Committee approves SFMTA request to exercise option for 30 more LRV4 cars, with funding transparency amendment

The Budget & Finance Committee voted Sept. 8 to forward to the Board of Supervisors SFMTA’s request to exercise Option 2 of its Siemens contract to procure 30 additional LRV4 vehicles, subject to an amendment that requires disclosure of funding sources.

SFMTA staff described improved reliability and maintenance performance of the LRV4 vehicles and proposed the option to preserve fleet uniformity and to position the system for longer and more frequent trains. The agency estimated the cost of the option at roughly $130.4 million plus escalation; SFMTA noted that executing the order within two years with no production break would cost about $119 million, while a production break could add up to $11 million to restart the line. Staff also emphasized that SFMTA could cancel the option at no cost through June 2025.

Budget & Legislative Analyst staff recommended approving the modification but urged amending the resolution to require a written report detailing the final funding sources for Option 2 expenses and adding that report to the legislative file. Supervisor Safai proposed and the committee adopted language that would require SFMTA to provide a written funding report before initiating production of the Option 2 vehicles and present it to the Board.

One public caller opposed the purchase, citing the MTA’s debt levels and urging the committee to use leverage points to secure accountability; SFMTA clarified that delay increases production restart costs but that canceling by June 2025 would incur no cancellation fee. The committee approved the item to go to the full Board as amended.