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Supervisors press SFMTA over parking attendant cuts, seek answers before budget vote
Summary
At a committee hearing, supervisors and union representatives questioned SFMTA about staff reductions tied to automation and a $32 million capital parks program, citing safety and job impacts; SFMTA defended its operating changes and data-driven deployments but agreed to further meetings and oversight via the budget process.
Supervisors, union representatives and SFMTA officials sparred in a lengthy hearing on June 17 over staffing reductions in city-owned parking garages tied to automation and a multi-million-dollar modernization program.
Supervisor Asha Safaei opened the hearing saying constituents repeatedly raised safety concerns when on-site parking attendants are reduced or removed. Safaei framed the item around the human and safety impacts of moving from staffed operations to automated systems as the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency implements a citywide Parking Access and Revenue Control System upgrade.
Ted Graff, SFMTA parking director, presented the agency’s rationale: a change in operating philosophy toward modernization, central monitoring, garage ambassadors, improved lighting and cameras, and redeployments intended to reduce vehicle break-ins (VBIs). Graff cited the system size and recent metrics: SFMTA manages 275,000 on-street spaces and about 39 off-street garages and lots totaling roughly 15,000 spaces, with about 6.5 million parking sessions annually. He said capital investment in the program began in February 2017 and totals about $32 million, and that cumulative staffing in off-street facilities declined from roughly 233 in 2016 to 195 at the time of his testimony.
SFMTA asserted some positive safety trends at upgraded facilities and said some fixed-post cashier roles were converted to roving
