll call (ayes recorded); items included routine parking/traffic modifications, controller allotments and the agency’s request for programming of transit capital funds listed in the agenda.

What’s next

Staff will implement the Feb. 1 schedule changes, begin the Central Subway staging and closure work in early February, and return to the board Feb. 4 with funding scenarios and recommended next steps for confronting the agency’s operating shortfall. Public updates and trip-planning notices are available on SFMTA’s website and servicechanges page.

(Reporter’s note: this article summarizes the Director’s report as presented to the board; formal policy or schedule documents and posted side-letter materials are the agency’s official records.)