Mayor’s office presents technical budget adjustments; MTA outlines two‑year budget, safety steps and TransLink rollout

Nani Coloretti of the Mayor’s Budget Office distributed a packet of technical adjustments and an accompanying letter describing position cleanups, baseline transfers and other accounting work orders that will appear in the June 1 budget book; she said these were largely technical and should not materially affect the general fund.

MTA representative Mr. Ford presented a two-year, balanced budget and described preparations for a possible merger that would fold the Taxi Commission into the MTA. He said the budget is intended to keep Muni, parking and other services running and to hire schedulers and supervisors to support the Transit Effectiveness Project schedule changes. The agency said enhanced service under TEP would require additional resources beyond the proposed two-year budget.

Committee members raised public-safety questions. Mr. Ford described steps taken after earlier assaults on parking control officers (PCOs), including de-escalation training (“verbal judo”), pepper-spray issuance for officers, partnership with Assemblyman Mark Leno on tougher penalties and coordination with the district attorney’s office; he said two criminal cases from prior assaults were pending.

On fare collection, Mr. Ford estimated roughly 80% of revenue now comes from passes and 20% from cash and said TransLink readers have been installed on vehicles. He projected a staged TransLink rollout in late summer or fall that should reduce cash exposure while maintaining cash options for casual riders; the agency plans a contract to refurbish fare boxes in the coming months.

Supervisors asked for follow-up on technical adjustments, reserve-account changes and how the budgeted staff would support TEP and potential route modifications. The committee continued items 3 and 4 for final hearing in late June.